The Search for Moderate Islam

Well, it wouldn't be, would it? Explosions are typically louder than non-explosions. So Gandhi should have yelled louder?You Americans with your "fighting for peace" mindset don't seem to be able to comprehend the concept of being peaceful for peace. What you do - or don't do - often "speaks" louder than loud speech.

Christianity doesn't support any of those things.

I don't think so. You seem to be setting up equality, etc. as if it is some kind of standard to which Islam "should" adhere if it is to be thought of as "moderate". I'm just saying that if nobody else upholds that standard it isn't reasonable to ask it of Islam.

How is that different from proponents of any other religion making the same claims? Yes it does sound like that - and yes it is "okay" to judge all religions by the same standard.If you want to single out Islam as "not moderate" then you have to play by your own rules.

You can't assess comparatives in a vacuum. What does "fast" mean? Faster than walking? Faster than a speeding bullet? The idea that a Corvette is "fast" only has meaning in comparison with something else in the same ballpark, like a Ferrari.Similarly, you can't just talk about whether Islam is "moderate". Is it less moderate than Christianity? Is it more moderate than it used to be centuries ago? Is it about as moderate as corn flakes?You need some frame of reference. And the most sensible frame of reference for a religion is other religions.

How do you define moderation in one religion except by comparison to other religions? An elephant is big in comparison to most animals but is it "big" in and of itself?Edited by ringo, : pelling.

I would say that you should not react vigorously against the wrong guy. Indeed it is. if George punches you in the nose and you react very vigorously by beating Jim half to death, Jim's friends are likely to step up to defend him.

The problem is that you've made "necessary distinctions" when you read them - i.e. you've decided ahead of time which parts to pick and choose. A good example is your chronic inability to see the beams in your own eye.

There are a lot of people outside the USA that don't think the USA represents freedoms.

You literally can't tell left from right, can you? There is no left in the US, only right, righter and rightest.

I can see people to my left but very few of them are Americans. There are a lot of Canadians to my left, much of Western Europe is to my left.Can you see anybody on your right?