I assume that you are refering to Shi'a and Sunni muslims with that. Well the differences between them are not much bigger than between catholics and protestants. Give it a 100 years and they will have it worked out.Islam as a common religion. Now that is funny. Come on Skip, you know more than that. I know you do.
What? No Outrage for Slaughered Syrians?
Well, when in my country there are a lot of muslims right now and they will probably grow in numbers for a while. It is hard to avoid getting into a conversation with them and I do like knowing my enemy. What I usually hear is that people are generally unhappy with house of Saud and want to get rid of it. The Saudis are stitting on a very, very wobbly throne. Then you have Tunesia, Lybia, Egypt, soon maybe Syria that are seeing their little arab spring changes. Why do you think that this is happening?
Try this:GIThruster wrote:Islam is the second largest and one of the fastest growing religions in the world. There is no evidence whatsoever that is it "dying". It is growing in leaps an bounds all around the world. Here in the West, Islam is growing because every emotionally disturbed person who wants to make a counter-cultural statement with their choice of religion, chooses Islam. It's chic, just as New Age was in the 60's and 70's.MSimon wrote: Islam is dying and there will be quite a bit of thrashing around until it is finally put down.
How Civilizations Die: (And Why Islam Is Dying Too)
Yeah. But "New Age" actually had something to offer. I used it (among other tools) to help (mostly) heal my PTSD. I don't see Islam offering anything but a chance to make more.
Engineering is the art of making what you want from what you can get at a profit.
Skipjack wrote: It is hard to avoid getting into a conversation with them and I do like knowing my enemy.
Most of Muslims are not your enemy. Shame you see it that way.
Yup. Very true. But they also understand that to stay on top they need to buy the masses. For now they have the money to do it. They also are trying to slow role reform so the masses do not notice. Don't count the house of Saud out yet.What I usually hear is that people are generally unhappy with house of Saud and want to get rid of it. The Saudis are stitting on a very, very wobbly throne.
Power and Control. The minority in charge has abused and sucked the majority too dry. It made them mad. The real question is how long will it take before it happens again. For example in Egypt, they haven't really finished yet. Same thing in Lybia. How didThen you have Tunesia, Lybia, Egypt, soon maybe Syria that are seeing their little arab spring changes. Why do you think that this is happening?
The Who song go? "Out with the old boss, in with the new, and we won't get fooled again..."
Nope, they have had centuries to sort that one, and there is no intention to do it ever. It is a domination issue, simple, straight forward. In a sense like Judaism and Christianity. But, there is more, within each side are many sub-splits, some that are pretty darn far off the reservation, so to speak. One could say that Islam is a Great Religion that divides within. For example, within Sunni, you have two more major sub-splits, Salafi, and within that, Wahhabi. Let us also not forget the Qutbists, and others.I assume that you are refering to Shi'a and Sunni muslims with that. Well the differences between them are not much bigger than between catholics and protestants. Give it a 100 years and they will have it worked out.Islam as a common religion. Now that is funny. Come on Skip, you know more than that. I know you do.
One of the great ironies in todays "Global War on Terrorism" is that the Saudi Wahhabis are probably one of the lead, if not the primary group spreading extremist ideals around the world. So the while west focuses on Iran, Afghanistan, The Taliban, Pakistan, etc, those Saudi guys quietly trek around the world with silly amounts of funding from the homeland supporters, building mosques, madrassas and what not to single mindedly spread the Wahhabi point of view. Good fun. Did you know that there are now entire communities in Indonesia that now speak Arabic, and practice Wahhabi spin Sharia Law? the Indonesian Government is pissed, but can not compete with the money.
The development of atomic power, though it could confer unimaginable blessings on mankind, is something that is dreaded by the owners of coal mines and oil wells. (Hazlitt)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
What I want to do is to look up C. . . . I call him the Forgotten Man. (Sumner)
I cannot say it better than this article.
Conjuring the ghost of Richelieu
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Eco ... 8Dj06.html
Conjuring the ghost of Richelieu
"Everyone is killing each other in Syria and some other places in the region, and the conflict might spread. What should we do about it?"
"How much does this cost you?"
"Nothing at all," I answered.
"Then let them kill each other as long as possible, which is to say for 30 years or so. Do you know," the ghastly Cardinal continued, "why really interesting wars last for 30 years? That has been true from the Peloponnesian War to my own century. First you kill the fathers, then you kill their sons. There aren't usually enough men left for a third iteration."
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Eco ... 8Dj06.html
‘What all the wise men promised has not happened, and what all the damned fools said would happen has come to pass.’
— Lord Melbourne —
— Lord Melbourne —