tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7331606510829330077.post914923092218442246..comments2023-11-03T02:00:17.991-07:00Comments on Abu Daoud: Part XIX: Islam is a CivilizationAbu Daoudhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18399746942963002389noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7331606510829330077.post-82695301502782129212008-12-14T03:20:00.000-08:002008-12-14T03:20:00.000-08:00Hi Kelly, What I was saying is that the Christendo...Hi Kelly, <BR/><BR/>What I was saying is that the Christendom pattern made sense to Muslims. But now you are asking a different question regarding political theology, which is important but is not exactly the same topic.<BR/><BR/>To be honest there has been so much diversity throughout history regarding the interaction of the state and the church that I don't think one answer is possible. A lot of it has to do with how many of your people are Christian, and to what extent the culture has been evangelized.<BR/><BR/>I would say for example that democracy and Islam don't mix well. Indeed democracy is an anti-Islamic form of government. Democracy in a Christian society can lead to tolerance of other religions. The opposite is true in the Muslim world, there is more tolerance in a dictatorship like Syria than there is in a democracy like Iraq.<BR/><BR/>But back to the question of the church and the state: a complete separation is silly, there is no such thing. Human beings are both religious and social, and to posit a complete wall of division between religion and civil rule is absurd. The thing you hear about "you can't legislate morality" is entirely wrong.<BR/><BR/>Ultimately, the West's understanding of the Trinity is flawed which means that we have ipso facto misunderstood what it means to be human.Abu Daoudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18399746942963002389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7331606510829330077.post-30051771457990760612008-12-13T17:29:00.000-08:002008-12-13T17:29:00.000-08:00Hi again!Well, it seems that such an occurance (th...Hi again!<BR/>Well, it seems that such an occurance (the West taking on such an identity) would have a major impact on our ideas/concepts of democracy, wouldn't it? And is it healthy for Christian believers to delve too much into the social and political spheres of our world? (I am thinking particularly of us here in the U.S.) I don't have an defined opinion yet; I'm just playing devil's advocate. To what point does the Scripture encourage and motivate us to influence those areas? How much is this similar or related to Kingdom Now, Dominion theology? And is it biblical? I've been dealing with some of these issues in my own spiritual growth, so I would appreciate your feedback. Thanks!Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03876431077988656209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7331606510829330077.post-32234217563168667472008-12-13T14:42:00.000-08:002008-12-13T14:42:00.000-08:00Hi Kelly,Thank you for the encouraging remark. I d...Hi Kelly,<BR/><BR/>Thank you for the encouraging remark. I don't post much on this blog, so thank you for reading it!<BR/><BR/>I will think of your question more, but a general answer is that the West needs to be more like it was in the medieval period, ie, Christendom. Christendom was a religious-political community that had a somewhat united voice and was able to consider both religious and secular realities and speak of them to the Muslim world. It made sense to Muslims, even when they did not like what they heard.<BR/><BR/>Peace.<BR/><BR/>Abu DaoudAbu Daoudhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18399746942963002389noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7331606510829330077.post-16182523711019423742008-12-12T16:32:00.000-08:002008-12-12T16:32:00.000-08:00Yes! Again, Abu, I am not at all on your or your ...Yes! Again, Abu, I am not at all on your or your collegues' level of study or thinking (I'm just a regular gal thinking about the world), but ever since the mess started with Sadaam Hussein (sp?) during Bush 1's presidency there has been an assumption that political and military action/discussion could solve the "problem". I have never believed that political/military action can truly resolve any issues between Islam and everybody else, because Islam is not just a religion (as you state in your post)...it is the identity of the people in every aspect of their lives. You stated it very well. I'm going to read your post again, so that I can share these thoughts more coherently than I've been able to in the past. Thank you! By the way, what about a post on how to negotiate/deal (for lack of better terms) with Muslim nations to bring about some sort of healthy dialogue/cooperation with non-Muslim nations? Or is it not possible?Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03876431077988656209noreply@blogger.com