A Muslim's Post on Fundamentalism

[ck4829]

There is a post on DU saying that Christian Fundamentalism is worse than Islamic Fundamentalism.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2189850&mesg_id=2189850

It's bad either way, and I as a Muslim would actively, aggressively, and physically fight against an Islamic OR a Christian Theocracy.

Some points about Fundamentalism:

1. ANY doctrine can be stretched to the point of Fundamentalism. Stalinism is sometimes called the Fundamentalism of Communism.

2. Fundamentalism is almost always a malevolent force. Even Fundamentalists who oppose violence will strongly oppose the arts and the sciences. Christian Fundamentalists are known to oppose AIDS research, Stem Cell Research, and an HPV Vaccine.

3. The Era of Christian Fundamentalism is over. Every religion passes through a Juvenile Era. This is when the Religion becomes physically violent and there are literally armies dedicated to the religion, this is also the era when Fundamentalism is at it's strongest. Christianity's Juvenile Era ended centuries ago. Islam is starting to come out of it's Juvenile Era. After the Juvenile Era ends, the religion becomes more accepting of science and of other religions.

[valerief]

1. self delete

self delete

[ck4829]

2. There will always be Juveniles

And it could come back. Religion could always put itself in the reverse.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

3. Sometime after Sept 11

I heard this theory about young faiths, and that the Muslim faith was basically where the Christians in, say, 1500. Made sense to me.

Did the Jewish faith also go through that phase in Old Testament times?

I guess the worst Christian fundamentalism was during Cromwell? Or the Crusades, a bit earlier maybe?

I am not one who refers to the American Taliban, because I think to do so cheapens what the people of Afghanistan went through under that rule. Our RW doesn't even begin to come close. But could they? Some day? THAT concept is what scares me, because humans are humans and zealots are trouble.

[ck4829]

5. The Christian Juvenile Era...

Began not too long after it became the official religion in Rome and it died with the Salem Witch Trials.

Judaism's Juvenile Era was during the Old Testament, I think that is true.

[tocqueville]

8. 15% of Americans believe in evolution

and you think the "juvenile era" is over ?

[ck4829]

10. It's more like 40% believe in evolution. But, that's still unsettling.

As I said before, religion can devolve at any time.

All those RW Revivals and Just-Us Sundays can be evident of regression.

[tocqueville]

11. check the latest polls

[ck4829]

12. You are right

I checked it out myself.

Truly unsettling, but it's quite easy to see that America has not always been like this. The America I remember is very different from the America I know today.

We are witnessing a Regression.

[msongs]

4. 2000 years = 100's of millions raped tortured murdered by both

religons. permanent juvenile delinquents. 24/7/365/2000


Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. Hundreds of millions?

do you really think so? If I had to guess I might have said millions.

[tocqueville]

7. Don't know where you got that from

byt Islam had its period of Enlightment (1001 nights, mathematics, astronomy), before the Renaissance in Europe. But it never broke through the separation of Church and State except in Turkey and some Arab countries due to socialist influence.

Fundamentalism is ALWAYS present, and ALWAYS a malevolent force, waiting to stick up its evil head when democracy fails. Therefore it must be fought by ALL means, including the use of legal force.

Many of todays US preachers would be sitting in jail if they were Europeans with the consensus of 99% of the population. And PLEASE don't give me the "freedom of speech argument".

[ck4829]

9. Just because there is a Juvenile Era does not mean there...

can also be a Golden Age.

I really shouldn't be referring to Fundamentalism as a Force of Religion, but rather a force of the Believer.

Islam's Age of Enlightenment did exist, there was also Assassins, which had a Cult of Personality similar to the Cult Worship of Osama bin Laden.

Christianity also had an Enlightenment that was overlapping with it's Juvenile Age.

[GreenPartyVoter]

13. I am sorry to say that I do not think Christian fundamentalism is

completely over. Lately it feels like we are regressing in some ways. Maybe they aren't all violent, but for a lot of the conservative believers I know they seem "backwards" when it comes to tolerance and science and reasoned thinking. :(

I hope that we will all continue to grow, but the more our education system deteriorates (ergo, is killed off) the more we are in danger of a new dark age.

I have been blogging a little bit about this lately, but your thoughts have got me thinking again. I may have to amend my entry yet again.
http://www.livejournal.com/community/thought_express/14905.html

[ck4829]

14. Exactly. I do say this in the replies in this thread.