gdp's Comments

Baha’i Rants : Time for Ruhi to Show Us the Money: Part II

Fri, 1 May 2009 20:20:46 +0000

No problem. I've noticed a fair amount of negativitiy in reply to your posts, but I've found them to be insightful and well reasoned. I figure it never hurts to have a word of encouragement every now and then.

Baha’i Rants : Time for Ruhi to Show Us the Money: Part II

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:51:51 +0000

I've only read a few, but so far, I really appreciate your comments and perspectives.

Baha’i Rants : Time for Ruhi to Show Us the Money: Part II

Thu, 30 Apr 2009 18:45:45 +0000

I wholeheartily support your efforts to investigate the truth, but I wonder if it might be done in a more gentle tone. Consort with all men, O people of Bahá, in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship. If ye be aware of a certain truth, if ye possess a jewel, of which others are deprived, share it with them in a language of utmost kindliness and good-will. If it be accepted, if it fulfil its purpose, your object is attained. If any one should refuse it, leave him unto himself, and beseech God to guide him. Beware lest ye deal unkindly with him. A kindly tongue is the lodestone of the hearts of men. It is the bread of the spirit, it clotheth the words with meaning, it is the fountain of the light of wisdom and understanding.... ([Bahá’í] Gleanings from the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh, CXXXII:5)

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:36:46 +0000

My point in all these, is to show that, even in Islam, children are not to be harmed. Those who do so, like those who are Christians and abusers, are not following the dictates of their faith or the directions of their prophet. Besides, it doesn't make sense if you want to pass your faith along. Short lived is the faith that condones abuse of children, as the fewer children you have, the less likely they are to carry on the family traditions. When the people on here are right about something, I freely admit it. My opinion about a particular topic has been changed on more than one occasion after someone presented a logical argument. But this particular accusation doesn't make sense.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:27:30 +0000

[17.31] And do not kill your children for fear of poverty; We give them sustenance and yourselves (too); surely to kill them is a great wrong. [18.46] Wealth and children are an adornment of the life of this world; and the ever-abiding, the good works, are better with your Lord in reward and better in expectation. [60.12] O Prophet! when believing women come to you giving you a pledge that they will not associate aught with Allah, and will not steal, and will not commit fornication, and will not kill their children, and will not bring a calumny which they have forged of themselves, and will not disobey you in what is good, accept their pledge, and ask forgiveness for them from Allah; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:22:40 +0000

[6.140] They are lost indeed who kill their children foolishly without knowledge, and forbid.what Allah has given to them forging a lie against Allah; they have indeed gone astray, and they are not the followers of the right course. [6.151] Say: Come I will recite what your Lord has forbidden to you-- (remember) that you do not associate anything with Him and show kindness to your parents, and do not slay your children for (fear of) poverty-- We provide for you and for them-- and do not draw nigh to indecencies, those of them which are apparent and those which are concealed, and do not kill the soul which Allah has forbidden except for the requirements of justice; this He has enjoined you with that you may understand.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 18:22:24 +0000

Then one can make the same argument regarding child abuse in other countries with large majorities of a particular religion. In 2002 over 2.25 million children in America alone suffered neglect. That's not a small number, even in a country of 306billion. If there are that many in America, how many are their in other countries that are dominated by Christians? Why is it ok to make the link between Islam and abuse, but not any other religion and abuse? What's good for the goose, eh? Just as abuse cannot solely be connected to belief in Christianity, you cannot logically make the connection to abuse in Islam. Show me in the Koran where it says you should starve your children?

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: Syrian Islamic scholar: "Democracy runs counter to Islam on several issues"

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:49:26 +0000

The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom. - Baha'u'llah - Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:31:43 +0000

Please see my response to Pathoslogos above.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:31:20 +0000

Please see my response to PathosLogos below.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:30:59 +0000

Please see my response to PathosLogos below.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:30:20 +0000

My aim was not to make a correlation between child abuse and Christianity. My aim is to show that there is not enough evidence to support the idea that because one is Muslim, you are more likely to abuse your children. There are many factors that contribute to child abuse, as Sorrow01 points out, such as poverty, drug abuse and mental illness. These issues cross religious lines. Certainly, institutionalized abuse is more of a problem as a result of the prevelance of autocratic regimes and the mysoginistic, patriarchal culture in the Islamic world, coupled with huge disparities in distribution of wealth and access to education. But there is not enough evidence to support the idea that Islam specifically encourages individual parents to abuse their children or deprive them of essential needs. It was not my intent at all to disparage Christianity, or to let Islam completely off the hook. Islamic society has a hell of a lot of catching up to do to counter both domestic and childhood abuse among any number of other humanitarian issues. But being a child abuser is no more the result of being a Muslim than it is of being a member of any other faith.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Deluded" French Muslim starves, beats his eight children

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 19:25:01 +0000

I'll be the first to admit that there are all sorts of problems in the Islamic world that need to be confronted. Abuse of children is certainly one of them. However, if this kind of neglect is endemic to Islam, why is it so prevelant in the US, where the majority are Christian? http://pediatrics.about.com/od/childabuse/a/05_ab... (from the article) Each week, child protective services (CPS) agencies throughout the United States receive more than 50,000 reports of suspected child abuse or neglect. In 2002, 2.6 million reports concerning the welfare of approximately 4.5 million children were made. More than half (60 percent) of victims experienced neglect, meaning a caretaker failed to provide for the child's basic needs. In 2002, one-half of all victims were White (54 percent), one-quarter were African American (26 percent), and one-tenth (11 percent) were Hispanic. American Indian or Alaska Native children accounted for 2 percent of victims, and Asian-Pacific Islanders accounted for 1 percent of victims.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Death to the slaves of Christians": Afghan men hurl stones at women protesting rape la

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:43:49 +0000

They actually cover a fair amount of what robert reports...not all, but a fair amount.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Death to the slaves of Christians": Afghan men hurl stones at women protesting rape la

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 15:43:15 +0000

I disagree with his assesment. If it weren't for valient acts, my faith would not exist. Muslims are indeed human, and can be influenced by acts of bravery such as shown by the women in that protest. "O people of God! Do not busy yourselves in your own concerns; let your thoughts be fixed upon that which will rehabilitate the fortunes of mankind and sanctify the hearts and souls of men. This can best be achieved through pure and holy deeds, through a virtuous life and a goodly behavior. Valiant acts will ensure the triumph of this Cause, and a saintly character will reinforce its power. Cleave unto righteousness, O people of Baha! This, verily, is the commandment which this wronged One hath given unto you, and the first choice of His unrestrained Will for every one of you. (Baha'u'llah, Gleanings from the Writings of Baha'u'llah, p. 93)

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: Syrian Islamic scholar: "Democracy runs counter to Islam on several issues"

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:39:45 +0000

I suspect Mr. Bakkar has not actually read our constitution.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Death to the slaves of Christians": Afghan men hurl stones at women protesting rape la

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:08:08 +0000

Interesting. You have a sharp eye. I hadn't even noticed. To me, that represents two things...first, that despite the claims of those who protested against them, they are not anti-Islam, and doing their best to maintain modesty...the second, is that they live in a society so bereft of education and enlightenment that they must fear reprisal if they don't maintain their modesty by covering up completely. These are VERY VERY brave women. Their bravery will not go unrewarded. Others will see their bravery and will be inspired to follow suit.

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Death to the slaves of Christians": Afghan men hurl stones at women protesting rape la

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:32:27 +0000

Huffingtonpost has an article with photos on the protest. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/15/afghans-...

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: "Death to the slaves of Christians": Afghan men hurl stones at women protesting rape la

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 14:23:24 +0000

I will make sure we pray for them at tonights devotionals. That area needs all the help it can get. Not just prayer, but education and security as well. “Man is the supreme Talisman. Lack of a proper education hath, however, deprived him of that which he doth inherently possess. Through a word proceeding out of the mouth of God he was called into being; by one word more he was guided to recognize the Source of his education; by yet another word his station and destiny were safeguarded. The Great Being saith: Regard man as a mine rich in gems of inestimable value. Education can, alone, cause it to reveal its treasures, and enable mankind to benefit therefrom.” - Baha'u'llah

Jihad Watch : Jihad Watch: Taliban kill young couple for eloping

Wed, 15 Apr 2009 00:11:32 +0000

The UN, as it is structured now, is completely ineffective. The founder of the Baha'i Faith actually calls for collective security structure in which nations not only protect the rights of their citizens, but if they fail to do so, the other nations have an obligation to ensure that rogue nation changes it's tune and protects the rights of its people, through military force if necessary. That is the ideal of the UN, but because of the way it is set up, it is pretty worthless. Things look tough now, but they will change. People are starting to take real notice of these types of abuses without having to rely on main stream media and the press. It is becoming increasingly difficult for groups like the Taliban or governments like most of those in the middle east to be able to hide these types of actions. Take what happened to the Baha'is in Egypt as an example. Robert posted about their homes being burned. But because of those news articles, now Egyptians are visiting the Baha'i international website in droves. In fact, they are second only to visitors from the USA. The more we are persecuted, the more people are drawn to the Faith.