|
| Author |
Message |
jazzbro
Cabinet Minister
User is Offline
Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 639
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 8:32 am Post subject: MM - you may find th |
|
|
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
marginallymanic
Cabinet Minister
User is Offline
Joined: 09 Mar 2005
Posts: 4106
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject: |
|
|
Thanks for that
Particular pieces that rang a bell for me were
| Quote: |
I would say that I am deeply moved by the thought of an unnameable mystery. If you then ask me, exactly which mystery are you then referring to? I can't answer. That's as far as I can go.
I would say we are back in that crusading spirit. In the modern era, the great belief systems begin to think of themselves in more militaristic ways. And they conceive of themselves more and more in oppositional terms. Look, nothing equals the 20th century for its bloodiness.
There's no way of reducing Islam to a single belief system, but what you have in Islam is a very active series of belief systems. And they're in deep conflict with each other. There's no poetry in this. It's all strictly hard belief, in an oppositional voice |
_________________
“The object of life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane.”
Marcus Aurelius |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
jazzbro
Cabinet Minister
User is Offline
Joined: 27 May 2006
Posts: 639
|
| Posted: Mon Jul 21, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject: |
|
|
The first and last resonate with me as well. The middle quote - not so much. I'd say it feels like there is a crusading spirit coming from 'the other side' (the Islamic side) but if you accept the last quote it sort of falls apart.
What DOES make sense to me is that improved communication and awareness of the possibility of a better life is motivating some elements of the Islamic world to 'crusade' against the west. Of course aided and abetted by radical elements painting a grim picture of infidels knocking at the door.
A better description for me of the West's participation in this struggle would be that of cultural and economic imperialism. The West is so substantially 'secular' by now that any charge of crusade just doesn't stick imo. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
|
|
