Evangelical Christianity has no record of persecutions in Europe whatsoever. That's just blatantly false.
I don't care which flavour of Christianity you're a part of. Christian history is Christian history. Anyway, lets have a brief look at some of the proud moments of Christianity in North America (a particularly succesful breeding ground for Evangelicalism):
1.) Genocide and ethnic cleansing of Native Americans.
2.) Slavery
3.) Institutionalised persecuation and oppression of racial minorities till the latter parts of the 20th Century (the persecution of African Americans had a religious justification)
They were the victims, not the persecutors, and over the centuries, the Evangelical and Anabaptist view as well as that of the original Christians in the first 300 years have become the norm for everyone in this area, and the Catholic heresy of persecutions as justifiable has faded away.
blablabla.... More of the same argumentative fallacy. Catholics are in fact Christians, whether you agree with their beliefs or not.
Can you say there is something similar within Islam for us to hope for reform? Were the original Muslims eschewing state religion and advocating freedom of religion, even to convert from Islam?
Your personal incredulity and ignorance is no argument. Reform will come, its unavoidable. Christianity has been effectively neutered in the West (Europe mainly), by Secularism, and this has been the real catalyst for the development of the modern liberal societies here. Where was this idea of religious freedom in Dark Age Europe? Have you tried comparing the religious freedoms in the Muslim World at the time compared to Europe? Pretty much debunks this senseless thesis of your.
Is that sort of acceptance of personal liberty something that has a strong root in Islam such that there is a clear wing within Islam from it's first leaders to the present whereby we can expect reform?
I find it amusing that the Americans who love trumpeting about freedom the most are themselves the biggest threat to freedom in your country (yes, thats the bible belt fascists). The problem with your entire case against Islam is that it depends on a purposeful and conspicuous contortion of Islamic history. I fully admit that the Muslim World is behind on many levels, but the real threat to progress and reformation in the Muslim world at the moment is the inequitable American interference as its a boon to the extremist elements. But regardless there are few Muslim Democracies that need to be mentioned (I've listed the populations as well):
1.) azerbaijan - 8 million
2.) Bangladesh - 148 million
3.) Indonesia - 245 million
4.) Malaysia - 70 million
5.) Mali - 12 million
5.) pakistan - 165 million (Pakistan is currently under a secular , miltary dictatorship, but I mention it as it has an extensive history of democracy)
6.) Turkey - 70 million
Add that up and you get around 720 million, more than half the entire Muslim population in the World. I agree that they cannot be compared to your average western democracy, but they're still young and I'm hopeful. The problems is fear and injustice are valuable comodities to the Religious demagogues, and any kind of widespread, significant reformation cannot take place in such conditions.
Edited by Isana Kadeb, : No reason given.
Edited by Isana Kadeb, : No reason given.
Edited by Isana Kadeb, : grammar
Edited by Isana Kadeb, : No reason given.
Edited by Isana Kadeb, : added a bit
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