Pyrian on 5/6/2018 at 01:05

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Demagogue posted a fact; a fact that is more than a little damning of your position, frankly. You posted stereotypes and prejudice without factual support. But that's kind of beside the point. Even if "on average" Muslims are "more authoritarian" that still gives you no right to condemn the entire group out of hand like that. These are the sorts of attitudes from which genocides are born.

Tony_Tarantula on 5/6/2018 at 04:00

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Regarding Demagogue's fact....if you want to just go by one poll, I can do that too: (https://www.cnn.com/2016/04/11/europe/britain-muslims-survey/index.html)

Polls are NOT "factual support" unless one can demonstrate a sampling size, methodology, and significance level that are all correct to standard methodology. Most standard polls do not fit this definition. Counterintuitively it isn't just a matter of sample size: You only need a sample size of 30 for a study to approach a normal distribution so even a university study that samples say, 100 people with a more rigorous sampling method than internet/telephone polls is a better indicator.

We don't need to go very far through your post history to find numerous examples of you condemning entire groups in exactly the same way. For example, the way you think Trump voters are ignorant bigots.

That said...here's the thing. What the Muslim religion currently has is entire regions governed by Wahhabists who enforce Sharia law. Imagine how you'd feel if say, the entire state of Texas was governed by militant Christian cultists who would kill women for any one of a long line of sexual behaviors they deem impure. You'd be jumping up and down screaming about the Feds need to send in the Army to disband the government down there.

There is a place of approximately similar size and population where that's exactly the situation. It's called Afghanistan. What sounds like a ludicrous, fantastical situation here is actual reality in those countries

The big difference is that Muslim crazies hold significantly more political power than Christians with a similar level of radicalization do. Those radicalized Christians don't govern entire countries, have armies at their disposal that they use to pillage entire regions, and most importantly, They do not have the backing of major intelligence agencies and gulf states the way radical Islamist organizations do.

And well...if you think they're the same thing, try visiting one of those countries. I have.

Not that's it's necessarily a "Christians" and "Muslims" things, but there's two huge differences: one is that Islam enforces polygamy which creates social norms that lead to an impoverished, uneducated, radicalized culture (long story, can link more later. Basically sociologists have found that men in polygamous cultures invest all their resources into getting more wives and don't invest in existing children thus dramatically reducing opportunity and education), and because unlike the majority of Christian areas there are large geographical swathes where governing officials enforce a 7th century interpretation of Abrahamic text.

Dramatic oversimplification of course but it touches on the main points.


Sidenote: There's an interesting can of worms that opens up when you start cross-referencing Judaic scripture against other readings of the time. There are a few shared events where both the Jews and other cultures seem to be talking about the same entity.

Sulphur on 5/6/2018 at 05:23

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Well, if one thing's clear from this, it's that T_T was probably just as stupid 20 years ago - just not wearing the cloak of didacticism over it yet.

You invited this, Tocks. I hope you're happy.

Sulphur on 5/6/2018 at 07:14

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Heh, I was pointing out that that the nature of your argument invited the looney tunes show here, there's no need to add to it, 'kay? Come back when you're calmer.

I even agree with you that religions can be fairly damaging relics of the past with no place in a world that seeks to understand itself better, but faith is a choice every individual needs to make on their own. Generalising entire populations to the actions of certain groups (does the Westboro Baptist Church represent all Christians?) is simply wrong. I'm not religious, for what it's worth, but at least half of the reason for that is because my mom was and is a devoutly orthodox Christian.

Tocky on 7/6/2018 at 00:47

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Oh I got the meat. I don't think they need me putting any more alcohol on the fire though. I'm a bit ashamed, just a bit mind you, and feel I ought to do something to make up. Here then is a place I COULD worship and even get on my knees for-

[video=youtube_share;YGchlqCjj8A]https://youtu.be/YGchlqCjj8A[/video]