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Originally Posted by DenverBrit
Ok, I can't begin to respond to your first paragraph........because it makes no sense. Unless you think fundamentalism is some kind of far right wing movement.
As for your second, are you claiming that all Muslims are terrorists and favor violence?? I have already acknowledge that Islam is expansionist, however, only 'fundamentalists' follow those archaic extremes.
Much like Christian 'fundamentalist' who's beliefs are rooted in the literal adherence to the Old Testament.
Again, Fundamentalism keeps its adherents in the dark ages.........actually, long before.
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It makes perfect sense when you consider that "keeping up with the times" often involves internalizing secular liberal humanistic values and generally leading a lifestyle of hyperindividualist impulse-driven narcissism. I don't think religions should be caving in to garbage like this, yet at least to a degree that's exactly what some are doing, even if that means not being faithful to scriptures. There are plenty of ways in which religion (mainstream, at least) has a solid and appropriate foundation for societal stability, but unfortunately all too often narcissism is so strong in people that they react knee-jerk fashion to anything that asks for self-sacrifice, putting off gratification, or calls for traditional forms of civic duty.
Extremism can come from either direction, and they're both a danger. Though in the Western world, fundamentalist Christian views are obviously nowhere near as dangerous as Islamic ones, and in my opinion, are overall more healthy for society than secular humanism. I think the Islamic world could benefit greatly by being evangelized by Christians and it would help stem the problem of violent Jihad.
Clearly there are shades of violence within Islam, but I believe that Western apologists overstate the numbers of Muslims (especially in the Islamic world) who are more modernized and against terrorist activity. I'd also point out that there are more pacifistic Muslims who are persecuted to the point of violence by other Muslims for heresy - in part due to their unorthodox views on Jihad. The Ahmadiyya sect are among them.
Safe to say that if a religion allows "apostates" within it to be slaughtered, then reasonable expectations of behavior with outsiders are pretty much thrown out the window. On that account alone, to me the problem becomes Islam itself. Part of the problem is that the concept of modernization is tied to Westernization, and that's going to breed hostility.
In the Islamic world, obviously the atmosphere is very repressive. The question for us in modern times is that is the Islamic religion not this extremist, or is it merely that we're not seeing so many outbursts of this extremism due to Islam's weak military position in the world and thus the general unwillingness of the Muslims in more numbers of stick their necks out and participate? In times past, certainly, when Islam had the upper hand, they marched from West Africa to South Asia, and had volunteers all too willingly line up for loot and booty. Islamic terrorist activity and other forms of religious strife with other groups have gone on Asia for a very long time. Imagine what it would be like there if Muslims found themselves in political control there. I think we'd pretty much see a repeat of history."