[CS-FSLUG] OT: My wife is from this small town in NY.

[Ed Hurst]

On 12/17/2009 9:46 AM, l4c wrote:
> Definitely something to think about right?

So I have done, and do often. Comparative religions and culture were a 
part of my curriculum in college, too.

Islam parades as a religion, but is closer to a social regime and 
culture with religious dressings. I have no trouble saying its founder 
was an evil man, a megalomaniac who broke his own rules. He created that 
religion, probably as a cynical tool for political manipulation. The 
whole thing was his own personal fantasy, remaking the world to suit him.

His followers are hide-bound legalists giving lip-service some higher 
values. But it's mostly a social regime, and they are pushing it. Yep. 
But even as we speak, the most hide-bound imams are being replaced by, 
of all things, telegenic evangelists with a very moderate approach. 
Surveys by folks who know more than indicate this is quickly displacing 
most of what we hold as our popular notions about Islamic countries, and 
Muslim people.

Yes, it is all so very complex!

So I come to my personal conclusion we haven't done near enough, haven't 
tried hard enough, to justify a blanket condemnation sufficient to 
justify impoverishing this nation and shipping our wealth and future 
someplace else. Let's talk about protecting our families.

You know what? I am absolutely, utterly certain virtually every 
so-called "Muslim terrorist camp" in the US is funded indirectly by the 
CIA or some other clandestine agency. They are here because of that huge 
disconnect by a hideously, inexcusably complex government of ours, with 
a thousand arms and conflicting agendas. Shall we discuss the mercenary 
training camps which produce our terrorists? Yes, the bigger picture is 
complex, indeed.

But to stay on task here, I feel equally certain we can discuss this far 
better by writing messages like yours and mine, than by posting links to 
hyper-ventilating hucksters who will do anything for a buck, but have 
found a market niche by promoting mindless hatred, among other things. 
See? I can write the same sort of breathless prose all by myself, and 
never link or copy from any other sites. Even better, I don't post ads 
because I'm not selling anything. ;-)

I feel utterly certain Fred can do better, and I would highly encourage 
him and anyone else to work at it just a little, just as you do. Linking 
interesting technology stories from the vast plethora of stuff out there 
may actually be a service, but excessive political postings to the list 
is probably just a bit more than simply off-topic. Too many of our 
members are not in the US or from it. I feel Tim has made it clear there 
is a limit, and I feel that last one was a bit too much, and was too 
much of the baiting and hinting that everyone who disagrees is somehow 
no better than the terrorists, or at the very least, a pitiful fool. 
There are better ways to approach subjects which are worthy of debate.

-- 
Ed Hurst
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Associate Editor, Open for Business: http://ofb.biz/
Applied Bible - http://soulkiln.org/
Kiln of the Soul - http://soulkiln.blogspot.com/