freediver,
Quote:The Islamic empire was not the last empire to be dismantled...
Quote:So what?
Come on fd, surely you get the relevance of that? you implied it's a uniquely Islamic trait that caused the Ottomans to try and cling onto the age of empires. I merely pointed out Muslims weren't the only ones.
Quote:So Islam is backwards now?
Completely irrelevant question. Islam isn't even implemented now, for it to be considered backwards or not.
Quote:Why do you expect it to play catch-up in the future?
Again, completely irrelevant question. A state only really plays catch up when it's already in the game, and is lagging behind. When entering the game, it must do so at the current "stage" of the game, and therefore wouldn't be playing catch up, would it?
Quote:It is not a democracy. Just because the clerics try to pull the strings from behind the scenes does not mean it isn't a dictatorship
As I've tried to inform you enough times already, there's no such thing as a position called "cleric" in Islam, neither by that name, nor by an Arabic equivalent, nor even by the meaning. Such a position simply doesn't exist in the structure of the Caliphate. This is just a poor attempt to translate Christianity's structure onto your view of Islam, sorry but it doesn't always work out so neat and even.
Try judging Islam within it's own context, not just translating your ideas of Christianity onto it. "If Christianity is a religion and has clerics, and Islam is a religion, then it must also have clerics", this is a logical fallacy, and you well know it.
Quote:No you didn't. If you had, I wouldn't have such basic questions going unanswered
You asked the question about where slaves and war booty can be taken, the answer is in the common misconceptions thread. End of story.
Not to mention the fact I've already stated several times in many threads you're involved in, that it relates to the Pagan Arab custom of taking women and riches into battle... Anyway when you wanna accept my answer, it's been given. If you choose not to, good for you.
Quote:Like on Answering Islam?
Yeh... anti-Islamic websites, sure... that's exactly what I meant. Is it that hard for you to actually look up Islamic websites, and see what they have to say? Are you incapable of browsing to anything other than jihadwatch or answering-islam.com? But you don't want pre-fab answers, you want me to be your personal answer-bot, as I said previously, sorry I'm not your lackey.
I answer what I like, when I like. I've answered probably 10 times more questions for you, than you've ever done for me. I've asked you so many things that you've just passed over... ever see me whinging and carrying on like this? in some lame attempt to claim victory because the other side doesn't answer? Grow up fd.
Quote:Is it any wonder that so many wild accusations about Islam get taken seriously
They get taken seriously because Islamophobes wanna believe them, not because of lack of access to Islamic sources.
I remember back when I was searching about different religions. I found Islam to be the most forthcoming. Try digging up detailed information, like you can find about Islam, on any other religions beliefs, you simply won't find it. It's difficult to come by.
Islam is honest, you are not.
Quote:I believe that only Islam makes a doctrine out of building an expansionist military empire.
Good for you. As I said, nothing in Islam that states "build an expansionist empire" sorry.
Quote:Islam is unique in commanding its spread by the sword.
Strawman, Islam doesn't command it's spread by the sword.
Quote:The fact that they were a product of their times does not mean it wasn't nasty.
Well no more than states are nasty today, as a product of their own times. The problem is fd, you view them in a vaccum, and you do use today's standards as your yardstick, by which to measure them. By today's standards, yes they would be considered nastier. I agree.
Quote:Did Jesus go round killing people? Did Moses? Did Budda?
I can't seriously believe you put Moses (pbuh) in there!! Didn't you say you read the Bible before??? Did you just skip over the parts where God supposedly commanded Moses (pbuh) to kill men, women, children, old young, maidens, pregnant women etc. ???
You truly are a goose. Did you think slipping that in between two known pacifists might pass undetected??? Or are you just really ignorant about such things? Besides, there are a few passages of the Bible, which indicate Jesus (pbuh) was not necessarily a pacifist. Likewise, assuming his entire life is documented in the Bible, would be a little more than naive.
No doubt now you're going to flip flop and claim "But they don't follow the doctrines in the Bible anymore". So when it suits you to judge Islam based on what's in it's texts rather than their actions, you'll do so, then when it comes to Christianity/Judaism you judge them on their actions, not their text.. Make up your mind. Do you judge a religion based on it's texts or it's actions?
Quote:I am a bigot because I don't have a rpoblem with proselytising religions other than Islam? Can you explain that please?
Exactly.
(note: your statement has been modified to reflect truthfully what it was in response to. ie. that you don't have a problem with proselytising religions other than Islam, please be honest from now on fd)