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I thought the whole point of the Enlightenment was to try to move away from government based on superstition, tradition, and prejudice. Perhaps three hundred years has not been enough to finish up the argument about Spinozism?
Indeed, that was the whole point of Enlightenment, which does not mean that its values are accepted by all (or most for that matter) Christians, atheists, Hells Angels or Muslims - whether they live in Europe or Mecca.
It's good to have vision and philosophy, but it's also necessary to be down to earth and practical. This is about the real interactions between people on Dollis Hill and the East End, between Les Mureaux and the 16th Arrondissement in Paris...
Are we talking about the same thing?
Of course, those values are sufficiently misanthropic all by themselves to ensure plenty of conflict anyway.
- Jake Friends come and go. Enemies accumulate.
The differences between Christianity and Islam are numerous, starting with the religious, textual philosophy to it's modern day application.
On a textual level, the major difference between the New Testament and the Surats is precisely the tolerance which in one is apparently called for while being outright rejected in the other. The Koran openly calls for the elimination of the infidels. The New Testament doesn't. Other differences are also apparent, namely in terms of the role of religion in society, the role of woman in society and the relationship between men and women in a family.
In terms of modern day application, the most blatant difference is that Moslems overwhelmingly favor incorporating their interpretation of Islamic Law into the political apparatus of government. Christians do not, partly because the faithful represent a minority in today's Europe and partly because ... we've been there, done it & moved on. The fact remains that there is a clear separation between the church and the state.
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