On religion (in particular Christianity), rationality, and this forum - are we allowed to discuss it?

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I've always felt like it was more a matter of Christianity stemming from Judaism and America being predominantly Christian to an official capacity.

Like it's more than anything a means of watering down the referencing of Christianity in general social dynamics to respect that it's part of a greater foundation than just recognizing Jesus as God.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Well if you want to recognize that, you have to include Muslims, but a lot of Americans would prefer not to do that because Islam is a scary foreign brown people religion. 9_9

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Well if you want to recognize that, you have to include Muslims, but a lot of Americans would prefer not to do that because Islam is a scary foreign brown people religion. 9_9

Not quite. I mean it's important too, sure. But the idea isn't a matter of social inclusion, it's about deconstructing Christianity specifically, and Islam has nothing to do with that.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

I've just found that most Jews really hate the term "Judeo-Christian" and would prefer you go with Abrahamic or just say Christian.

I will also say, there are times when I'm glad I'm not Christian or Buddhist. I can save my compassion for those who deserve it. I don't have to speak kindly of the dead whose actions still cast a shadow of suffering over my life. I'm not obligated to extend courtesy to those who hold no decency in their hearts.

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

I've just found that most Jews really hate the term "Judeo-Christian" and would prefer you go with Abrahamic or just say Christian.

Well could you please tell them that I wasn't actually employing the term, neither in official or really even casual day-to-day usage? Jeez it's not like I was trying to merge the philosophies or w/ever I was just seeing it as a casual acquaintance associative classification. Also it rolls off the tongue better than Abrahamic.

[Beastro]

I've just found that most Jews really hate the term "Judeo-Christian" and would prefer you go with Abrahamic or just say Christian.

Except there are those instance when the matter is a commonality to both Judaism and Christianity and not applicable to Islam.

Again, the idea of Covenant is antithetical of the idea of God in Islam. Nothing limits God and God can and will change the rules as he sees fit. We are here to submit to His will or suffer.

Similarly, there are Judeo-Islamic traditions, the best example being the oneness and ultimate unknowableness of God that stands in total contrast to the Trinity of Christianity where one part of the Godhead descended to live and die as a man. There are also Christo-Islamic traditions, such as the importance and role of Christ, whereas in Judaism he is nothing but a well meaning false prophet at best.

Well if you want to recognize that, you have to include Muslims, but a lot of Americans would prefer not to do that because Islam is a scary foreign brown people religion. 9_9

It's interesting that the only people who I see use the term "brown people" are those deriding others for being racist. To me, that takes a fundamentally racist mind to see things that way whether or not people are genuinely seeing things through such a lens as that.

There are reasons to criticize and be wary of Islam from the standpoint of a Western nation, above all is the fact that their embodied ideal was a warlord who actively conquered and built an empire. That results in odd situations where many Muslims will say ISIS isn't being true to Islam, and yet by their actions, they are simply being Muhammad-like in trying to forge a new Islamic State through the use of violence.

I will also say, there are times when I'm glad I'm not Christian or Buddhist. I can save my compassion for those who deserve it. I don't have to speak kindly of the dead whose actions still cast a shadow of suffering over my life. I'm not obligated to extend courtesy to those who hold no decency in their hearts.

Except you don't save your compassion for those who deserve it entirely; you refuse to be compassionate to yourself and let go of that in your heart. That kind of thing eats at you and can destroy you just as profound as a bucket of acid being dumped on you.

The fact that you say their actions still cast a shadow over you reveals that. I have suffered horribly as the result of others actions, but I have let go of that. Its impact is still there, but I do not hold onto the rest that would make my life worse. I can say too that it wasn't just their actions that have cast my own shadow of suffering on my life, and that that shadow isn't a bad thing; I really want to help people because I now know what it's like to live with such crap in my life.

Keep in mind, too, you don't have to speak kindly of them. I don't get where you get that from, you just don't have to hold all that in your heart where it will destroy you bit by bit. I will tell you exactly what my father is and he's not much of a human being given what he's done to me and others in life, but with that said, I have forgiven him and have no issue sitting down chatting with him whenever we meet. I am thankful I hold no bitterness in my heart for him because it does him no harm and only would do that to me.

Please, stop drinking the poison hoping it'll kill someone else for your own sake.

[TGLS]

There are reasons to criticize and be wary of Islam from the standpoint of a Western nation, above all is the fact that their embodied ideal was a warlord who actively conquered and built an empire. That results in odd situations where many Muslims will say ISIS isn't being true to Islam, and yet by their actions, they are simply being Muhammad-like in trying to forge a new Islamic State through the use of violence.

For sake of argument, I'm going to accept the argument that the first statement is true (I am fairly sure that amongst other things, jihad is only considered acceptable as a defensive measure in the modern context).

As I understand it, the main problem that Muslims have with ISIL (beyond the warring, raping, genocide, etc.) is that the ISIL basically declares all Muslims who don't side with them apostates. Beyond being a big no-no in Islam, ISIL uses this to basically declare war on all other Muslims.

There's a reason why the graph looks like this:

[BridgeConsoleMasher]

Isn't jihad not very different from suffering in hindu?

[McAvoy]

Ummm... Jews don't view Jesus as a well meaning false prophet at best. No at best, Jews view Jesus as a prophet and not the Son of God or God in human form. This is same exact thing Muslims think too.

[Fuzzy Necromancer]

Really? What's your source, because I was never under the impression that he was an official prophet according to Judaism.