Originally posted by AThousandYoungI think what you are trying to say is that Christianity has influenced those in positions of power in terms of philosophy and ideologies but Islam demands a theocracy in which those in power either speak for Allah or defer to Mullahs to speak for Allah for them. Am I right?
Christians have influence in more powerful countries, but Muslims have absolute control where they do have control.
Originally posted by whodeyThe teachings and lives of Christ and Mohammad are the window dressing. But beneath that superficial difference, they are exactly the same. They are both text based, monotheistic, evangelical religions that are intolerant of dissent and hostile to secularism. That is the substance of each religion.
Oh really? So the teachings of Christ and of Mohammad are exactly the same? Their lives were lived much in the same way? You can't really be serious.
And ATY's comments about influence and absolute control have nothing to do with the religions themselves. That speaks more about the societies in which christianity and Islam thrive. If christianity exercises only influence and not absolute control, it is because of the secular Enlightenment which stripped christianity of its absolute control. Most Islamic countries have not had the benefit of a comparable Enlightenment, and so they continue to wallow under the absolute control of their religion. But the crucial point here is that given half a chance, christianity would jump at the opportunity to re-establish the absolute control it enjoyed over society during the dark ages. Christianity would love to exercise the level of absolute control over society that Islam currently has.
Originally posted by rwingettPersonally, it looks to me like your just comparing what people do
The teachings and lives of Christ and Mohammad are the window dressing. But beneath that superficial difference, they are exactly the same. They are both text based, monotheistic, evangelical religions that are intolerant of dissent and hostile to secularism. That is the substance of each religion.
And ATY's comments about influence and absolute control ...[text shortened]... ity would love to exercise the level of absolute control over society that Islam currently has.
to each other, if you ignore Christ and Mohammad or down play them
you are only looking at how people act in and out of religion.
Kelly