Is atheism the New Evangelism?

[August1991]

And you sound like someone looking at picture books about dinosaurs to remove your concerns about the herd of elephants stampeding toward you.

So you admit that this was a problem in the past - and dinosaurs were admittedly more dangerous than elephants.

I'll admit that facing down Adolf Hitler was different from confronting Stalin's Russia, or even Brezhnev's Soviet Union. Kissinger often stated that Marxist ideology changed the requirements of stability, and the nature of the Cold War.

ScottSA, you have a good point that fanatical Muslims are unlike other fanatical religious people. They're Muslims. In a similar sense, fanatical Marxists are unlike other fanatical ideologues.

Nevertheless, I'll stay with my basic premise. In Islamofascism, we in the West face more broadly the threat of obscurantism (just like in the Cold War, we faced the threat of a command society).

The liberal West dealt with superstition centuries ago. It appears that we'll have to do this again for the next several decades. All things considered, I don't think this threat is dangerous (compared to the threat of a command society). Superstitious people are weak, and foolish.

----

There are two points in our favour. First, as I have noted, freedom is a popular notion. Individuals benefit when they are free to choose. It is always better to be outside a cartel than inside one.

Second, the scientific method works. It ultimately gives correct answers, or at least answers that are likely to work.

----

We defeated Hitler by confronting him. We defeated Stalin by encircling him and with resolve, waiting. I think we'll defeat this Islamic threat by sheer logic, and exposure to common sense. That's how Galileo and many others ultimately defeated the Catholic Church.

[Please start a clear thread on this topic. If you don't, I will. "Is Atheism the New Evangelism?" doesn't do justice to your more serious question: "Is Islam a greater threat to the west?"]

[Riverwind]

We defeated Hitler by confronting him. We defeated Stalin by encircling him and with resolve, waiting. I think we'll defeat this Islamic threat by sheer logic, and exposure to common sense. That's how Galileo and many others ultimately defeated the Catholic Church.

Agreed. We just need to lead by example and the Muslims will eventually figure it out. Obviously, we also need to protect ourselves and doing so properly will require some sacrifices in terms of our values. This debate should be about how to best balance those conflicting requirements.

[jdobbin]

Sorry, I find it hard not to say anything when religious people do things like welcome the death of innocent people because it is God's judgment for a society that refuses to discriminate against homosexuals. I find that kind of ignorance to be intolerable.

It is perfectly well and good to criticize intolerance where you see it.

However, I think most atheists probably don't preach that their lack of faith is the choice people should make. As I said, I believe most atheists just are what they are. No trumpets. No broad statements. Just who they are.

[Riverwind]

However, I think most atheists probably don't preach that their lack of faith is the choice people should make. As I said, I believe most atheists just are what they are. No trumpets. No broad statements. Just who they are.

The same is true of the majority of theists.

[ScottSA]

And you sound like someone looking at picture books about dinosaurs to remove your concerns about the herd of elephants stampeding toward you.

So you admit that this was a problem in the past - and dinosaurs were admittedly more dangerous than elephants.

I'll admit that facing down Adolf Hitler was different from confronting Stalin's Russia, or even Brezhnev's Soviet Union. Kissinger often stated that Marxist ideology changed the requirements of stability, and the nature of the Cold War.

ScottSA, you have a good point that fanatical Muslims are unlike other fanatical religious people. They're Muslims. In a similar sense, fanatical Marxists are unlike other fanatical ideologues.

Nevertheless, I'll stay with my basic premise. In Islamofascism, we in the West face more broadly the threat of obscurantism (just like in the Cold War, we faced the threat of a command society).

The liberal West dealt with superstition centuries ago. It appears that we'll have to do this again for the next several decades. All things considered, I don't think this threat is dangerous (compared to the threat of a command society). Superstitious people are weak, and foolish.

----

There are two points in our favour. First, as I have noted, freedom is a popular notion. Individuals benefit when they are free to choose. It is always better to be outside a cartel than inside one.

Second, the scientific method works. It ultimately gives correct answers, or at least answers that are likely to work.

----

We defeated Hitler by confronting him. We defeated Stalin by encircling him and with resolve, waiting. I think we'll defeat this Islamic threat by sheer logic, and exposure to common sense. That's how Galileo and many others ultimately defeated the Catholic Church.

[Please start a clear thread on this topic. If you don't, I will. "Is Atheism the New Evangelism?" doesn't do justice to your more serious question: "Is Islam a greater threat to the west?"]

You'd better start the thread. If I do, Charles may hide it in a thread about Harper's hair bills, on the basis that both threads involve the west.

[August1991]

You'd better start the thread. If I do, Charles may hide it in a thread about Harper's hair bills, on the basis that both threads involve the west.

ScottSA, you're clueless. You copied my whole text in reply when a short cite would have been sufficient, and to the point.

Charles prefers succinctness.

[gc1765]

Charles prefers succinctness.

That's certainly the impression I got from This Thread

[jdobbin]

The same is true of the majority of theists.

And thank God for that. lol

[fellowtraveller]

[Please start a clear thread on this topic. If you don't, I will. "Is Atheism the New Evangelism?" doesn't do justice to your more serious question: "Is Islam a greater threat to the west?"]

No thanks, but feel free to start another thread if you wish. The question is straightforward, are you having difficulty understanding it?

The two questions are two different topics, although they share common themes of bigotry and intolerance.