One more note, Islam grew quickly because of scare tactics similar to the Mafia. They threatened people with death to MAKE them convert.
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not to mention the crusades, the Roman empire after Constantine, persecution of Norse pagans in northern Europe, desecration of temples and slaying of priests and followers of Hellenistic religions in Ancient Greece, Imperial Russia in the 16th century...
This is true, in a way.
Muslims did not threaten people with death, they said that believers would go to eternal paradise and nonbelievers would go to hell. The same thing goes for Christianity and many other religions, often considered to be pagan. Look at the differences between the ancient Greek/Roman religion and modern day Christianity.
They at least gave them the chance to convert. Contemporary Christians just killed heathens. Hell, in some occasions they slaughtered the Christians too.
Heard the expression "Let God sort them out?"
It's not wrong in any way, they did conquer a good portion of the mediterranean coast in the 6th or 7th century.
But well, Christians complaining about it is a bit like mongols bitching about tetonic knights.
Amusing. Actually, I was just being told about the unusual history of the beginnings of Islam from someone reading a book on the subject. They are one of the few religions that was more pragmatic at the beginning. They conquered a lot of area in a short time, partly because they did not require people to convert or die, but like the Roman empire allowed other religions to coexist, provided they paid tribute (those who converted did not have to pay the tax).
So no, they grew quickly because they didn't threaten people with death to make them convert, they just threatened their pocketbooks.
They threatened people with death to MAKE them convert.
When will these people learn that you cannot make someone convert?
You know what true freedom is, Disciple 3? Never backing down to anyone. Ever. Period. I am completely free because I know whatever you do to my body, be it maiming, torture or death, I will never give in. Ever. I am more willing to die than falsely accept something I do not believe in. Furthermore, if in my death I can take you with me, so much the better. That is absolute freedom, my friend.
Python potrayed the Catholic preisthood as mob figures often. It was a good analogy because they were once totalitarian and some still act that way to this day.
American fundies continually wonder why they're not in charge of the nation, they insist the country was founded as Christian and should govern by church. If not, many factions are promoting malitia states and violence to that end.
Is this why the Souths Bible Belt is so violently religious? Is it because you understand the power of force as you were forced to believe or else?
I think I think so. I think many of you are Christians because you fear the reprecussions inherent by being anything else.
Not exactly. The rise of Islam is credited to three main reasons. The first one was how Muslims had a strong missionary drive (Akin to Christianity), the second one was that Muslims economically dominated the trade routes, allowing them to spread Islam faster to places such as West Africa or Central Asia, and finally the Caliphate manage to easily streamroll both Byzantium and the Sassanids because of centuries of fighting(Not to mention the sheer infighting between factions within Byzantium) while the Arabs just began rising to power, so in short, epic history fail.
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
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