rising anti semitism nipped in the bud thank god

[Chinahand]

This is an odd turn to the thread that I have arrived late to. Are we seriously suggesting that anti-semitic attacks by Muslims are not a growing problem across Europe? I would have thought by now that this is established fact.

Are the attacks predominantly by Muslims?

 

I would have expected the regressive left to be a more dominant demographic in this sort of mindless thuggery, along with the standard hard right anti Semitism. A bit of vandalism and graffiti plus the occasional mugging, in their mentality, is definitely giving it back for the Palestinians.

 

As ever at the extremes the left and right merge to violent thuggery.

[pongo]

I will happily state categorically there is no god

For many people God is a metaphor for what is inherently unknowable and for those things which are otherwise impossible to enunciate. No less meaningful or real than the magical fairy concept of God and not necessarily at odds with tradition, culture or ritual. For some people this is an unconscious concept of God. But it is also a high theo/logical position.

[quilp]

Yes. So do the people who have an "unconscious concept of god", know it?

 

Dumb humanity.

[pongo]

So do the people who have an "unconscious concept of god", know it?

Many people who would likely consider themselves believers in fact have an unconsciously metaphorical concept of God. They don't think of it as a metaphorical position. But they don't really believe - although they they can picture it.

 

Equally the non-god God, God as a metaphor, is a strong theological concept - a conscious position and perhaps the logical end point of theology and philosophy.

[woolley]

I will happily state categorically there is no god. And we do know quite a bit about the nature of our existence. What lead to the state of affairs we are in is evolution. We are all worthy.

It is a theory, nothing more. And what created the situation before evolution started? What created the embryonic universe? You cannot state anything on the subject categorically, because like the rest of us, you just don't know. Even Einstein didn't know, and he was the man. You can say what you believe and don't believe because it's subjective to you. That is a long way, in fact 100% away, from asserting it as a fact.

[RIchard Britten]

The success of Christianity is not the quality of its words, but the quality of the violence behind its words.

[pongo]

The success of Christianity is not the quality of its words, but the quality of the violence behind its words.

That sounds like a clever slogan but it doesn't really add much and it's not historically accurate.

[RIchard Britten]

I would say its very accurate. If it weren't for the Roman Empire spreading it at the tip of a spear, or the Catholic bloody "missions" to South America and Africa, the Crusades, the Inquisition, witch burnings, etc I doubt it would have spread as far as it has.

[Chinahand]

This is interesting and let's see if Richard will think about this.

 

The spread of Christianity isn't that different from the spread of Islam - both had elements of violence, both had state and quasi-state support and both used their cultural and technological superiority to colonize native people's into their religion - especially in South America in the case of Christianity and especially in South and East Asia in the case of Islam.

 

But beyond all the headlining history of battles and invasions there was a far slower and nuanced story of cultural change and the mother's knee.

 

To claim the Amish are Christians due to the quality of Christianity's violence is simplistic sloganeering, as would be a claim Indonesia was converted by the sword.

 

Richard, I suspect you would emphasize the West's influence in Islam's violence and talk about the organic and broadly personal conversion which was the dominant source of Islam's spread eastwards.

 

If that is the case don't turn a blind eye to the same process within Christianity.

 

Both were the religions of the dominant, urban culture and they spread into traditional societies as agriculture settled the countryside.

 

That process is a huge cultural change, and yes there were colonial and religious violence as a part of it, but it wasn't nearly as simplistic as conversion by the sword with either religion.

[RIchard Britten]

The Armish are an end result of the chain of events - although American branches of Christianity are a result of "invasive" expansionism of the Americas.

 

The godless heathen Native Americans were given the same choice the Romans gave others...assimilate and convert or be destroyed.

 

If Constantine 1 hadn't converted, Christianity would not have spread as it had (possibly even dying out the way old religions do).

[paswt]

I was advised by an old Jewish scholar that Constantine accepted that those of the Jewish faith who would not convert and they were tolerated but denied some of the 'financial freedoms' of the Christians. He claimed that the Jews were considered to be the 'property' of the Emperor.

 

Now I don't know enough to categorically state this is correct but this was his take on history

[llap]

This is an odd turn to the thread that I have arrived late to. Are we seriously suggesting that anti-semitic attacks by Muslims are not a growing problem across Europe? I would have thought by now that this is established fact.

I frequently visit the Jewish community in the UK and can assure everyone that antisemitic attacks including daily verbal abuse and bomb threats are very much on the rise and equally unreported in the media.

[RIchard Britten]

You mean like attacks on foreigners have noticeable increased since Brexit?

[llap]

TJ stop talking crap. You just embarrass yourself when you post in multiple sock puppets and pretend they are different people. You are very transparent and it simply doesn't work.

I repeat: Skeletor has nothing to do with me and I can safely say he or she is not TJ either. Anyone can go on here pretending to be others.

[llap]

You mean like attacks on foreigners have noticeable increased since Brexit?

No, they haven't.