christianity and
Transcript: Why have these two similar religions diverged on opposite paths? “…we would discover on the one hand a religion which was for a long while intolerant, with a clear tendency towards totalitarianism, but which has gradually been transformed into a religion of openness, and islam being the exact opposite” (58) History of... “Why has development in this context been so positive in the West and so disappointing in the muslim world? To press the question and put it more precisely why has the Christian West, which has a long tradition of intolerance and has always found it difficult to coexist with “The Other,” produced societies that respect freedom of expression, whereas the Muslim world, which has long practiced coexistence, now looks like a stronghold of fanaticism?” (59) So what do you think? Muslim... Christians known to be the worst slave holders as they used the bible to justify their cruelty. Made famous by Fredrick Douglas and Solomon Northrup Psalm 123-2 (NIV) As the eyes of slaves look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid look to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, till he shows us mercy. (In a reference to devotion, they mentioned slavery which therefore had to be right because it’s in the bible, I imagine the bible was slammed shut after this. Some devouts read on…) Ephesians 6:4-6 Slaves, obey our earthly masters with respect and fear,, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Obey them not only to win their favor whe their eye is o you, but like slaves of Christ doing the will of God from your heart. 1 Peter 2:18 Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with a ll respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. Ephesians 6:5 Slaves, obey your earthly master with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. Christianity appealed to slaves in biblical times. They converted because of the very idea of justice and freedom Christianity offered. The verses were written in to prevent furthering suffering of Christians because it was still illegal in the Roman Empire and slave rebellions would only make it worse. The bible also states that Christian owners should release their slaves because all people all equal in God’s kingdom. Christian intolerance Katie McNaughton “Has the Church betrayed itself? The church has always begun by resisting, and then gone on to accommodate itself and adapt…a church and a religion that can support men and women on the unprecedented journey they are embarked upon today” (61) • Monotheistic, He is the creator • Prophets: Noah, Abraham, moses, david, joseph, john the Baptist, Jesus • Followers go by the 10 commandments and teachings of the prophets • Jesus was born miraculously of the virgin, Mary • Jesus Christ is the Messiah and performed miracles • The old testament and the new testament are holy scriptures • Satan is evil and should not be followed • An anti-christ will appear on Earth before the Day of Judgment • Jesus will return to kill the anti-christ • A day of judgment where the remainder of mankind will be judged • There is a hell and paradise • Both worship the same God called by different names • Follow the same teachings of Jesus and the prophets Muslim Tolerance Muslim Christian... Egypt and Syria still has a significant Christian minority despite 1400 years of muslim majority existing there. Answer Based on Text... “…I cannot see how [movements in the Middle East] could be the product of Muslim history. Watching Ayatollah Khomeini…vowing to remove all traces of Western culture…” “…however carefully I look into the history of the Muslim world, do I find any mention of the setting up of an “Islamic republic” or the coming of an “Islamic revolution” (65) Breaking stereotypes “When something reprehensible is done in the name of a doctrine of whatever kind, that doesn’t automatically make the doctrine itself guilty, even if it can’t be regarded as entirely unconnected with the deed in question. For example by what right could I clam that the Taliban in Afghanistan have nothing to do with Islam” “There will always be different and even contradictory interpretations, however much people study the scriptures, consult the commenators or set out the various arguments. The same authorities may be ctited to tolerate or to condemn slaery, to enerate icons or burn them, to ban wine or allo wit, to advocate either democracy or theocracy. Oer the centuries, all human societies hae managed to find religious quotations that seem to justify their current pratices. It took two or three thousand years for the Christians and Jeewish societies… The text doesn’t change; what changes is the way we look at it” (49) I agree that the motives for evacuating from the Western Culture were not born of religious motives. It was a response to distress the entire European world is facing now, and the entire purpose of this book. Every country is fighting the