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<br><div><div>On Oct 5, 2007, at 12:42 AM, hkhenson wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">At 01:56 AM 10/4/2007, BillK wrote:</font></p> <blockquote type="cite"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">On 10/3/07, hkhenson wrote:</font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><snip></font></p> <blockquote type="cite"><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 20.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Of course even understanding the problem may not lead to a solution.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>And</font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 20.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">it may be that the explanation is too bitter a pill.</font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 20.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 20.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>If anyone has a way to get Sam Harris' attention, please let me know.</font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 20.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br></p> </blockquote><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">He is making the case that all religions are not equal and the Muslim</font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">religion is much more likely to produce jihadist murderers than other</font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">religions.</font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 10.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">So there is also a specific Muslim problem to deal with.</font></p> </blockquote><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">I would disagree with him there.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>*All* religions can inspire<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">warriors to jump up and down and yell "kill, kill."<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>That's the<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">evolved *function* of religions and if one has drifted away from its<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></font></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px"><font face="Helvetica" size="3" style="font: 12.0px Helvetica">function, it can jolly well swim back as needed.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>Remember the crusades!</font></p> </blockquote></div><br><div>I don't think you'll find many jains jumping up and down yelling "kill, kill". I do think the specific set of memes found in a given religion, and how seriously (and literally) hosts take these ideas and the strategies the religion proposes to enhance its survival or growth, to make a difference.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>You may find jains ganging up to defend themselves, maybe. In the case of islam, though, there is a level of unprovoked belligerance and constant need to expand the "house of allah" (until the whole world is converted or destroyed) that you simply don't find in other creeds.</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>I would also venture that a religion (and certainly some of its offshoots) may lose its evolutionary function until it's unrecognizable (and even unrecoverable).</div><div><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div><div>--</div><div>Sergio M.L. Tarrero</div></body></html>