09-16-2007, 01:13 PM
09-16-2007, 05:45 PM
It is an informative site...all "religious" liberals must recognize the destructive forms of religion and attempt to understand the basis of their belief to counter it.
Islam is in crisis...unfortunately, we only see the worst elements gaining ground...this may be a mere media driven perception, however, the wide spread violence and PR campaign so far have not had much vocal resistance within Islam. "Religious schools" - maddrassas - appear to be churning out brainwashed children full of hatred for "the infidel." Until this is countered...we face a bleak situation...I think this "crisis" will be with us, our children and our grandchildren for many years.
It is a very sad situation...too many people are stuck in early stage psycho-religious development....magical - mythic stages and have not evolved into rational, pluralistic or integral understandings.
Islam is in crisis...unfortunately, we only see the worst elements gaining ground...this may be a mere media driven perception, however, the wide spread violence and PR campaign so far have not had much vocal resistance within Islam. "Religious schools" - maddrassas - appear to be churning out brainwashed children full of hatred for "the infidel." Until this is countered...we face a bleak situation...I think this "crisis" will be with us, our children and our grandchildren for many years.
It is a very sad situation...too many people are stuck in early stage psycho-religious development....magical - mythic stages and have not evolved into rational, pluralistic or integral understandings.
09-16-2007, 09:44 PM
The future of Islam is dependent on the religion's ability to shed their connection to the darker parts of Muhammad's past and Arabic culture before a new liberal/progressive approach to the religion can be found. I am of the belief that various political and cultural events have elevated the fundamentalists from a small minority in Islam to one of dangerous power. I don't believe Islam is in and of itself evil (many good things came out of Islamic culture-among them algebra and advanced forms of medicine, and the mystical tradition of Islam eventually became Sufism) but it is a religion that can certainly be manipulated-perhaps more easily than Christianity. Only time will tell...