BOOKS THAT CHANGED YOUR MIND

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

The book that changed my mind more than any other.

Quran- I thought like most people who do not know anything that all muslims were evil and their religon was evil. Then I read the quran in college. (I was assigned it) It surprised me how much we have in common.

It changed my mind the other way.

Really? How can you not read the 5 pillars and think we dont have a ton in common?

We do. But the differences are GIGANTIC! Far broader and deeper than the differences between the West and Hinduism or Bhuddism or heck Zorastrianism!

No way we both believe in GOD. Those religons are way different. Right now I think everyone is just on edge and they should be. We have made small differences into huge issues. Just like with us and the Jewish faith.

NONSENSE! Equating Allah and, for example, the God of Jesus is like equating my feeble efforts here and Dosteevsky and saying well we're both writers.

A major difference is the West believes more or less in freedom of religion. Islam doesn't.

Kinda, We have done our share of persecution.

Yup. And today? We have Muslim mosques, Bhuddist and Hindu Temples etc. all over the West. How many non Muslim churches in Mecca or Medina or Tehran?

I can honestly say I dont know I have never been there. But you might be correct.

I AM correct.

Heck it is illegal for non-Muslims to even set foot in Mecca or Medina!

There are a handful of non-Mulsim churches and Temples in Tehran for what it's worth. Though all of them predate the Islamic Revolutiuon of 1979 and apostasy carries a death sentence. Nice huh?

I just hate how the extreme muslims are in charge of so much. That is the biggest problem right now.

And here's my BIG question. How extreme and small in number can they be if they are in charge of so much and tolerated by the "moderate" masses?

Thats a great question and I dont have the answer for that (besides we have had that argument before LOL). All I can say is we in this country have had extremist in charge before too. So has Germany, Russia, France. We all have and they were small in number. Look at Stalin. The people hated him but were too scared to do anything. I think thats what is going on in Iran right now. Ahmandinejad has a lot of people who do not like him right now.

I don't have the answer either. I also think equating ANY American President to those loons is waaaaay off base. I really do think there are ultimately only three possible outcomes to the Islam and the West Issue. 1) Mecca is nuked 2) Sharia takes a dominant position in the West or 3) There is an Islamic reformation from within that pushes the extremists, well, to the extremes. I'm rooting for #3 to happen before 1 or 2. I figure we have maybe 50 years. Maybe less before 1 or 2 happens.

I see number 3 happening. BTW I would bet everything I have that Bush is just as bad of an extremist if he told you exactly what he could have liked to do. Also Andrew Jackson was nothing but a racist and a murderer himself.

Yeah, W would have lined up folks for honor killing and stonings right? Geeze. Hell you wanna talk extremism in the Presidency? FDR and his internment camps are the best example. Jackson was simply a man of his time. Judging him by today's norms is sorta silly.

As for the reformation of Islam, it seems to be going the WRONG way. The people who attempt reform get in a variety of spheres just get murdered. In that way the Islamic world is a little like Japan in the 1930's. It's a problem. I see very little evidence that the Wahhabists are, for example, getting shoved back into their theological holes or the writings of Sayed Qutb are being rejected. Believe me I hope I'm wrong. But I don't see evidence that I am.

Its just like our dark ages. We killed a bunch of people for no reason. OH and Jackson murdered people I am pretty sure that is against God's law no matter what.

bigbeastcardinal12 wrote:

Twilight Saga

HELL YEA!

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

marbleheadmaui wrote:

soonermark890 wrote:

The book that changed my mind more than any other.

Quran- I thought like most people who do not know anything that all muslims were evil and their religon was evil. Then I read the quran in college. (I was assigned it) It surprised me how much we have in common.

It changed my mind the other way.

Really? How can you not read the 5 pillars and think we dont have a ton in common?

We do. But the differences are GIGANTIC! Far broader and deeper than the differences between the West and Hinduism or Bhuddism or heck Zorastrianism!

No way we both believe in GOD. Those religons are way different. Right now I think everyone is just on edge and they should be. We have made small differences into huge issues. Just like with us and the Jewish faith.

NONSENSE! Equating Allah and, for example, the God of Jesus is like equating my feeble efforts here and Dosteevsky and saying well we're both writers.

A major difference is the West believes more or less in freedom of religion. Islam doesn't.

Kinda, We have done our share of persecution.

Yup. And today? We have Muslim mosques, Bhuddist and Hindu Temples etc. all over the West. How many non Muslim churches in Mecca or Medina or Tehran?

I can honestly say I dont know I have never been there. But you might be correct.

I AM correct.

Heck it is illegal for non-Muslims to even set foot in Mecca or Medina!

There are a handful of non-Mulsim churches and Temples in Tehran for what it's worth. Though all of them predate the Islamic Revolutiuon of 1979 and apostasy carries a death sentence. Nice huh?

I just hate how the extreme muslims are in charge of so much. That is the biggest problem right now.

And here's my BIG question. How extreme and small in number can they be if they are in charge of so much and tolerated by the "moderate" masses?

Thats a great question and I dont have the answer for that (besides we have had that argument before LOL). All I can say is we in this country have had extremist in charge before too. So has Germany, Russia, France. We all have and they were small in number. Look at Stalin. The people hated him but were too scared to do anything. I think thats what is going on in Iran right now. Ahmandinejad has a lot of people who do not like him right now.

I don't have the answer either. I also think equating ANY American President to those loons is waaaaay off base. I really do think there are ultimately only three possible outcomes to the Islam and the West Issue. 1) Mecca is nuked 2) Sharia takes a dominant position in the West or 3) There is an Islamic reformation from within that pushes the extremists, well, to the extremes. I'm rooting for #3 to happen before 1 or 2. I figure we have maybe 50 years. Maybe less before 1 or 2 happens.

I see number 3 happening. BTW I would bet everything I have that Bush is just as bad of an extremist if he told you exactly what he could have liked to do. Also Andrew Jackson was nothing but a racist and a murderer himself.

Yeah, W would have lined up folks for honor killing and stonings right? Geeze. Hell you wanna talk extremism in the Presidency? FDR and his internment camps are the best example. Jackson was simply a man of his time. Judging him by today's norms is sorta silly.

As for the reformation of Islam, it seems to be going the WRONG way. The people who attempt reform get in a variety of spheres just get murdered. In that way the Islamic world is a little like Japan in the 1930's. It's a problem. I see very little evidence that the Wahhabists are, for example, getting shoved back into their theological holes or the writings of Sayed Qutb are being rejected. Believe me I hope I'm wrong. But I don't see evidence that I am.

Its just like our dark ages. We killed a bunch of people for no reason. OH and Jackson murdered people I am pretty sure that is against God's law no matter what.

Right. The difference is this is 500 years later, there is plenty of history to be learned from and nuclear weapons are around. Yet...

Jesus believed in the same god as Moses and Abraham. Muhammed believed in the same god as Moses and Abraham. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet. Like all Christians and Jews I believe we all came from Adam and Eve. All the current leaders in the middle east are corrupt. I'm Muslim but believe everyone should be able to follow their own faith and not be punished for it. Religious war is stupid and I wish it didn't excist. None of us are perfect and none on this board practice their religion perfectly so we shouldn't judge each other.

The Stranger Next to Me

my grandma was good friends with the write of the book and i have met her

made me say holy shit keep your eyes peeled at all times

freakzilla316ftw wrote:

Jesus believed in the same god as Moses and Abraham. Muhammed believed in the same god as Moses and Abraham. Muslims believe Jesus was a prophet. Like all Christians and Jews I believe we all came from Adam and Eve. All the current leaders in the middle east are corrupt. I'm Muslim but believe everyone should be able to follow their own faith and not be punished for it. Religious war is stupid and I wish it didn't excist. None of us are perfect and none on this board practice their religion perfectly so we shouldn't judge each other.

We ABSOLUTELY should judge each other based on one's deeds. We just shouldn't mistake our human judgement for God's.

Making judgements, discriminating between good and bad or better and worse is an essential part of being human.

Birdofthad wrote:

The Stranger Next to Me

my grandma was good friends with the write of the book and i have met her

made me say holy shit keep your eyes peeled at all times

One can never really know another person, can one?

I am surprised you left out 1984 Marble.

The Best That Money Can't Buy : Beyond Politics, Money, and War - By Jaque Fresco

OIL : Money, Politics, and Power in the 21st Century. - By Tom Bower

Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong - by James Loewen

Manufacturing Consent : The Political Economy Of The Mass Media - by Edward S Herman and Noam Chomsky

currently reading Profit Over People : Neoliberalism and Global Order by Noam Chomsky