Doctors involved in British bombing plot

[rogerroger]

Originally Posted by Leila01

I think that it all boils down to whether or not we believe our own cultural values are more worthy of protection vs. foreign cultures…and what the effects of this are on our understanding of the world.

See, for an individual who has been raised in a Western culture, this is their home and base.

Your right, this is home. Just as China, Iraq, and Nigeria have their cultures we have ours. It is not just the home culture for those raised in it, it is the culture of the land for all living in it. Just as if I was to live in China I would acknowledge the customs of Chinese culture. When in Rome...

Originally Posted by Leila01

The value of democracy, human rights and other so called ‘Western’ values are seen as inherently superior to ‘medieval’ and ‘backwards’ cultural practices.

When ppl are using cultural excuses to commit crimes on mass, from beheading journalists, to blowing innocent ppl up in subways, to massacring foreign aide workers, it makes one wonder about one being backwards. I think we would be foolish not to contemplate this.

Originally Posted by Leila01

Sharia law is often conveyed in the media as being some form of barbaric medieval custom practiced by ‘backward’ Muslims in the Middle East…

Sure but there are a few universally accepted barbaric acts in the world. When some sort of religious law is perverted to approve of such acts I mentioned above it is barbaric and backwards.

These people don't do themselves any favors. For instance, in Nov. I had the opportunity to speak with the founder of the Canadian branch of Doctors Without Boarders. He told a story where the organization was working in Afghanistan and a bunch of doctors were massacred by religious fundamentalists for just being there trying to help the locals...

Originally Posted by Leila01

This is not to make any judgments on any culture but just to say that perhaps we should examine ourselves before we make snap judgments about the lives of others.

We in the west are hardly perfect. Yet, there is a reason why the world wants to come here. The reason has more than just money involved. I think a large part of it has to do with freedom, justice, and the high respect we have for personal opinions of others. With this comes the responsibility to attempt to improve the world. Those with great abilities have great responsibilities. We shouldn't simply say a culture is bad, but I do believe we can give them a helping hand to further develop their own cultures and help them embrace the fundamental values of humanity. Are we doing a good job of this today? I say a resounding no.

[AndrewB]

I agree wholeheartedly with rogerroger.

On another note...it's amazing how religion continues to cause so much violence and oppression around the world. Where did humans go wrong?

[AMmd]

Originally Posted by rogerroger

Your right, this is home. Just as China, Iraq, and Nigeria have their cultures we have ours. It is not just the home culture for those raised in it, it is the culture of the land for all living in it. Just as if I was to live in China I would acknowledge the customs of Chinese culture. When in Rome...

Rome is not a country

[The Law]

Law your case describes criminals who happen to be soilders. They were punished. That is why military courts exist.

HAHAHA punished? A dishonourable discharge? What type of justice is that? What about the victims of the fallujah bombings, the haditha massacre, the abu ghraib prison scandal... This is NOT. justice. A 14 year old girl, brutally raped while her family lay dead in the next room... and then shot and burned to death. A soldier should know that his or her actions are reflective of their country. Do you see why almost all Iraqis were against this from the start?

On another note...it's amazing how religion continues to cause so much violence and oppression around the world.

It's amazing how the United States causes so much violence and oppresion world wide.

[Jazzie]

Originally Posted by AndrewB

I agree wholeheartedly with rogerroger.

On another note...it's amazing how religion continues to cause so much violence and oppression around the world. Where did humans go wrong?

Perhaps you should find more facts before making a comment? What religion ordered it's followers to cause violence? If that is the case, perhaps we should blame every single religion in existence? It can't be just one religion right? But to think about it, you may have a point. Wasn't it the church who ordered "witches" to be burned way back when? When people were still close-minded and uninformed?

[AndrewB]

Originally Posted by Jazzie

Perhaps you should find more facts before making a comment? What religion ordered it's followers to cause violence? If that is the case, perhaps we should blame every single religion in existence? It can't be just one religion right? But to think about it, you may have a point. Wasn't it the church who ordered "witches" to be burned way back when? When people were still close-minded and uninformed?

Maybe you shouldn't assume I don't know anything about history. I am specifically blaming the Abrahamic religions which have dominated world politics for the last 2000 years. Yes, the establishment of the Islamic Caliphate was brutal. Yes, the Crusades were bloody. Yes, the Inquisition was cruel. Yes, many, many, many people died and will continue to die, caught between religion and a hard place.

No one religion is right. Everyone is entitled to their own religious views, sexual views, and on and on. However, I feel violent religious ideologies (adopted by a minority) cannot be tolerated by a world that includes many people that strive to make it peaceful. Contradictory, I know. If anybody has any real ideas to help stop terrorism, invasions, war etc., I would like to hear them.

[rogerroger]

Originally Posted by Jazzie

Perhaps you should find more facts before making a comment? What religion ordered it's followers to cause violence? If that is the case, perhaps we should blame every single religion in existence? It can't be just one religion right? But to think about it, you may have a point. Wasn't it the church who ordered "witches" to be burned way back when? When people were still close-minded and uninformed?

You bring up a point which can beautifully illustrate my original statement. European religions did this centuries ago. 99.99999% of Christians would agree that this was wrong and barbaric. Believe me if you are using 17th century Europe as your role model for religious tolerance you are backwards. The fact that in the middle of London thousands of religious fanatics can gather and proclaim their intentions to violently attack a government which gave them a home demonstrates the irony. It might be more acceptable if this was the 1600s. Yet, I think we have a higher standard at the dawn of the 21st century.

[rogerroger]

Originally Posted by The Law

HAHAHA punished? A dishonourable discharge? What type of justice is that? What about the victims of the fallujah bombings, the haditha massacre, the abu ghraib prison scandal... This is NOT. justice. A 14 year old girl, brutally raped while her family lay dead in the next room... and then shot and burned to death. A soldier should know that his or her actions are reflective of their country. Do you see why almost all Iraqis were against this from the start?



It's amazing how the United States causes so much violence and oppresion world wide.

This is a perfect example of you seeing what you want to see, an anti-American, anti-western view of the world. In the very article you posted it states a solider was slammed with a 100 year sentence. The other was given a dishonorable discharge because the court couldn't prove his role in the matter. One is innocent until proven guilty here. This means they might be guilty yet we must assume they are innocent because the proof to convict one does not exist.

Now do tell me how many of those that partake in beheadings of western aide workers ever see the inside of a court room? Instead they are given safe havens within radical communities for they can continue to murder innocents.

Your argument is baseless in this context.

[rogerroger]

Originally Posted by AMmd

Rome is not a country

It was just need to roll back the clock to 400AD or 1450ish depending on how one interprets things. I wounder if that common metaphor dates from back then... humm...

[The Law]

lol, that's a solid argument... rome is not a country lmao

in fact, i think you can use it in any situation!

"Why are we doing nothing to slow global warming?"
"because... ROME IS NOT A COUNTRY!"
etc etc