Eternity RPC Board
Quote:No, it actually just states a fact. Islam promotes violence in general, but especially against nonbelievers, "hypocrites," and apostates; why do you think so much terrorism comes out of Islam?
Its indeed a fact that Islamic texts promote violence. It is also a fact that the bible promotes genocides. Ill show you the exact texts from the Bible here:
Our Holy Bible
“Avenge the people of Israel on the Midianites. . . .” And Moses said to the people, “Arm men from among you for the war, that they may go against Midian, to execute the Lord’s vengeance. . . .” They warred against Midian, as the Lord commanded Moses, and slew every male. . . . And the people of Israel took captive the women of Midian and their little ones; and they took as booty all their cattle, their flocks, and all their goods. All their cities . . . they burned with fire. . . . And Moses was angry with the officers of the army. . . . [He] said to them, “Have you let all the women live? Behold, these caused the people of Israel, by the counsel of Balaam, to act treacherously against the Lord in the matter of Pe’or, and so the plague came to the congregations of the Lord. Now, therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known man by lying with him. But all the young girls who have not known man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.”
About Canaan:
“both men and women, young and old, oxen, sheep, and asses, with the edge of the sword,” and supposedly ridding the land of Israel of its enemies (Josh. 3–22), Joshua speaks to his people: “For the Lord has driven out before you great and strong nations. . . . Take good heed to yourselves, therefore to love the Lord your God. For if you turn back, and join the remnant of these nations left here among you, and make marriages with them, so that you marry their women and they yours, know assuredly that the Lord your God will not continue to drive out these nations before you; but they shall be a snare and a trap on you, a scourge on your sides, and thorns in your eyes, till you perish from off this good land which the Lord your God has given you” (Josh. 23:9–13).
In different texts from the Bible, God orders the destruction of the Amalekites, and Samuel warns that even their animals must be slaughtered. God becomes furious at King Saul for not killing every single one of them.
Then there is the Biblical story of Jacob's daughter Dinah (Genesis 34). Shechem the Hivite raped her, and then offers to marry her. Jacob comes up with a conspiracy to murder them all. His sons sneak into the Hivite city and kill everyone.
Then there are famous genocides that actually have been committed in the name of Christianity - even against fellow Christians. It already started with the deliberate murdering of Jews living in the Rhine cities in 1096 as the crusaders passed those cities on their journey to the Holy Land. They justified their massacring of the Jews with biblical references. In the early 13th century the Pope authorized a ''crusade'' against the ''Albigensians'', which was a response to 50 years propaganda conducted by genocidal bishops and Frankish knights who had a personal conflict with the Dukes of Toulouse. The Albigensian Crusade resulted in the massacring of the inhabitants of the villages in Southern France, and the seizure of the property of the Duke of Toulouse. Heretics had never actually existed. Armed resistance occurred only when the Crusade was already on its way. In 1572 it was during the ''Night of St. Bartholomew'' that Catholics launched the massacre of Protestants - from which the actual word ''Massacre'' has been derived. The original meaning was French for slaughtering an animal. During the Thirty Years War, which officially lasted from 1618 til 1648 (armed bands continued to roam the countryside for many more years), was a religious war between Protestants and Catholics. In the name of both interpretations of the Bible then, some 17 million people were slaughtered.
I'm not arguing Islamic texts are innocent. My point is that Christianity has produced equally violent texts, and for centuries provided more than potent excuses to slaughter entire populations. The only reason Christians have learned to interpret their religion in a peaceful manner is because our democratic institutions and human rights have become deeply ingrained in our morals and values. The middle east simply lacks this experience with human rights. And its America itself that has not exactly contributed to the democratization of the region, having backed many of the dictators that were toppled in 2011 because of the Cold War. I always wonder how an American-backed dictator is ethically acceptable to Americans, and a Communist one had to be overthrown because of human rights.
As for the other points you make, I'm willing to concede that many of the refugees can technically pass for immigrants, given the fact that they were not in immediate danger anymore upon leaving Syria itself. Then again, the government isn't really in a position to do much. These people simply arrive in the country. To give the basic shelter is not just a matter of decency, its also a matter of security. Or there will be more swarms of frustrated Arabs in the streets at night - and we've seen how well that worked in Cologne last year. The German government is trying to send the immigrants back, but the problem is: the countries where they came from don't take them back. The entire situation is stuck and it sucks. A Populist response is to insinuate there is some kind of conspiracy of the political elite to deliberately keep dangerous and profiteering immigrants in the country. There is just no practical solution at the moment. Germany could close its borders entirely. But the economic damages would be immense, as it is an economic transit country (connecting Rotterdam with the rest of Europe). The waiting lines before the borders would be enormous. The government can rationally calculate how much it would cost to close the border, and how much they would save on taking care of and monitoring immigrants. Apparently, the costs of closing the borders are higher.