re: #182 LudwigVanQuixote

Ludwig, I’m fine with everything other than the historical stuff. There’s plenty of nasty, terrible stuff going down— with God’s sanction— in the Torah as well.

You’re completely right to call out the sanction for savage treatment of women, minorities, etc. in modern Islamic states. But when you start arguing over historical basis for the religion, it gets very shaky, very quickly. It weakens the overall argument.

Christianity managed to become a hyperviolent religion for a long period of time, the pacifism and gentleness of Christ nonwithstanding. Buddhists have fought huge, bloody wars over Buddhism; Hindus likewise. There is little merit in the argument that Islam in the abstract is somehow a fundamentally flawed religion when compare to the other religions.

Again: You’re completely right to rail on modern Islamic states for their incredible, daily human-rights violations.