Sulphur on 13/6/2017 at 07:37
Yeah. The thing is, a lot of people with Gryz's mindset don't realise that the advocacy of anti-religious measures with the exact same magnitude of religious stringency they're fighting is ironic at best, and self-defeating at worst. It's fascinating.
heywood on 13/6/2017 at 15:54
Quote Posted by Gryzemuis
Religion is a political force. Christianity has been a huge political force for centuries. And only after WWII we were able to limit its power.
I think the big change occurred in the 17th century. The Renaissance and Reformation kicked off over a hundred years of religious wars culminating with the Thirty Years' War and British Civil Wars. Since then, the political power of religion in the West has been significantly curtailed. That doesn't mean religion doesn't still have political power, but I don't see WWII as marking any significant change.
Quote:
Example: in the US 25%-30% of the population doesn't believe in any god. But in Congress, out of 535 members, there isn't a single atheist. That scares me.
It doesn't mean much. Most non-religious voters don't care about the religious affiliation of their candidates, they only care if their politicians are making policy based on religious beliefs. So there are no votes to be gained by calling yourself an atheist. On the other hand, a lot of religious voters won't vote for an atheist.
Most non-religious people in the US are religiously affiliated in some way but non-practicing. For example, a lot of people will say they are Catholic Jewish, Protestant or whatever because that's what their parents were, even if they never really practiced their religion and aren't sure whether they believe in God. Others were raised in an organized religion, abandoned it in adulthood, but still self-identify themselves with the religion they were raised in when filling out census forms and the like. And among the non-religious people who don't claim any religious affiliation, they are just as likely (if not more) to say they are non-religious or agnostic than associate themselves with atheism. Atheism seems to carry a stigma here because a lot of people who call themselves atheist are aggressively anti-religious and can be annoying company.
Tony_Tarantula on 1/7/2017 at 16:30
Remember some of my earlier remarks about how the remarkable cultural arrogance displayed by Westerners?
So the internet is abuzz about how "Justin Trudeau's socks could bring world peace"
Inline Image:
http://www.macleans.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/JUNE26_CASTALDO_POST01-1.jpgCan anyone tell me why this is a problem?
It's because it's BLASPHEMOUS. The shoes and feet are considered unclean in arab culture.
Arabic Muslims will perceive what Trudeau did the same way that crucifix themed toilet paper would be perceived by American Christians. I assure you that I am not being hyperbolic when I say that this is the kind of thing that would get you shot by one your "allies" if you did it in a Middle Eastern military environment where you were working closely with the locals.
Kolya on 1/7/2017 at 17:45
Oh my! You seem very knowledgeable on the subject. What would I get for (
http://i.imgur.com/GEFSFRs.jpg) my socks?
In a theoretical Muslim world domination I mean.
hopper on 1/7/2017 at 21:38
Your GF is pretty hot :sweat:
SD on 1/7/2017 at 22:31
Quote Posted by Tony_Tarantula
Remember some of my earlier remarks about how the remarkable cultural arrogance displayed by Westerners?
So the internet is abuzz about how "Justin Trudeau's socks could bring world peace"
Can anyone tell me why this is a problem?
It's because it's BLASPHEMOUS. The shoes and feet are considered unclean in arab culture.
Arabic Muslims will perceive what Trudeau did the same way that crucifix themed toilet paper would be perceived by American Christians. I assure you that I am not being hyperbolic when I say that this is the kind of thing that would get you shot by one your "allies" if you did it in a Middle Eastern military environment where you were working closely with the locals.
You had better tell the Muslims who made those socks that they're offending Islam.
(
https://www.halalsocks.com)
Quote:
Halal Socks is a brand that extends beyond the traditional pair of socks. Amongst its priorities of keeping your feet warm with the highest quality fabric, we also promote unity and harmony.
As socks are clearly visible when praying, the Halal Socks brand lets you add a little bit of individuality and celebration of Islam with every step.
Our socks are made from the world's finest combed cotton and are crafted with pride. The luxurious feel of the material is a dream to wear and impossible not to notice. Knitted with premium fabrics using a 176 needle machine, our socks are not only more comfortable to boot, they are guaranteed to fit you better too!
We believe, each and everyone has a responsibility to give back. Halal Socks is proud to announce that 5% of every sale will be donated to the Islamic Relief Worldwide Charity. Giving our support to this wonderful organization means more aid for our brothers and sisters in need. Through your patronage, we hope to make a difference.
I am sure your advice will be very welcome, and not at all indicative of Western arrogance.
SubJeff on 2/7/2017 at 07:28
Quote Posted by SD
You had better tell the Muslims who made those socks that they're offending Islam.
(
https://www.halalsocks.com)
I am sure your advice will be very welcome, and not at all indicative of Western arrogance.
Lol.
Tony, you're an idiot.
It was obvious when you joined the forums tbh, but I didn't say anything then because you hadn't really laid it all out. Now you have. Please get lost and post elsewhere. No one likes you or your brand of hatred.
hopper on 2/7/2017 at 10:36
Quote Posted by SD
You had better tell the Muslims who made those socks that they're offending Islam.
(
https://www.halalsocks.com)
I am sure your advice will be very welcome, and not at all indicative of Western arrogance.
Heh. That's the hardest pwnage I've seen in quite a while.
Tony_Tarantula on 7/7/2017 at 01:25
Quote Posted by SD
You had better tell the Muslims who made those socks that they're offending Islam.
(
https://www.halalsocks.com)
I am sure your advice will be very welcome, and not at all indicative of Western arrogance.
Quote Posted by SubJeff
Lol.
Tony, you're an idiot.
It was obvious when you joined the forums tbh, but I didn't say anything then because you hadn't really laid it all out. Now you have. Please get lost and post elsewhere. No one likes you or your brand of hatred.
Quote:
Heh. That's the hardest pwnage I've seen in quite a while.
The only thing you all just proved is that you're clueless morons. It's amazing how you call can be so completely snarky, snug, and arrogant when you're too stupid to even understand the difference between "Arab Muslim" and "Culture". I mean for fuck's sake your average 8th grader knows the difference between a religion and a culture. Apparently you people don't.
Actually read your own damn links. Specifically the "about us" section.
Quote:
Halal Socks Established 2017.
Based in Toronto, Canada
Founded by
a Muslim couple that seeks to balance traditional Islamic customs with modern sensibilities. These are formed
by Canadian influences derived from growing up in a country famous for its inclusivity and respect for people from all walks of life. The couple's greatest fun comes from creating something fresh, fun, and most importantly — respectful to the Muslim community. They hope Halal Socks is part of the first wave of better representation for Islamic choices for holidays, celebration, and clothing that showcases Muslim pride.
The people who made these socks are heavily removed from the Arab Muslim world. It's extremely unlikely that they have even a passing familiarity with the cultural norms of the Arabic and Persian culture.......and the "refugees"(statistically of whom a majority are economic migrants, not war refugees) that Trudeau was trying to reach out to mostly hail from that part of the world
Quote:
Oh my! You seem very knowledgeable on the subject. What would I get for my socks?
In a theoretical Muslim world domination I mean.
It also turns out that I do know what the fuck I'm talking about: (
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/iraq/3776970/Arab-culture-the-insult-of-the-shoe.html)
A university guide on etiquette for Afghanistan (which also applies to Syria, since much of Syria is part of the same Pashto tribe): (
http://uwf.edu/atcdev/afghanistan/Behaviors/Lesson8PhysicalGestures2.html)
And would you please
Shut the FUCK UP about me "hating muslims" I have literally put my life on the line, and in a very literal, immediate sense to protect people who were brown-skinned, Middle Eastern Muslims.
Do even a FRACTION of that for anyone who is a Muslim. Until then shut the fuck up. Bitching on the internet about "hatred" doesn't count because you aren't putting your own ass, reputation, finances, or anything meaningful on the line.
Anyway speaking of that.
I'm going to go out and making a prediction: You're going to care far less about this next link, even though it represents a level of intolerance magnitudes greater than anything I've said here:
Let's see how you all rationalize this one:
(
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-malaysia-indonesia-muslim-groups-starbucks-boycott-20170706-story.html)
Quote:
Muslim groups in Malaysia and Indonesia have called for a boycott of Starbucks because of the coffee chain's support for LGBT rights.
Malaysian group Perkasa, which supports a hard-line form of Islam and nationalism, this week called on its more than 500,000 members to stay away from Starbucks coffee shops. This week and last, leaders of Indonesia's second largest mainstream Muslim group, Muhammadiyah, with an estimated 29 million members, denounced the chain.
The groups were apparently reacting to comments made several years ago by former CEO Howard Schultz in support of gay rights that drew renewed attention amid an increasingly anti-LGBT climate in both of the predominantly Muslim countries.
At a 2013 shareholders meeting, Schultz responded to a shareholder who thought the coffeemaker's support for gay marriage hurt the bottom line: "Not every decision is an economic decision," Schultz said. "The lens in which we are making that decision is through the lens of our people.”
Perkasa said in a statement that the Malaysian government should revoke the trading license given to Starbucks and other companies such as Microsoft and Apple that support LGBT rights and same-sex marriage.
Not that I really think this is representative of all Muslim groups, I'm posting this to indicate that this kind of thing actually exists among Muslim groups.
It's also amusing to me because it's going to twist both my progressive and Republitard friends into a Pretzel trying to figure out who to support. (yes, I do have friends both ways....unlike SOME I'm capable of separating politics from the person).
Quote:
Oh my! You seem very knowledgeable on the subject. What would I get for my socks?
If you were hanging out with some of the Syrian/Iraqi/Afghan locals, you'd probably get a rub on your ass for looking fabulous.
Kinda joking, kinda not. Happened to a guy on my team where he was working over on their side of the compound and one of their soldiers kept rubbing his ass while they were woring.
