FUSsa-talk Mailing List: Fwd: Jihad/Crusades

[Robert Tapp (tappx001]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Robert Tapp <tappx001 [at] umn.edu>
> Date: July 30, 2010 3:57:10 PM CDT
> To: Humanist Institute Discussion Group Discussion Group <hidisc [at] 
> humanistinstitute.org>
> 
> 
> Austin Cline reviews Paul Fregosi's book on Islamic jihad, just published by 
> Prometheus. The concluding paragraphs may induce you to read the whole book:
> 
>       http://atheism.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/JihadWest.htm?nl=1
> 
> Bob
> 
> Islam and Christianity aren’t immutable objects existing in a realm of pure 
> ideals, and they aren’t simply what is written down on paper. In addition to 
> the ideals and dogma, they are what adherents actually do. Because of this, 
> fundamentalists in both groups have just as much claim to the religion as do 
> the liberals. Dismissing them as “false” members does them and the religions 
> a grave disservice.
> 
> Both Christianity and Islam are, in the end, human creations — and humans are 
> re-creating them every day as they try to live their lives as Christians and 
> Muslims. As a result, neither religion is any any more “pure” than its human 
> adherents. Both have high aspirations, as do humans, but both also suffer 
> from the same flaws. While many Western readers may be well-acquainted with 
> this fact about Christianity, Jihad makes it abundantly clear that it’s true 
> for Islam as well.
>