Arab World's Response to Beheading!

[gybefan]

800 years ago, stray!

I'd say both this latest horrific incident and the example of the Crusades help us to realize the danger of religious beliefs - of any kind - becoming over-politicized.

 

[UberLutheran]

800 years ago, stray!

where militant Protestant and Catholic CHRISTIANS shoot at each other, and kill each other with glee.

And sometime, take a look at a KKK website. They really do believe that the positions they take, and what they are doing, is service to Christ.

 

[stray bullet]

800 years ago, stray!

Ok, so only things that happen in the 21st Century count towards or against a religion to you? How convenient.

 

[BarbB]

where militant Protestant and Catholic CHRISTIANS shoot at each other, and kill each other with glee.

And sometime, take a look at a KKK website. They really do believe that the positions they take, and what they are doing, is service to Christ.

Actually, Ireland has been fairly quiet by a conscious decision on both sides since 9/11!

KKK - beyond the pale, though the governments of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and Iran along with others practicing sharia law do officially lob off parts, including heads!

 

[BarbB]

Ok, so only things that happen in the 21st Century count towards or against a religion to you? How convenient.

No, not at all. Just that Christianity has advanced from the days of the Crusades, witchhunts, etc. Maybe Islam is just 600 years behind Christianity on the barbarism scale?

 

[burrow_owl]

Fortunately, MOST Christians don't do these things, even though they are condoned within Scripture. Just as most Muslims don't go around removing people's limbs as punishment for crimes.

There seems to be a difference, though; sociologicallly, barbaric punishment is supported by at least one muslim state (saudi - I'd imagine there are more, and will check into it). Further, said punishments are at least prima facie supported by the plain text of the Koran, whereas the plain text of the NT contains no such positive commands (unlike the OT, which the NT supersedes, fulfills - whatever nuance of language you prefer, it's clear to most christians that the OT commandments to punish severely are inapplicable).

I'm not trying to say all muslims are necessarily barbarians - however, the text lends itself more easily to a barbaric form of the religion; to get around the positive commandments to punish severely requires a bit more hermeneutic finesse than does a corresponding reading of the NT.

 

[marshlewis]

As far as the Islamic worlds reaction, Ive surfed the net and the reaction seems Identical to that of the west. Lets hope attitudes dont spiral out of control like they did with the 'Dancing in the streets' footage after 9/11. (10 people unenthusiasticly waching 5-6 people dancing for joy at the attack, was turned into hundreds of thousands of anti-american arabs- do you remember?)

 

[Wilfred of Ivanhoe]

The NT commands put Christians under the guidance and laws of their government. The punishments ascribed in the OT are God's perfect law. However, the Children of Abraham are no longer a literal nation, but a nation of the faithful. God's children no longer convene in one nation and make the laws. As can be seen in our own nation, the laws are made by secular society; and those laws that hold a semblance to Christian law are being assaulted by the secular world as well.

 

[marshlewis]

Actually, Ireland has been fairly quiet by a conscious decision on both sides since 9/11!

!

I dont think 9/11 had anything to do with it.

 

[stray bullet]

No, not at all. Just that Christianity has advanced from the days of the Crusades, witchhunts, etc. Maybe Islam is just 600 years behind Christianity on the barbarism scale?

Islam is in its 15th Century, its got another 500 years of rape, robbery and violence needed to catch up.

 

[BarbB]

I dont think 9/11 had anything to do with it.

Oh, but it did. The IRA published it's intent to desist from violence because it felt it would be misunderstood in view of the violence on 9/11. I was amazed at the time and am pleased that it seems to have held nearly 3 years later.

 

[BarbB]

Islam is in its 15th Century, its got another 500 years of rape, robbery and violence needed to catch up.

Maybe that's true. Sadly. Evolutionary religion.

 

[foxy2]

Arabs Divided Over Beheading of American in Iraq

Actually, the article quotes a large number of quite reasonable Arabs making some damn good points (other than the last two quotes, which are just nasty). It's worth a read, if only to see that they're not all barbarians, as some might think.

 

[Crofter]

In Northern Ireland the shedding of blood was used by both parties to promote hatred and violence... when people hear with their own ears the guns and cries of pain, and smell blood and see their loved ones mutilated it provokes a desire for revenge... I'm quite a gentle person but I wouldn't be so in such a situation.

To think how reading the news and seeing these images disturbs us and fills us with nunmess and disbelief and a desire for revenge... and then to think of the Iraqi people who have seen with their own eyes their own loved ones shot and mutilated as part of the process of this war they find themselves caught up in...


All I can hope is for God to intervene in this terrible situation and bring some peace and love into the hearts of men... and comfort for those who suffer such unimaginable pain. And especially at this time for the friends and family of Nick Berg because it's just too hard to begin to think how they will cope with such a evil end to a beautiful life.

 

[Dust and Ashes]

Christianity once condoned the same punishments. It's not condoned by non-extremist Muslims any more than it's condoned by non-extremist Christians.

"Christians" maybe once condoned it or the government of "Christian" nations but I'm pretty sure that the teachings of Jesus Christ don't condone them.

 

[Svt4Him]

No, not at all. Just that Christianity has advanced from the days of the Crusades, witchhunts, etc. Maybe Islam is just 600 years behind Christianity on the barbarism scale?

Although this is a common example, the Crusades were not a Christian thing, and witchhunt stats, which I've never seen posted, fail to mention the amount of Christians killed during the same hunt.

The Bible is quite clear that there will be those who would kill "in God's name" but it's because they don't know God. So to say it was Christianity is not true, it was for political gain and greed, and many Christians lost their lives in the process.

 

[HeatherJay]

"Christians" maybe once condoned it or the government of "Christian" nations but I'm pretty sure that the teachings of Jesus Christ don't condone them.

I very much agree.

 

[opus_dei]

Oh, but it did. The IRA published it's intent to desist from violence because it felt it would be misunderstood in view of the violence on 9/11. I was amazed at the time and am pleased that it seems to have held nearly 3 years later.

actually, the original "cease-and-desist," as it were, occured slightly after the bombing at omagh in the 1990s. sectarians on both sides were horrified at the death of the 20 or so (don't remember the exact number) people. besides such fringe groups as the pira and the rira, for the most part, sectiarian violence has cooled. i'm not saying that it does not exist, but at least the major parties to the issue are engaging in somewhat of a political stalemate.

NI is a poor example for the very fact that the parties are still talking about weapons surrender from the ira. granted, hasn't happened yet, but can you picture radical islamic groups doing the same? fat chance.

europeans cry and moan about unequal treatment of palestinians. if you take them as an example of even a "moderate" islamic group (which i certainly do not) therein lies the problem. simply look at the hamas charter for some insightful reading.

 

[BarbB]

Amen, opus dei!

 

[Wilfred of Ivanhoe]

Although this is a common example, the Crusades were not a Christian thing, and witchhunt stats, which I've never seen posted, fail to mention the amount of Christians killed during the same hunt.

The Bible is quite clear that there will be those who would kill "in God's name" but it's because they don't know God. So to say it was Christianity is not true, it was for political gain and greed, and many Christians lost their lives in the process.

The Crusades were orgainised by Rome as a means of defending a weakened Byzantine Empire against an expanding Islamic threat. Also, they were able to kill two birds with one stone by sending all the bloodthirsty, bored, warriors out of Europe. Let them kill the infidel instead of other Christians.

When a Crusade was preached and organized, typically the first people to get killed by the mob were those who lived in the Jewish quarters of town.