[ExI] are all cultures equivalent?.

[Stathis Papaioannou]

2009/4/17 John K Clark <jonkc at bellsouth.net>:
> "Stathis Papaioannou" <stathisp at gmail.com>
>
>> I don't disagree that Islam is ridiculous
>
> All religions are ridiculous but some are more ridiculous than others.
>
>> it just isn't any more ridiculous or intrinsically evil than most other
>> religions
>
> I disagree. In the present day I think Islam causes more evil and keeps more
> people backward than any other religion on the planet even though it is not
> the largest. I don't see how else to explain that even though they have a
> huge amount of natural recourses all the poorest countries in the world are
> Islamic.

Not really. The poorest countries seem to be clustered in sub-Saharan
Africa, which is more Christian than Muslim.

> They are about a billion strong but have produced remarkably few
> scientists of distinction, or inventors, or artists, or good businessmen.
> They produce very few books that the non Islamic world think is worth
> reading and they read even fewer books by non Moslems. All this is not an
> opinion this is a fact and needs an explanation.

I suspect you are mainly impressed by Europeans and Americans. What
about Christian Africa, or South America, or India, or China?

> I believe one reason is than more people take Islam seriously than other
> religions. Really seriously! They believe it to such a fanatical degree it
> would even put to shame the faith that dwellers in the Bible Belt of the USA
> have for their particular brand of mumbo jumbo.

Unless they have the misfortune of being stuck in a theocracy many
nominal Muslims behave just like many nominal Christians. They don't
pray five times a day, drink alcohol, fornicate, and feel only mildly
guilty about it.

> Ah the Liberal Muslim, a wonderful but illusive creature some believe is
> related to the Lock Ness Monster, others say the Abominable Snowman.

There are mostly secular states with a Muslim majority such as Turkey,
Malaysia, Indonesia and even Iraq before the US invaded (boosting the
stock of the religious crazies). It doesn't have to all be like Saudi
Arabia.

>> it sounds like you just don't like Muslims, especially Arab Muslims
>
> Do you find them loveable?

Of the ones I've known, they show the same variations in character as
anyone else. I haven't known any highly religious Arabs but I have
known some Somalians so inclined, and in their simple certainty and
sense of contentment they reminded me a lot of fundamentalist
Christians.


-- 
Stathis Papaioannou