[Potemkin]

Islam is too repulsive to confuse enough people and fulfill this purpose.

That’s what the ancient Romans thought about Christianity, and look how that ended for them.

[Patrickov]

That’s what the ancient Romans thought about Christianity, and look how that ended for them.

Did Christians go around and stab people here and there in order to get their messages across before gaining Roman and Byzantine patron?

[annatar1914]

That’s what the ancient Romans thought about Christianity, and look how that ended for them.

@Potemkin :

Our friend may have forgotten about the Roman Emperor St. Constantine, who beat his pagan rivals and established the Orthodox Christian political commonwealth.

But in any case, his commentary is at least tangential to one of the themes of this thread:Is there the possibility of a triumphant political Islam as time goes on?

He believes not. He says that it is too " repulsive". To himself perhaps. But worldly success and opportunity have a way of changing people's minds on this point, the " Pagans" I mentioned earlier.

[Reichstraten]

Did Christians go around and stab people here and there in order to get their messages across before gaining Roman and Byzantine patron?

Yes. Not all christians were angels. Or pacifists.

[noemon]

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/sout ... 80638.html

Pakistan mob drags "blasphemer" out of prison and beats him to death for "disrespecting Koran".

Textual idolatry in full display.

[annatar1914]

@Potemkin , @Verv , and others:

Psalm XLIV, an ode concerning the Beloved One:

" My heart poured forth a good word; I speak of my works to the King: my tongue is the pen of a swiftly writing scribe."

"Comely art Thou in beauty more than the sons of men: grace has been poured forth on Thy lips, wherefore God has blessed Thee forever "

" Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O Mighty One, in Thy comeliness and Thy beauty. And bend Thy bow, and proceed prosperously, and be King, because of truth and meekness and righteousness: and Thy right hand shall guide Thee wonderfully. "

" Thine arrows are sharp, O Mighty One, (under Thee shall peoples fall) sharp in the heart of the enemies of the King"."

" Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of uprightness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom "

" Thou hast loved righteousness and hated iniquity. Wherefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness more than Thy fellows"

" Myrrh and stacte and cassia exhale from Thy garments, from the ivory palaces, whereby they have made Thee glad, they the daughters of kings in Thine honour "

" Hearken, O daughter, and see, and incline thine ear: and forget thine own people and thy father's house."

"And the King shall greatly desire thy beauty, for He Himself is Thy Lord, and thou shalt worship Him".

" And Him shall the daughters of Tyre worship with gifts: the Rich among the people shall entreat thy countenance ".

" All the glory of the daughter of the King is within, with gold fringed garments is she arrayed, adorned in varied colours ".

" The virgins that follow after her shall be brought unto the King, those near her shall be brought unto Thee ".

" They shall be brought with gladness and rejoicing, they shall be brought into the temple of the King".

" In the stead of thy fathers, sons are born to thee: thou shall make them princes over all the Earth "

" I shall comemorate Thy name in every generation and generation".

" Therefore shall peoples give praise unto Thee for ever, and unto the ages of ages".

[Patrickov]

But worldly success and opportunity have a way of changing people's minds on this point, the "Pagans" I mentioned earlier.

Frankly I see myself already very pathologically distrustful of other people, but thinking many if not most of them will fall to Islam is a level that even I am incapable to reach.

[Patrickov]

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/pakistan-mob-attacks-blasphemy-b2280638.html

Pakistan mob drags "blasphemer" out of prison and beats him to death for "disrespecting Koran".

Textual idolatry in full display.

I wonder if the mob is actually endorsed by the Pakistani authority so that they don't have to drip their own hands in blood.

[ness31]

https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/pakistan-mob-attacks-blasphemy-b2280638.html

Pakistan mob drags "blasphemer" out of prison and beats him to death for "disrespecting Koran".

Textual idolatry in full display.

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2023 ... ctory-city

Iran should apologize for the hell they unleashed on Salman Rushdie, but considering the barbarism they inflict on their own women, I don’t see it happening. What a shame, beautiful people, beautiful country, but insane story tellers at the helm.

The irony is that Khomeini never read the book, nor did Matar.

[Reichstraten]

One explicit christian writer I revere is G.K. Chesterton.