The Standard

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The Standard; Double or Nothing
Tweet Topic Started: Feb 10 2006, 02:11 PM (143 Views)
cmoehle	Feb 10 2006, 02:11 PM Post #1
Chris - San Antonio TX Posts: 36,959 Group: Members Member #1 Joined: June 6, 2004	This topic has come up in many ways in many threads here. Is Christianity defined by its followers? Is Islam? CNN's new employee, William Bennett, slanders Islam over cartoon issue Quote: Well, I think CNN just bought itself a few more riots with their wonderful new employee, far-right conservative William Bennett, and his blanket slander of the world's one billion Muslims. This should be fun. BENNETT: Let's go beyond cartoons. The other story out of Iran is the story of two young girls who were raped. The girl defended herself and stabbed her attacker. She is now sentenced to be hanged under Islamic law. This isn't a caricature, this isn't a cartoon, this is a peak into the soul of that faith, when it's run through a government. It's a real story and it deserves to be criticized. ZOGBY: It's not a peak into Islam, it's a peek into the outrages that take place in contemporary Iran, which is not synonymous with Islam... BENNETT: It's recognized Islamic theology, it is Islamic theology... ZOGBY: The policy of the Catholics during the Inquisition is not synonymous with my church, nor is the policy of the Islamic extremists synonymous with the Prophet Mohammed. Let's be fair and use one standard. I agree, we have a double standard and frankly I think the way this story is cast is the wrong double standard. BENNETT: Here's the standard. Catholicism is as Catholicism does, Judaism is as Judaism does, and by God Islam is as Islam does and what it's doing right now I wouldn't wanted to associated with. ZOGBY: As President Bush has said correctly, hundreds of millions of believing Muslims do not practice these things, did not burn embassies, do not behead people... BENNETT: Where are they? Where are they? Video: WMP, QT. Problem I see is in reversing relatives and absolutes. A religion is not defined by some of its followers but by all. But Bill Bennet doesn't seem to understand that.
	Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order. --Barry Goldwater


cascade	Feb 10 2006, 02:39 PM Post #2
Lloyd...Michie,Tennesse Posts: 351 Group: Members Member #45 Joined: July 12, 2004	Chris Is their silence, defining them?
	"[Do not] suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberty [to publish] by any pretenses of politeness, delicacy or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice." --John Adams


TexasShadow	Feb 10 2006, 02:45 PM Post #3
Jane Posts: 5,534 Group: Members Member #18 Joined: June 26, 2004	Quote: A religion is not defined by some of its followers but by all. I'll disagree, here. Any group is defined(unjustly) by the actions of one or a few of its members. this is why parents glow with pride when their child does well, or blush with shame when their child screws up. granted, it isn't fair, but that's the way it is. and, like families, religions have the same problem dealing with miscreant members, because they are into forgiveness and clan loyalty. the public judges cry: "throw the bum out".... but families don't easily throw their kids out, and religions don't either. so the public assumes, wrongly, that the bad behavior is not only condoned, but even encouraged. it's even this way in politics. bad behavior is "excused" out of loyalty or some other reason. religions, like any other group, should only be judged on their overall impact on society. is there more good than bad?
	"A conclusion is the place where you got tired of thinking."


cmoehle	Feb 10 2006, 03:03 PM Post #4
Chris - San Antonio TX Posts: 36,959 Group: Members Member #1 Joined: June 6, 2004	cascade Feb 10 2006, 03:39 PM Chris Is their silence, defining them? Christians? Muslims? Europeans? Americans? Martians? Sure. Part of the overall impact. Jane, I'm not sure but what we end up at the same conclusion. Many seem to use a few to define all when all contribute to the overall impact. There's a sort of double twist to this topic.
	Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order. --Barry Goldwater


cascade	Feb 10 2006, 04:29 PM Post #5
Lloyd...Michie,Tennesse Posts: 351 Group: Members Member #45 Joined: July 12, 2004	And another point of view. http://www.townhall.com/opinion/column/cha.../10/185941.html
	"[Do not] suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberty [to publish] by any pretenses of politeness, delicacy or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice." --John Adams


cmoehle	Feb 10 2006, 07:08 PM Post #6
Chris - San Antonio TX Posts: 36,959 Group: Members Member #1 Joined: June 6, 2004	But a different point. To say that not all Muslims are terrorists is not to say none are, the those who are do not pose a very real threat. This is true. But it is a relative truth, not an absolute.
	Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order. --Barry Goldwater


5thwheeler	Feb 10 2006, 07:22 PM Post #7
Get the message? Posts: 1,018 Group: Members Member #161 Joined: March 16, 2005	Well said TexasShadow!
	History 101: When a popular myth is believed to be factual, teach the myth. Its not possible to underestimate the intelligence of the voting populous. Hummm, after seeing the results of the 06 election, I may have to modify my perception of the voting populous and refer to them as "Late Bloomers".


tomdrobin	Feb 10 2006, 09:14 PM Post #8
Member Posts: 2,531 Group: Members Member #27 Joined: July 2, 2004	cascade Feb 10 2006, 10:29 PM And another point of view. http://www.townhall.com/opinion/column/cha.../10/185941.html And, I'm going to have to agree with that point of view. Well put, and right to the point.



cmoehle	Feb 10 2006, 09:33 PM Post #9
Chris - San Antonio TX Posts: 36,959 Group: Members Member #1 Joined: June 6, 2004	I read Charles Krauthammer on a regular basis. He is the last person to overgeneralize the religious or races or anything else, which was the point of posting Bennett, an elitist who does so time and again. Krauthammer's point is "The Islamic ``moderates'' are the mob's agents and interpreters, warning us not to do this again. And the Western ``moderates'' are their terrified collaborators who say: Don't worry, we won't. It's those Danes. We're clean. Spare us. Please." What does that have to do with Bennett's double standard? Please explain.
	Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order. --Barry Goldwater


cascade	Feb 11 2006, 12:07 PM Post #10
Lloyd...Michie,Tennesse Posts: 351 Group: Members Member #45 Joined: July 12, 2004	Chris Where are these Muslim moderate masses, protesting against their Muslim leaders, from any Muslim country, that are killing Muslims on a dailey bases? From the outside looking in, it looks like a Muslim event only, what goes on here, stays here, don't interfere. I can see how Bennett comes to that opinon. When was the last time a Muslim nation, on their own initiative, forced another Muslim nation to stop injustice?
	"[Do not] suffer yourselves to be wheedled out of your liberty [to publish] by any pretenses of politeness, delicacy or decency. These, as they are often used, are but three different names for hypocrisy, chicanery and cowardice." --John Adams


cmoehle	Feb 11 2006, 02:28 PM Post #11
Chris - San Antonio TX Posts: 36,959 Group: Members Member #1 Joined: June 6, 2004	It's hard to define the motives of silence. Is it support, or is it fear? I do agree, did so in another thread, Muslims need to stand up and be heard against fanatical fundamentalists. The thing is, some do. The Mzuslims in America are not rioting in protest, they are writing letters to editors, writing their congressional representatives. Some are fighting in our military. Let's not forget about them. Jordan trains Iraqi police. Is one example enough? I too can understand how Bennett comes to his opinion. It's called bigotry. Would he apply his standard to his brand of Christianity? Notice he did not mention it?
	Politics is the art of achieving the maximum amount of freedom for individuals that is consistent with the maintenance of social order. --Barry Goldwater


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