India, I am with you. Fundamentalist fanatics, I hate you.

[uppityperson]

I stayed off-line yesterday until evening to find this carnage waiting. I am sorry, Indians and anyone affected by this.

I am trying to stifle my immediate reaction as to guessing why USAnians and British were targeted, but will rise in outrage if what I fear becomes true.

To friends, relatives, people I do not know who are affected by this, I am sorry and stand by you.

To Fundamentalist Fanatics of any sort, I will continue to work against you.

(edited to change "we" to "I" since I can only speak for myself)

[Taverner]

1. Agreed

I have no sympathy for the religiously insane

[cali]

2. Fundamentalist fanatics are a scourge on the earth.

[ProfessorGAC]

15. What cali Said!

And the farther around the bend they go, the worse they are.
The Professor

[Captain Hilts]

3. Count me in. nt

[celestia671]

4. All they know is hate and violence...

and it will never stop. They teach their kids to hate.

[LeftishBrit]

5. I hate all fundamentalist fanatics too. ALL. And sending my best thoughts to those affected by this

outrage, and hoping that the end of the siege means peace.

[jbane]

6. I march to the beat of your drum, uppityperson...

If it's a fight they want then they'll get one and loose. The moderate and sane majority of the Islamic community worldwide is repulsed by this type of action.

[John Q. Citizen]

7. Religious fanatics must be stopped.

I would, however, warn against equating fundamentalists of one religion with fundamentalists of another.

Why?

Fundamental Islam says that women have the right to own property, have the right to divorce their husband, have the right to inherit property. Throughout the Koran there is a theme of egalitarianism and equality. I would argue that, at least in Islam, it's the later interpretations and changes in practice that are most dangerous to women. Wasabism, for example, seems to hate women, from my point of view.

Fundamentalism is a misnomer at best. It's an attempt to define ones own religious beliefs as the "true ones" as opposed to the later "false" ones.

I mean, take the Protestant idea of fundamentalism. They (just like most do) jump back and forth between the old testament and the new testament in an attempt to justify their current belief system. We know they believe in the virgin birth, we know they are opposed to homosexuality as a "sin"

But the "virgin birth" is mentioned in exactly one single sentence in the bible. The homosexuality as "sin" is only found in a few sentences in the old testament. Yet there is an entire chapter in the Bible (old testament) devoted to circumcision. When was the last time you heard a Christian fundamentalist talk about circumcision?

The Catholics say they are the first church. Yet it's the Baptists who are supposed to be the fundamentalists. At one point the "first church" prohibited divorce as a "sin" against god. Now, not so much. Same with the Christian fundies. Both groups have adopted much more of an Islamic attitude toward divorce over the years.

So how is that "fundamentalist?"


I'm an agnostic. I say religious fanatics of all stripes, creeds, traditions, and upstart beliefs need to be stopped when there weird beliefs intrude upon the rights of others.

If someone wants to believe that god made men "the deciders," that they are God's special basket cases, that cooked food is a sin, that the earth is in the shape of a double helix, or flat, fine. But don't be imposing it on others through force of law or through brute force.

Because I will fight for mine and for others freedom from your religion.

[Hatalles]

8. Well said. n/t

:applause:

[Withywindle]

9. Very well said, thank you.

People forget that at one time, in the advanced culture of the Middle East, they kept the arts and sciences alive when people in Europe had forgotten how to bathe regularly. Most Islamic women in the Middle Ages had more rights than their European counterparts. The Prophet Muhammad himself, IIRC, was very devoted and respectful of his first wife, a smart and successful businesswoman who supported him during his revelations.

The violent, woman-hating form of Islam is not "fundamental" at all. Neither is the Christian cult of the Rapture and the End Times - that was made up whole cloth in the 19th century and has very little Biblical "support."


Wasabism, for example, seems to hate women, from my point of view.

I think you mean Wahabism. Wasabism is a tough and difficult creed, but accepting of all who are willing and able to embrace the penance of the spicy, green, sinus-clearing Japanese horseradish sacrament. :D

[John Q. Citizen]

11. Yes,

I of course did mean Wahabism. (sheepish grin) Although i have heard that some folks come to religion through food, which is important for us to remember on this Thanksgiving Day. Thus they want to "meat" the Lord, praise cheeses! Now, lettuce pray together...

I'm of the belief that there are about 6 1/2 billion religions in the world. Everyone everywhere picks, chooses, combines emphasizes and de-emphasizes, creates new dogma tosses dogma, of any and all aspects of religious belief as they see fit within their own parameters of belief.

Same as it ever was.

[uppityperson]

12. Capital "F" Fundamentalism vs small "f" fundamentalism

They are different things.

[Edweird]

10. Same here.

:thumbsup:

[applegrove]

13. I agree.

[samsingh]

14. thank you.

[uppityperson]

16. kick for maybe it is over.