https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4d8op0Z9yk
The Germans need a leader with a good beard, and not a silly half mustache, either.
This is informative, but nothing here makes Islam special. Christians have been living in the end times for thousands of years. You can see the influence of Christian end times prophecies in American politics today, such as in its unwavering, unconditional support for Israel. In Christian end times mythology, all the nations surrounding Israel will attack Jerusalem. This, of course, makes all the Muslim-majority nations surrounding Israel to the bad guys. American involvement in the Middle East has done nothing but make things worse. Bible thumpers like the Trump administration taking a clearly biased approach to peace negotiations definitely doesn't help either. Because of Christian end times prophecies, people are motivated to be antagonistic against Muslims, often without cause. Even some nonbelievers such as yourself have bought into that irrational antagonistic fear.
At home in America, Christian fundamentalists also live in constant fear of the Anti-Christ, and that does affect politics. Since the moment Obama started running for office to the moment he left, Christians considered him to be the Anti-Christ. Since Obama leaving office, none of them have admitted to being wrong about that. End times prophecies are convenient that way. It's always wrong, but the multitude of failed predictions are just ignored. Part of the reason Christians always think it's the end times is because of Jesus' vague description of when the end of days will come. When asked about this, Jesus basically said, "I don't know. You won't know either. But even though you won't see it coming, I'm going to give you some signs so that you know when it is coming: War, famine, natural disasters. You know, all that stuff that has been going on since the beginning of human civilization? Oh, and some of you will still be alive when I come back, but be sure to reinterpret or ignore that part thousands of years from now, when you're all clearly dead."
Quote from: Blackleaf on October 13, 2018, 02:07:10 PM
This is informative, but nothing here makes Islam special. Christians have been living in the end times for thousands of years. You can see the influence of Christian end times prophecies in American politics today, such as in its unwavering, unconditional support for Israel. In Christian end times mythology, all the nations surrounding Israel will attack Jerusalem. This, of course, makes all the Muslim-majority nations surrounding Israel to the bad guys. American involvement in the Middle East has done nothing but make things worse. Bible thumpers like the Trump administration taking a clearly biased approach to peace negotiations definitely doesn't help either. Because of Christian end times prophecies, people are motivated to be antagonistic against Muslims, often without cause. Even some nonbelievers such as yourself have bought into that irrational antagonistic fear.
At home in America, Christian fundamentalists also live in constant fear of the Anti-Christ, and that does affect politics. Since the moment Obama started running for office to the moment he left, Christians considered him to be the Anti-Christ. Since Obama leaving office, none of them have admitted to being wrong about that. End times prophecies are convenient that way. It's always wrong, but the multitude of failed predictions are just ignored. Part of the reason Christians always think it's the end times is because of Jesus' vague description of when the end of days will come. When asked about this, Jesus basically said, "I don't know. You won't know either. But even though you won't see it coming, I'm going to give you some signs so that you know when it is coming: War, famine, natural disasters. You know, all that stuff that has been going on since the beginning of human civilization? Oh, and some of you will still be alive when I come back, but be sure to reinterpret or ignore that part thousands of years from now, when you're all clearly dead."
The answer is simple. There are no actual "end times" predictable by any theism.
Intellectuals think that everything is an intellectual exercise. Hammer meet nail. Concern for one's future is about psychology, not about epistemology.
Quote from: Baruch on October 14, 2018, 07:52:02 AM
Intellectuals think that everything is an intellectual exercise. Hammer meet nail. Concern for one's future is about psychology, not about epistemology.
Nice. You want to use real words?
Quote from: Cavebear on October 14, 2018, 09:06:18 AM
Nice. You want to use real words?
As opposed to the inarticulate grunts you make?
Quote from: Baruch on October 14, 2018, 09:47:47 AM
As opposed to the inarticulate grunts you make?
You are useless to any intelligent discussion. I don't know why I try.
Quote from: Cavebear on October 14, 2018, 10:58:45 AM
You are useless to any intelligent discussion. I don't know why I try.
Ad hominem-r-us? Is that how you treated people at work? I hope not.
Quote from: Baruch on October 14, 2018, 01:35:42 PM
Ad hominem-r-us? Is that how you treated people at work? I hope not.
Nah, Only one person at work was as smart as you are and she and I agreed on most things.
Quote from: Cavebear on October 14, 2018, 02:53:49 PM
Nah, Only one person at work was as smart as you are and she and I agreed on most things.
In underlying ethos, you and I also agree on most things. It is an age, generation, circumstance thing.