P
phoage
Guest
I am interested in discussing the problem of Islam from a Catholic and American point of view. As I see it, there are numerous challenges presented by Muslims, and I would be interested in hearing other opinions on what can be done to meet them as a Church, a nation and as an individual.
Historically, Islam has been spread by conquest, starting with Muhammad. He was run out of Mecca but after building a power base and a following in Medina (Yathrib) he came back and conquered it and then the rest of Arabia. His followers, after his death, conquered Persia, Levant, Egypt, and North Africa, the last three of which were Christian areas and had been for hundreds of years.
This tide of conquest went through the Iberian Peninsula and into France as far as Tours before being thrown back in 732 by Charles the Hammer. The Muslims were finally pushed out of the Iberian Peninsula in 1492.
In Eastern Europe, Muslims (Seljuk Turks) began the conquest of Turkey (Anatolia) on 1071. In 1453 Constantinople fell to the Ottomans and completed the destruction of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium). They eventually got as far as Vienna which they besieged in 1683, and even after being thrown back, they still occupied the Balkans and Greece. They attacked Poland and Russia.
They controlled the Mediterranean Sea until the Battle of Lapanto and contested control of it until the early 19th century.
In the East, they conquered Persia Northern India, and points east which are still Muslim to this day.
When force of arms does not work, they move into a country (as they are doing today in much of Europe) and then force their views on the populous. They are meek and mild until they achieve parity then start agitating for acceptance of their customs and suppression of the parts of the societal customs they do not like. There are places in the western world where any criticism of Islam or the prophet can be a death sentence.
While there may, in fact, be truth in all religions. Islam is totally incompatible with Western culture which was built by the Catholic Church (How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, by Thomas Woods). Where Islam is dominant, it spurns mercy, forgiveness, tolerance and a host of other Catholic/Christian virtues/beliefs.
On the other hand; as Christians, we are supposed to turn the other cheek, to bless our enemies, to love them. Does this require us to roll over and play dead? I have a hard time with Christian charity (love) toward someone who sees no problem flying airplanes into buildings and killing thousands of “infidels”. That may only be “radical” Muslims but it appears to me that no one in the West understands what makes a Muslim radical.
Patrick
Historically, Islam has been spread by conquest, starting with Muhammad. He was run out of Mecca but after building a power base and a following in Medina (Yathrib) he came back and conquered it and then the rest of Arabia. His followers, after his death, conquered Persia, Levant, Egypt, and North Africa, the last three of which were Christian areas and had been for hundreds of years.
This tide of conquest went through the Iberian Peninsula and into France as far as Tours before being thrown back in 732 by Charles the Hammer. The Muslims were finally pushed out of the Iberian Peninsula in 1492.
In Eastern Europe, Muslims (Seljuk Turks) began the conquest of Turkey (Anatolia) on 1071. In 1453 Constantinople fell to the Ottomans and completed the destruction of the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantium). They eventually got as far as Vienna which they besieged in 1683, and even after being thrown back, they still occupied the Balkans and Greece. They attacked Poland and Russia.
They controlled the Mediterranean Sea until the Battle of Lapanto and contested control of it until the early 19th century.
In the East, they conquered Persia Northern India, and points east which are still Muslim to this day.
When force of arms does not work, they move into a country (as they are doing today in much of Europe) and then force their views on the populous. They are meek and mild until they achieve parity then start agitating for acceptance of their customs and suppression of the parts of the societal customs they do not like. There are places in the western world where any criticism of Islam or the prophet can be a death sentence.
While there may, in fact, be truth in all religions. Islam is totally incompatible with Western culture which was built by the Catholic Church (How the Catholic Church Built Western Civilization, by Thomas Woods). Where Islam is dominant, it spurns mercy, forgiveness, tolerance and a host of other Catholic/Christian virtues/beliefs.
On the other hand; as Christians, we are supposed to turn the other cheek, to bless our enemies, to love them. Does this require us to roll over and play dead? I have a hard time with Christian charity (love) toward someone who sees no problem flying airplanes into buildings and killing thousands of “infidels”. That may only be “radical” Muslims but it appears to me that no one in the West understands what makes a Muslim radical.
Patrick