School Sends Girl With Anti-Islam Shirt Home

[JayJ79]

We should just send all kids to school naked........that would end all of this controversy.

I would have been way too distracted to learn anything at all in highschool if that had been the case.

[Grizalltheway]

We should just send all kids to school naked........that would end all of this controversy.

That would certainly make John St. Onge happy.

[UNI88]

The problem is that the shirt was intentionally inflammatory. An Obama shirt can be a show of support without being intentionally inflammatory. As long as the school would also send home kids with 'Christianity Is Of The Devil', 'Judaism Is Of The Devil', etc. tee shirts they're being consistent in their approach and I don't have a problem with it. An 'Obama Rocks' shirt should be ok while a 'McCain Sucks' shirt shouldn't.

What about "Satanism is Of The Devil" shirts?

Good and funny question.

I don't that that would be inflammatory because it's true, the equivilant of saying "Christianity/Judaism/Islam is of God". Plus it would be a hilarious shirt to wear.

[Cap'n Cat]

[JMU DJ]

Do people not understand that Islam and Christianity are practically the same religion? The fundamental values and beliefs are virtually all the same. These people need to take their thumbs out of their asses and open their eyes... Christianity ain't as saintly as they believe it is. For the criticism they give other religions for their intolerance and hatred, their church has done exactly the same.

[UNI88]

Do people not understand that Islam and Christianity are practically the same religion? The fundamental values and beliefs are virtually all the same. These people need to take their thumbs out of their asses and open their eyes... Christianity ain't as saintly as they believe it is. For the criticism they give other religions for their intolerance and hatred, their church has done exactly the same.

True but Islam today is closer to where Christianity was during the Dark Ages (in its acceptance of violence and treatment of outsiders and women, etc.). Hopefully Islam evolves as Christianity has (and continues to).

[JMU DJ]

Christianity ain't as saintly as they believe it is. For the criticism they give other religions for their intolerance and hatred, their church has done exactly the same.

True but Islam today is closer to where Christianity was during the Dark Ages (in its acceptance of violence and treatment of outsiders and women, etc.). Hopefully Islam evolves as Christianity has (and continues to).

Yeah, that's where I was going with the last sentence... still though, Christians ain't as humble and as accepting as they purport and expect others to be. Thus you get "Go back to your country you dang Moslem" Tee-shirt.

[TwinTownBisonFan]

Do people not understand that Islam and Christianity are practically the same religion? The fundamental values and beliefs are virtually all the same. These people need to take their thumbs out of their asses and open their eyes... Christianity ain't as saintly as they believe it is. For the criticism they give other religions for their intolerance and hatred, their church has done exactly the same.

True but Islam today is closer to where Christianity was during the Dark Ages (in its acceptance of violence and treatment of outsiders and women, etc.). Hopefully Islam evolves as Christianity has (and continues to).

88 - the variant of Islam that you're talking about is not nearly the majority these days... what you are talking about is Wahabism and other similar extreme factions of that faith. The problem is that particular ideology still has state sanction in some countries - but in most cases it grows out of a reaction to political oppression (in places like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Pakistan, etc) or in response to a near total failure of government to provide even basic security (Somalia or Sudan).

Religious extremism is often what impoverished and downtrodden people turn to the world over to try and make sense of their lot in life. This is certainly true of faiths other than Islam (think Catholicism in sub-Saharan Africa or Mexico, violent and extreme strains of Hindu ideology in impoverished regions of India, evangelical Protestantism in the US, etc)

[UNI88]

True but Islam today is closer to where Christianity was during the Dark Ages (in its acceptance of violence and treatment of outsiders and women, etc.). Hopefully Islam evolves as Christianity has (and continues to).

88 - the variant of Islam that you're talking about is not nearly the majority these days... what you are talking about is Wahabism and other similar extreme factions of that faith. The problem is that particular ideology still has state sanction in some countries - but in most cases it grows out of a reaction to political oppression (in places like Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Pakistan, etc) or in response to a near total failure of government to provide even basic security (Somalia or Sudan).

Religious extremism is often what impoverished and downtrodden people turn to the world over to try and make sense of their lot in life. This is certainly true of faiths other than Islam (think Catholicism in sub-Saharan Africa or Mexico, violent and extreme strains of Hindu ideology in impoverished regions of India, evangelical Protestantism in the US, etc)

I agree with you about downtrodden people turning to religous extremism but disagree about the popularity of extremist Islam. IMO, extremism might not be a majority but it is extremely prevalent and it is growing. Much of the money that we use to buy oil from Saudi Arabia and other countries is going to support Wahabi madrassas around the globe.

I also believe that there is a tendency to downplay the extent of the differences between Western/Christian cultures and Islam. Even mainstream Islam as I understand it is much less tolerant of outsiders, much more demeaning toward women, and much more accepting of violence (especially toward outsiders and women). Islam as it is practiced in many places is not conducive to western style democracy (which GWB and the neo-cons failed to understand). I don't hate Islam or those that practice it, I just believe that it is different from Christianity and that it is vain and naive to focus on the similarities with Christianity while ignoring the differences. Western politicians have typically looked at Islam as they imagine it to be (some too negatively and some too positively) while failing to understand and respect Islam as it really is.

[Appaholic]

[JMU DJ]

I don't hate Islam or those that practice it, I just believe that it is different from Christianity and that it is vain and naive to focus on the similarities with Christianity while ignoring the differences.

OH SNAP! Slaaaaaamage!!!

Just because you can't accept that your belief system is the same as another doesn't mean you have to start name calling. I'm not focusing on the similarities, look at a majority of the world religions (even ones that are polytheistic)... they are fundamentally the same. I'm not attacking you or your religion, I'm just saying yours is pretty much the same as another. Maybe I'm vain... naive... but I have done the research. I've read many leather bound books. Look into it, there are differences, but your core belief structure is the same as everyone else: Morality, being good, a "chosen one," eternal afterlife, an single origin, and a mother F***ing apocolypse.

[UNI88]

I don't hate Islam or those that practice it, I just believe that it is different from Christianity and that it is vain and naive to focus on the similarities with Christianity while ignoring the differences.

OH SNAP! Slaaaaaamage!!!
Just because you can't accept that your belief system is the same as another doesn't mean you have to start name calling. I'm not focusing on the similarities, look at a majority of the world religions (even ones that are polytheistic)... they are fundamentally the same. I'm not attacking you or your religion, I'm just saying yours is pretty much the same as another. Maybe I'm vain... naive... but I have done the research. I've read many leather bound books. Look into it, there are differences, but your core belief structure is the same as everyone else: Morality, being good, a "chosen one," eternal afterlife, an single origin, and a mother F***ing apocolypse.

Whoa, the "vain and naive" comment wasn't directed at you. It was directed more at political leaders who don't seem to understand Islam and like to project onto it what they want it to be. GWB and the neo-cons were prime examples of this in wanting to both demonize Islam fundamentalists and think that Islamic people would readily and easily accept western style democracy.

I too have read some about Islam and agree that Christianity and Islam share the same core structure. The primary differences appear to be in how the cultures that follow each religion:
- views outsiders (and I'll admit that there are some pretty xenophobic Christians but I don't think that Christianity considers outsiders to be barbarians).
- treats women
- accepts violence (especially against women and outsiders)

I do try and keep an open mind about the subject and would be interested in any book recommendations that you might have to expand my thinking. As I mentioned it in the Book Club thread, I highly recommend Infidel by by Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

[AZGrizFan]

Just because you can't accept that your belief system is the same as another doesn't mean you have to start name calling. I'm not focusing on the similarities, look at a majority of the world religions (even ones that are polytheistic)... they are fundamentally the same. I'm not attacking you or your religion, I'm just saying yours is pretty much the same as another. Maybe I'm vain... naive... but I have done the research. I've read many leather bound books. Look into it, there are differences, but your core belief structure is the same as everyone else: Morality, being good, a "chosen one," eternal afterlife, an single origin, and a mother F***ing apocolypse.

Yeah? Does Merlin Olson come over for dinner, too? Does your apartment smell of rich mahogany?

[JMU DJ]

No prob... I thought it was a subtle slight toward moi, so I decided to go over the top

But hey, the Catholic church practically views women as second class citizens.... If I recall correctly, there aren't any ordained Catholic priest who are women correct? I know the Anglican's ordain women, but still the number is few in comparison to males and becoming a "Bishop" is still not accepted worldwide.

[AZGrizFan]

No prob... I thought it was a subtle slight toward moi, so I decided to go over the top

But hey, the Catholic church practically views women as second class citizens.... If I recall correctly, there aren't any ordained Catholic priest who are women correct? I know the Anglican's ordain women, but still the number is few in comparison to males and becoming a "Bishop" is still not accepted worldwide.

Well, their brain IS 1/3 the size of a man's brain....it's science.

[wideright82]

No prob... I thought it was a subtle slight toward moi, so I decided to go over the top

But hey, the Catholic church practically views women as second class citizens.... If I recall correctly, there aren't any ordained Catholic priest who are women correct? I know the Anglican's ordain women, but still the number is few in comparison to males and becoming a "Bishop" is still not accepted worldwide.

Well, their brain IS 1/3 the size of a man's brain....it's science.

I want to be on you....








wait that didn't come out right.

[UNI88]

No prob... I thought it was a subtle slight toward moi, so I decided to go over the top

But hey, the Catholic church practically views women as second class citizens.... If I recall correctly, there aren't any ordained Catholic priest who are women correct? I know the Anglican's ordain women, but still the number is few in comparison to males and becoming a "Bishop" is still not accepted worldwide.

Christians and Christianity are far from perfect but they do seem to be evolving (or the intelligent design is proceeding ).

Given a choice would you rather spend a year as a Muslim woman in Algeria, Indonesia, or Saudi Arabia or as a Catholic woman in Ireland, Italy, Poland or Spain?

[JMU DJ]

I don't know so much about those Irish women....

http://www.milkandcookies.com/link/27483/detail/

[Purple For Life]

I think the school did the right thing. Wearing a cross necklace is one thing, being deliberately inflammatory is another.