Freedom

[farquar]

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2005/003/15.26.html

[Melech Shel Hofesh]

The article scares me to death.

Here's the reason:

"The world cannot afford to let this historic opportunity to grow robust democracy in the Middle East slip away. If freedom fails, the people of this troubled region will remain enslaved by fear, shut out of a globalized economy, tempted to violence, and resistant to the gospel."

Last I checked, the Middle East has the gospel. Tanakh and the Quran, BOTH preaching about the same God as the Americanized Bible.

Why the need to force ones' religion upon another is beyond me.

[dinarme]

When Al-Sistani publically calls for the return of Iraqi Jews the dinar shall rise.

[Tyreds Tale]

The article scares me to death.

Here's the reason:

"The world cannot afford to let this historic opportunity to grow robust democracy in the Middle East slip away. If freedom fails, the people of this troubled region will remain enslaved by fear, shut out of a globalized economy, tempted to violence, and resistant to the gospel."

Last I checked, the Middle East has the gospel. Tanakh and the Quran, BOTH preaching about the same God as the Americanized Bible.

Why the need to force ones' religion upon another is beyond me.

Ya, to make the connection between Democracy and Christianity is a big stretch! If you compare the new democratic Iraq to the Suddam regime, the democratic Iraq is much more Muslim. Maybe the author should have said "resistant to God" rather than gospel.

[farquar]

Ya, to make the connection between Democracy and Christianity is a big stretch! If you compare the new democratic Iraq to the Suddam regime, the democratic Iraq is much more Muslim. Maybe the author should have said "resistant to God" rather than gospel.
:) I believe that the good folks at Christianity Today magazine are evangelical believers. As such they feel a scriptual mandate to "spread the gospel" to the whole world thru their mag.I'm sure no offence was intended. I felt the article had merit, so I posted it. Remember, "take what you want and leave the rest". Happy Dinar-Farquar :wave:

[Melech Shel Hofesh]

:) I believe that the good folks at Christianity Today magazine are evangelical believers. As such they feel a scriptual mandate to "spread the gospel" to the whole world thru their mag.I'm sure no offence was intended. I felt the article had merit, so I posted it. Remember, "take what you want and leave the rest". Happy Dinar-Farquar :wave:

Farquar, the article has plenty of merit indeed and I didn't mean to discount that fact in any way. I did focus on a negative, and my apologies for that. I greatly appreciate your postings (your signature is FANTASTIC btw) and as well, intended no offense.

The scriptural mandate really does concern me though, being a religious minority.

Part of the reason, I accredit the 'Christian Coalition/Right' movement in America today.

Undeniably, the movement is VERY powerful AND influential - which is the concerning part. Especially with the motive of trying to "promote Christian values in government on a local, state, and national level" (this appears on web searches). As well as the motto being "America's Leading Grassroots Organization Defending Our Godly Heritage".

America was founded on a separation of church and state.

I can understand wanting to promote Christian values within a government, however the government doesn't need to "play favorites" which could become the case in the US.

What does it matter if two women want to marry each other in the eyes of government? Nothing, unless it is a religious government.

No, I'm not really big on THAT idea [same sex marriage], it's just that NO ONE can provide enough DEMOCRATIC justification to prevent it, other than religious justifications.

VERY sticky subject I know, and again Farquar, I mean NO offense or dissrespect of any kind.

Only understanding.

[farquar]

Farquar, the article has plenty of merit indeed and I didn't mean to discount that fact in any way. I did focus on a negative, and my apologies for that. I greatly appreciate your postings (your signature is FANTASTIC btw) and as well, intended no offense.

The scriptural mandate really does concern me though, being a religious minority.

Part of the reason, I accredit the 'Christian Coalition/Right' movement in America today.

Undeniably, the movement is VERY powerful AND influential - which is the concerning part. Especially with the motive of trying to "promote Christian values in government on a local, state, and national level" (this appears on web searches). As well as the motto being "America's Leading Grassroots Organization Defending Our Godly Heritage".

America was founded on a separation of church and state.

I can understand wanting to promote Christian values within a government, however the government doesn't need to "play favorites" which could become the case in the US.

What does it matter if two women want to marry each other in the eyes of government? Nothing, unless it is a religious government.

No, I'm not really big on THAT idea [same sex marriage], it's just that NO ONE can provide enough DEMOCRATIC justification to prevent it, other than religious justifications.

VERY sticky subject I know, and again Farquar, I mean NO offense or dissrespect of any kind.

Only understanding.
:) Do not worry, no offence was taken my friend. I do feel that the only reason that the, my I say current" liberator-Democracy planter"President of the U.S. of A."/ was reelected into office with a mandate was due to the Christian right. I could be wrong, but I think I am correct on this. Oh sure, the liberal media elite, will never admit to this yet it is true. I view this current admin. as trying not only to win a Global War on terrorism without global help, but also here in the USA trying to keep the fabric of our society from tearing apart any further due to eight years of social-liberalism. Boy have I screwed up ...........Religion and politics in the same evening, phew. Peace & prosperity to you Melech Shel Hofesh :wave:

[al farook]

When Al-Sistani publically calls for the return of Iraqi Jews the dinar shall rise.

What we need my friend is a FEDERAL IRAQ.

[dinarme]

A Federal Iraq which includes ALL Iraqi people. Jews, Assyrians, Chaldeans, Yezidis, Turkomen, Arabs, Gypsies, Kurds, and others.

[Melech Shel Hofesh]

Religion and politics in the same evening, phew. Peace & prosperity to you Melech Shel Hofesh :wave:

Phew is right. Thank you for letting me "vent" and thank you for your insight as well.

Peace and Prosperity to you Farquar many times, my friend of another religion [that respects one another]!

[farquar]

Phew is right. Thank you for letting me "vent" and thank you for your insight as well.

Peace and Prosperity to you Farquar many times, my friend of another religion [that respects one another]! Please correct me if I state this incorrectly, "Allah akbar "/ God Is Great/ and he is! In may languages. May we dip a sop together one future day and reminiscence. :huge: Peace-Farquar (Never Said I could spell)

[al farook]

Islam has had a long commitment to religious pluralism. Muhammad's recognition of Jews and Christians as protected peoples (dhimmi), his belief in a common divine text from which all revealed scriptures are derived (the Umm al-Kitab), and his dream of establishing a single, united Ummah, encompassing all three faiths of Abraham, were startlingly revolutionary ideas in an era in which religion literally created borders between peoples. And despite the ways in which it has been interpreted by militants and fundamentalists who refuse to recognize its historical and cultural context, there are few scriptures in the great religions of the world that can match the reverence with which the Quran speaks of other religious traditions.