I understand people's anxieties and anger at some Islamic expressions by more fundamentalist elements. I would never want the primitive Sharia legal system. And women in Islam need liberation, with which many of their own agree.
It's wearing and upsetting to see continual unrestricted responses that are expressions of a lack of faith in the strength of the better and stronger ways of liberalised Western countries, that has happened under the influence of the best of Christian values, long struggled for in their inclusion in modern society that has been much worse in its own history and has improved greatly.
Do we really need to panic and so much be at fear and strike out blindly at people who could be our friends and who in many communities, are?
Why are we afraid that we will be so unable to influence Islam to a better way? Do we lose faith in the pursuading goodness of our higher life affirming values?
What things are wrong and dangerous, and there are, will as always be best won over by patient and persistent reasoning and role modelling of good communal peaceful societies. The worst extremes must be contained and focussed on and fought as needed of course, but spreading a generalised hatred becomes a self-inflicted disease that ends with the same intersectarian violence that we see elsewhere, where hatred, killing and disorder have become the norm.
It's time for me to go. I received a message from another expressing why he too left RPH similar to my own feelings now. I and a number of others vist these pages less and less. My main reason for actually leaving is in protest thatt the administration of this site is allowing free promotion of hatred against other religions. This is not in accordance with the guidelines nor my values.
Peace, and goodbye.
Originally posted by TaomanHow does one ignore a 600 pound gorilla in the room?
I understand people's anxieties and anger at some Islamic expressions by more fundamentalist elements. I would never want the primitive Sharia legal system. And women in Islam need liberation, with which many of their own agree.
It's wearing and upsetting to see continual unrestricted responses that are expressions of a lack of faith in the strength of the b eligions. This is not in accordance with the guidelines nor my values.
Peace, and goodbye.
Islam has a problem and the worst thing that can be done is ignore it like many Muslims seem to do.
What is strange is I've never heard anyone leave this site due to the hate poored out on Christians or JW's.
Originally posted by TaomanA beast can not be reasoned with and persuaded to aspire for higher values and a better way. If you believe that, then it is just a matter of time that you will get your head chopped off.
I understand people's anxieties and anger at some Islamic expressions by more fundamentalist elements. I would never want the primitive Sharia legal system. And women in Islam need liberation, with which many of their own agree.
It's wearing and upsetting to see continual unrestricted responses that are expressions of a lack of faith in the strength of the b ...[text shortened]... eligions. This is not in accordance with the guidelines nor my values.
Peace, and goodbye.
The instructor
Originally posted by TaomanAfter encouraging me to fight more than just spam, you're going to tuck tail and run? 😞
I understand people's anxieties and anger at some Islamic expressions by more fundamentalist elements. I would never want the primitive Sharia legal system. And women in Islam need liberation, with which many of their own agree.
It's wearing and upsetting to see continual unrestricted responses that are expressions of a lack of faith in the strength of the b ...[text shortened]... eligions. This is not in accordance with the guidelines nor my values.
Peace, and goodbye.
Originally posted by whodeyPerhaps because not that much hate has been poored out on Christians or JWs.
How does one ignore a 600 pound gorilla in the room?
Islam has a problem and the worst thing that can be done is ignore it like many Muslims seem to do.
What is strange is I've never heard anyone leave this site due to the hate poored out on Christians or JW's.
In my time here, I have seen people advocate genocide towards Muslims, their forced expulsion from their place of birth, closing of their places of worship. I have seen them likened to animals, rapists, called Satanists etc. It has recently become incessant.
Never seen anything of same ilk directed at Christians or JWs.
Originally posted by Rank outsiderLet us hope you never do.
Perhaps because not that much hate has been poored out on Christians or JWs.
In my time here, I have seen people advocate genocide towards Muslims, their forced expulsion from their place of birth, closing of their places of worship. I have seen them likened to animals, rapists, called Satanists etc. It has recently become incessant.
Never seen anything of same ilk directed at Christians or JWs.
The Instructor
Originally posted by SwissGambitI here ya, but it is my understanding that Taoman was trying to protest the slackness of the mods allowing pure hate getting posted up.
After encouraging me to fight more than just spam, you're going to tuck tail and run? 😞
I agree with Taoman's stance, however I wouldn't leave, I would 'protest' in a different manner.
I've actually met Taoman and from that one meeting ,(put into context of his posting history), I believe that he is doing the right thing for now.
(Reminds me of me wanting to move to Northern N.S.W. forever because it has the best people/communities there. However, as fate would have it, I have acquired an awesome home here on the outskirts of Brisbane. It's as if "God" was saying " here ya go , here's an awesome place for you and your kid Charlie. You need not move again for the rest of your life, however you'll have to reside in Queensland . "
I have accepted the compromise as the pros far outweigh the cons for me and my boy. And I have to see this as me moving to a place where to be myself will be challenging, whereas in Northern NSW , there would've been far more like minded people. In a sense I've moved into the enemies side of the border where to speak freely and my complete mind will represent a far greater threat than just about any other place in Australia- except some of those real outback, redneck places , far far away from any semblence society as we know it here on the east coast- where martial law prevails and where you can't become a 'local' no matter how long you live there.)
I hope Taoman realizes that by leaving he is changing the landscape of this forum , hot on the back of FMF also leaving the site.
I don't think he is tucking and running - just his way of making a point - and I hope this will be a temporary absence because I know Taoman is no coward in any sense of the word.
-Removed-We criticize Christianity because it is the most popular religion on here. As far as I know it there are no regular Islamic posters on here.
I don't agree with your appraisal of the situation. I too felt extremely unnerved by johnny's comments recently, but what struck me is the poster and not the words so much. So far Johnny has been an intelligent, funny poster, with decent viewpoints expressed in his " take no prisoners" approach to posting.
I found his "Death to all Muslims" op as extremely inciteful and incredibly short-sighted. Indeed I thought it was a joke op, but it seems as if it was written on all honesty - possibly with a couple of ales to bring about his courage to post that.
Now don't try to tell me that you would equally welcome an op (and an attack on Christianity), worded the same as the op mentioned above, where "Muslims" is replaced with "Christians" .
Death to all Christians??? Are you telling me you would've been alright with that? C'mon, tell me str8, Dive.
Also this episode has highlighted how uneducated some regular posters (other than dasa and rj) , are on here.
If all Muslim people were as some posters have made out, then they would've 'Jihaded' all over the place, considering the significant following of Islam in the world today.
There have been some powerful documentaries about the reality of these "cell" groups and Islamic extremists. It seems as if these organizations - the ones who are rightfully labelled "extremists" and "extremely dangerous" , recruit young (males usually) who are fed extremists propaganda, which mixed with the dangerous beliefs, with words taken out of context of the Quran/Koran , create an extremely difficult problem to deal with.
Now let's everybody not forget why Islam is our new enemy. If the all powerful U.S. had no common enemy then how would they justify the trillions spent on "defence" every year? The Vietnamese were no fun. The Russians fell apart.
These terrorists and their overly-offensive tactics are perfect for the U.S. to label as their new enemy - despite actual low number of extremists that actually engage in this stuff.
But to somehow include all of Islam, a religion that is hugely powerful over many millions of people's lives - despite the majority of these Islamic people being in favour of peace and tolerance - the U.S. has "made" an enemy that is portrayed as a real force to be reckoned with.
Whose best interest was it to keep Bin Lauden alive for so long?
Who benefitted from the war in Iraq?
Do any people out there realize the reasons for independent journalism ?
Without it, we would be f****d. The balance in our world would be more out of whack than it is now, which would give the powers that be more reason to control us and use us until we die.
Thank "God" for grass roots movements. The people in these groups spend their whole lives actively putting their arses on the line so that people who spend comfortable lives in the burbs can exist as freely as they are now.
And despite these "middle class" people mostly not having a clue about why they enjoy the lives that they do, these independent folk carry on regardless, often forsaking their own happiness ,livelyhoods and in some cases their own lives, for the sake of standing up for what is right.
-Removed-No , we wouldn't be calling for Christian blood, just as we are imploring people not to label all things Islamic as violent and/or dangerous.
Maybe if you did give more of a rats then you would understand why some resort to violence, give you more of a well-rounded world view, huh?
Oh well, everything in it's good time.
I am pleased to hear about your pacifistic outlook in general. I can take YOUR word for it, as I find you are a consistent poster, however I would've expected a more direct response to my question proposed to you mid-post.
Originally posted by whodeyNo one has suggested killing off Christians or JW's here, unlike the vitriolic, murderous hatred towards all Muslims some have expressed.
How does one ignore a 600 pound gorilla in the room?
Islam has a problem and the worst thing that can be done is ignore it like many Muslims seem to do.
What is strange is I've never heard anyone leave this site due to the hate poored out on Christians or JW's.
-Removed-I was just saying how although Christians are hounded in this forum to come clean about some of the inconsistencies within the bible,(and other little "niggles" here and there), there has never been a call for death to all Christians.
Again I reckon that the fact that there are no active Muslim posters here gives people more courage to speak out against Islam way more directly than one would against Christians, who are well represented and who would certainly alert the mods if such a disgusting message was directed at their religion.