Islam incompatible with Democracy
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- Created on Sunday, 31 January 2010 06:06
- Published on Sunday, 31 January 2010 06:06
- Written by John Draper
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Recently, Muslims have started to understand that their religion is fundamentally incompatible with democracy. The Islamic worldview is that 'man's life remains under the supervision of Allah; it is Allah who guarantees man's freedom, and guides him in his life journey.' Further, 'in Islam, the ruler is not held accountable to the people; his responsibility is to Allah alone. Muslims have no right to reject the Shariah. To date, not one Arab ruler has ever dared to rethink or amend the Shariah's requirements. It is quite evident that Islam is not compatible with democracy; the very word "democratos" (people's rule) contradicts the essence of Islam, where rule belongs exclusively to Allah.'
These are quotes from an Algerian writing on an Arab web site where he wrote an article: Muslims in the West: Lost within Modernity.
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God believes what I believe
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- Created on Saturday, 30 January 2010 13:58
- Published on Saturday, 30 January 2010 13:00
- Written by John Draper
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The human mind is a strange thing - if I give an argument as to why something is true, many would reject it - perhaps with a comment "what would he know?". Writing it down makes more people believe than simply saying it but the ultimate in providing credibility is if someone has done a scientific study. As long as the study has been done properly, then it is reasonable to accept its conclusion.
So now we have a study reported in New Scientist about beliefs and why we believe. You would think that beliefs start with evidence that point to a conclusion but often we start from somewhere else. Often we start from being told by our parents (when very young) or someone we see as an authority and only then look for reasons.
Four Canadian Universities lack true academic freedom.
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- Created on Saturday, 30 January 2010 05:32
- Published on Saturday, 30 January 2010 05:32
- Written by John Draper
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Universities by definition, are meant to be places where ideas are explored and "not places to create disciples of Christ." So says the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) which criticizes one Canadian University for failing to meet this criterion. B.C.-based Trinity Western and three others have been accused of "imposing a requirement of a commitment to a particular ideology or statement as condition of employment." In all four Universities, its faculty sign a statement of Christian faith before being hired.
The academic calendar at Trinity Western says: "All teaching, learning, thinking, and scholarship take place under the direction of the Bible" and their web site says: "there is one God, the Bible is the inspired Word of God, and Christ is God incarnate."
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Muslims in Europe generating a backlash
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- Created on Friday, 29 January 2010 05:21
- Published on Friday, 29 January 2010 05:21
- Written by John Draper
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In England and France there is a very visible and at times violent Muslim minority who stir up antagonism and get involved in terrorist plots. It's hard not to notice this (!) so France is talking about banning the Burqa and perhaps even the head-scarf. Denmark is planning to enforce rules against them and there is talk in England and Canada of doing the same although they probably will not. Switzerland recently banned Minarets for the same reason. Muslims are getting too visible. The problem is not really their religion - it's their culture. Religions can be interpreted to suit - that's why there are both Muslim moderates and extremists - but culture is actually harder to change.
Is Nature a Religion?
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- Created on Wednesday, 27 January 2010 05:33
- Published on Wednesday, 27 January 2010 05:33
- Written by John Draper
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The film Avatar is about a far away world where the "natives" are "at one" with the world they live in. They treat the trees and animal life as if they are all one big entity - and that includes them. Of course the Catholic Church does not like this because it does not include a god or creator or even a higher power. In effect, the people worship nature. (CBC on the Vatican and Avatar)
Vatican Radio has been quoted as saying: Avatar "cleverly winks at all those pseudo-doctrines that turn ecology into the religion of the millennium" and "nature is no longer a creation to defend but a divinity to worship." Pope Benedict XVI has also spoken of the need to protect the environment, but warned against "neopaganism" and the danger of turning nature into a "new divinity."
Mohammed's early days - the founding of Islam
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- Created on Monday, 25 January 2010 05:01
- Published on Monday, 25 January 2010 05:01
- Written by William Hopper
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Editor's Introduction
The following is an extract from The Heathen's Guide to World Religions by William Hopper. It is as historically accurate as it can be and although told from a heathen's viewpoint, it includes much of the Muslim viewpoint too. But I really like the wit that Hopper displays.
Allah
Islam is not about fanaticism. It's about Allah. And that's where I want to start ...
Whenever you see Muslims in the news or on 60 Minutes, they invariably have a clip of a bunch of guys bowed down low on small pieces of carpet chanting something in Arabic. About the only word you can catch that might mean anything to you is "Allah." Question: Who is Allah?
Anyone who said "the God of Islam" gets a zero and is sent to the back of the class. Allah is NOT the God of Islam. Islam is one of the religions that honours Allah, but he's not exclusively Islamic. It's the language thing that's getting you here. "Allah" is an Arabic name. Translate it into Hebrew and you have Yahweh.
A church for atheists?
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- Created on Tuesday, 26 January 2010 05:03
- Published on Tuesday, 26 January 2010 05:03
- Written by John Draper
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Some atheists say they miss the community that’s provided by a Church. Christians can go to a Church on Sunday and have a good old sing-along, meet like-minded friends and work together to help the less fortunate. Jews and Muslims have their synagogues and mosques but atheists have perhaps only the local community centre. So why not a church for atheists?
Atheists do not need a god to be good – Greg Epstein wrote a book about it - Good without God - but he’s also a Humanist chaplain – to spell it out, that’s a pastor who does not believe in God. And he thinks atheists should have their own churches.
Fraudulent bomb detectors used in Iraq
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- Created on Sunday, 24 January 2010 05:08
- Published on Sunday, 24 January 2010 05:08
- Written by John Draper
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Thousands of devices that were supposed to detect bombs have been used in Iraq but have been proved to not work at all. A police source in England said: "We are satisfied the bomb detectors don't work." The devices were supposed to work the same way as dowsing rods and the British company ATSC collected $80M from sales to Iraq alone. Now, British police have arrested Jim McCormick, 53, the managing director of ATSC on a charge of fraud.
The devices (the ADE651) are in use at military and police check points across Baghdad where they are used to search vehicles and pedestrians for explosives. In recent months hundreds of people have died after car bombers were able to penetrate the security cordon supposed to protect the centre of the Iraqi capital. The investigation only started in November 2009 after several people started to question the device. American Major-General Richard J. Rowe Jr, who oversees Iraqi police training for the US, told the NY Times: "I have no confidence that these work."
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- Dawkins and Steve Paikin
