Arab Spring

[smc]

Originally Posted by randolph

"humans just seem to enjoy having them around": I made that comment in jest, but actually, in the absence of science, rational thought is difficult. Consequently, humans construct a system of explanations based on imaginations fostered by witch doctors, prophets and gurus. I think people who are sincerely religious have a feeling of well being and that there is a God that cares about them and their behavior. These people just ignore scientific rationality when it comes to what they want to believe.
God bless America.--- We are always right --- Right?.

There is a significant, and highly important difference, between an individual's belief in god and the existence of organized religions to promote that belief. The former is irrational; the latter is manipulatively rational.

[randolph]

Originally Posted by smc

There is a significant, and highly important difference, between an individual's belief in god and the existence of organized religions to promote that belief. The former is irrational; the latter is manipulatively rational.

So are you saying an individuals irrational belief somehow becomes rational in a religious context?

[smc]

Originally Posted by randolph

So are you saying an individuals irrational belief somehow becomes rational in a religious context?

The individual's belief in god is irrational. Those who create religions do so to manipulate that irrational belief for a rational purpose (e.g., to accrue wealth and power, to conquer, to influence policy, etc.).

[randolph]

Originally Posted by smc

The individual's belief in god is irrational. Those who create religions do so to manipulate that irrational belief for a rational purpose (e.g., to accrue wealth and power, to conquer, to influence policy, etc.).

It is interesting to speculate that if Constantine had not made Christianity the state religion,paganism would have continued, Christianity would have remained an obscure sect and Islam would not have happened.

[ila]

Originally Posted by randolph

It is interesting to speculate that if Constantine had not made Christianity the state religion,paganism would have continued, Christianity would have remained an obscure sect and Islam would not have happened.

Islam is not an offshoot or a result of Christianity.

The quote below, about Muhammed, from this website gives the beginning of Islam.

In his forties, he began to retire to meditate in a cave on Mount Hira, just outside Mecca, where the first of the great events of Islam took place. One day, as he was sitting in the cave, he heard a voice, later identified as that of the Angel Gabriel, which ordered him to:

“Recite: In the name of thy Lord who created, Created man from a clot of blood.” (Quran 96:1-2)

[Elonar]

But Paganism was not eliminated, although that's another story. What may be at the back of Randolph's mind is the shared heritage of the respective written traditions of Judaism and Christianity.

Whether or not early Islam would have flourished less successfully in co-existence with multi-faith Pagan religions against its militant evangelism of ' Christianised ' lands over the two centuries from its founding is open to debate and considerable speculation.

[randolph]

Originally Posted by ila

Islam is not an offshoot or a result of Christianity.

The quote below, about Muhammed, from this website gives the beginning of Islam.

Islam is an Abrahamic religion which is closely associated with Judaism and Christianity. All three are monotheistic and share many features. Mohammed's design of Islam was based on the early Judaism and Christian faiths along with concepts appropriate to the Arabic community. Of course Mohammed would have come up with many features that would distinguish Islam from other religions.
From Wikipedia --

Abraham was appointed by God to eliminate all idolatry at the time, and to convey the pure message of Islam to the people. God granted Abraham wisdom in his childhood and Abraham remained in a high spiritual position till the day of his death.

[randolph]

Quote:

Abraham was appointed by God to eliminate all idolatry at the time, and to convey the pure message of Islam to the people. God granted Abraham wisdom in his childhood and Abraham remained in a high spiritual position till the day of his death.

This quote from Wikipedia doesn't make sense even in a religious context. Abraham existed 2,000 years BC while Mohammed got his word from God around 600 AD. Oh well, I guess religious history should be taken with a grain of salt.