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naraburns  nihil supernum  1yr ago (text post)   36040 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of March 20, 2023

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sound about as genuine as qutb's, or bin laden's complaints of american imperialism.

Interestingly I have very negative opinions of both those people. I dislike violence on aesthetic grounds and it is almost never necessary to deploy it to achieve your goals. There are often much kinder ways to get what you are after. See how the British used violence to conquer my country, but now we are going to conquer them with love (by having more kids and letting mathematics do its job). No violence or threats needed, only love.

Sure you don't like them. Islam spread by force of arms, and as soon as war took more than riding a camel/horse/elephant into battle, they sucked at it. Changing strategies might be a good idea if they were capable of it. Left to their own devices they degenerate into isis or at best pakistan. Anyway that's not the point. No matter how many West-critical studies you quote or disgust you express at this or that western quirk, those things are not your true objection. You can't reason someone out of a position they didn't reason themselves into.

Pray tell, what is my true objection?

qutb's and ben laden's.

Which is?

Their religious beliefs. Although you will probably choose a more defensible motte, "admiration of the culture" or similar nonsense.

Okay look, "I don't believe you, even if you say otherwise I know you really just want to jihad us" is going beyond uncharitable.

If you ask someone what they believe and they tell you, you don't have to believe them, but you can't just keep calling them a liar because it doesn't fit your assumptions.

Let's hear it then. @BurdensomeCount, deny the shahada, and I'll treat you with great charity.

No, why would I do that? The Shahada is fundamental to what it means to be a Muslim and I will not deny it. It's just saying that God is one and that Muhammad is His messenger, nothing more than that.

But really, what does the Shahada have to do with my dislike of Western modernity?

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