Wednesday, October 31, 2012

John Quincy Adams on Islam

President John Quincy Adams in 1830, on Islam:

In the seventh century of the Christian era, a wandering Arab of the lineage of Hagar, the Egyptian, combining the powers of transcendent genius, with the preternatural energy of a fanatic, and the fraudulent spirit of an impostor, proclaimed himself as a messenger from Heaven, and spread desolation and delusion over an extensive portion of the earth. Adopting from the sublime conception of the Mosaic law, the doctrine of one omnipotent God; he connected indissolubly with it, the audacious falsehood, that he was himself his prophet and apostle. Adopting from the new Revelation of Jesus, the faith and hope of immortal life, and of future retribution, he humbled it to the dust, by adapting all the rewards and sanctions of his religion to the gratification of the sexual passion. He poisoned the sources of human felicity at the fountain, by degrading the condition of the female sex, and the allowance of polygamy; and he declared undistinguishing and exterminating war, as a part of his religion, against all the rest of mankind. THE ESSENCE OF HIS DOCTRINE WAS VIOLENCE AND LUST: TO EXALT THE BRUTAL OVER THE SPIRITUAL PART OF HUMAN NATURE.

Between these two religions, thus contrasted in their characters, a war of twelve hundred years has already raged. That war is yet flagrant; nor can it cease but by the extinction of that imposture, which has been permitted by Providence to prolong the degeneracy of man. While the merciless and dissolute dogmas of the false prophet shall furnish motives to human action, there can never be peace upon earth, and good will towards men. The hand of Ishmael will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him... [capitals in original].
The precept of the koran is, perpetual war against all who deny, that Mahomet is the prophet of God. The vanquished may purchase their lives, by the payment of tribute; the victorious may be appeased by a false and delusive promise of peace; and the faithful follower of the prophet, may submit to the imperious necessities of defeat: but the command to propagate the Moslem creed by the sword is always obligatory, when it can be made effective. The commands of the prophet may be performed alike, by fraud, or by force.
The fundamental doctrine of the Christian religion, is the extirpation of hatred from the human heart. It forbids the exercise of it, even towards enemies. There is no denomination of Christians, which denies or misunderstands this doctrine. All understand it alike—all acknowledge its obligations; and however imperfectly, in the purposes of Divine Providence, its efficacy has been shown in the practice of Christians, it has not been wholly inoperative upon them. Its effect has been upon the manners of nations. It has mitigated the horrors of war—it has softened the features of slavery—it has humanized the intercourse of social life. The unqualified acknowledgement of a duty does not, indeed, suffice to insure its performance. Hatred is yet a passion, but too powerful upon the hearts of Christians. Yet they cannot indulge it, except by the sacrifice of their principles, and the conscious violation of their duties. No state paper from a Christian hand, could, without trampling the precepts of its Lord and Master, have commenced by an open proclamation of hatred to any portion of the human race. The Ottoman lays it down as the foundation of his discourse.

Islam is based, historically and theologically, on hatred and violence. It has spread only by war, and is today the source-- from Tunisia to Libya to Egypt to Darfur to Gaza to Syria to Afghanistan to Iran-- of a disproportionate share of human misery, exceeded only by National Socialism (of which Islam was an enthusiastic ally) and State Atheism in the modern world.

We need to speak truthfully about Islam, just as we need to speak truthfully about the horror of Nazism and atheism in power. The fervent struggle by Muslims to muzzle freedom of speech and freedom of religion is evidence that they understand the vulnerability of their ideology in the free exchange of ideas among free men.

6 comments:

  1. Christianity and Islam are the most similar of the major religions. The beliefs of the Fundamentalists of both religions are in lockstep. They do not believe in gay rights, birth control, separation of church and state, women’s’ rights, global warming, and population control. They do believe in religious wars, the death penalty, and corporal punishment of children. Luckily their hatred of each other prevents them from presenting a unified fundamentalist political front.

    -KW

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  2. "Fundamentalist" is a term that refers to protestant Christians who take the Old and New Testament literally. It dates to the early 20th century.

    Islamist is the term that refers to violent Muslim radicals who endorse the killing of innocents and perpetual jihad.

    Fundamentalists and Islamists have virtually nothing in common.

    If anything, the kind of government instituted by Islamists has a vague semblance to State Atheism-- complete control of everyday life by one Party, gratuitous violence, perpetual state of war, etc.

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  3. KW,
    Your lazy, simplistic view of religion is evident again.

    "They do not believe in gay rights, birth control, separation of church and state, women’s’ rights, global warming, and population control."
    Gay rights? Christian (and the only Jewish) countries have them. Muslim countries do not.
    Birth control?
    You may want to look that up, KW. Most Christian churches have no issue with the responsible use of birth control. We are ALL against promiscuity. Maybe that is your beef. In Christian countries you can legally buy birth control. Muslim countries? That varies. They do practice polygamy and 'temporary marriage' though.
    Separation of Church and State?
    Christianity: 'Render unto Caesar'.
    Islam has no such teachings.
    Women's rights?
    Remind in which nations did suffragist rise? China? Japan? Arabia? No...London rings a bell. In fact London rings a lot of bells from it's STEEPLES.
    Funny... NO MENTION OF CIVIL RIGHTS???
    Anyway on we go...
    Global warming? This is really a kind of WTF comment. Neither religion has any scripture that denies the modern AGW movement. None. They just don't support it. Most people don't. It is a shoddy pseudo scientific movement. Interesting you did not use the phrase 'climate change'.
    Population control? Again, most FREE people disagree with population control. Only elitists and their sycophants feel that humans should be bread and culled like cattle. A religion that did not would not be worth anything.

    "They do believe in religious wars, the death penalty, and corporal punishment of children."
    Religious wars? Christianity has not fought a religious conflict in over 400 years, and even then much of it defensive or distractionary (ie the Crusades and the Reconquest of Iberia and the Isles).
    Islam is engaged in Jihad today.
    The death penalty? WHAT? Almost every Christian I have EVER known does not support the death penalty - including myself.
    Also, the Churches STAND AGAINST it. Islamic law includes the death penalty for things like homosexuality, adultery (often the victim of rape), and atheism.
    Corporal punishment for kids? What the hell does that have to do with anything?
    Spanking etc is an issue for parents to decide. Personally, I see nothing wrong with it, if it is done out of love and in a calm frame of mind. In many ways it seems more humane than the indoctrination techniques offered up by many parents, or the 'grounding' of children for weeks etc. That said, I have never practices it with my kids. Never felt the need.

    Finally...
    "Luckily their hatred of each other prevents them from presenting a unified fundamentalist political front."
    The Islamic powers do not just hate Christians.
    We're just the competition that bites back.
    In fact, we are the lesser evil: 'People of the book'. We can live, so long as we submit.
    The truth is they hate our civilization for many reasons (some of them quite understandable), but one reason I have heard over and over again RIGHT FROM THE MOUTH of our enemies is for 'tolerating' people like YOU whom they describe as 'Godless Mongols' and the more tame 'Jerry Springer people'.

    Really, KW. Stop being so lazy.

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  4. Oh look! Egnor lies about atheism. Again.

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  5. Islam base on historically and theologically on peace and humility. Its spread fast than any other religions.umrah packages 2013

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  6. It's often helpful to have the original source document, so as to give naysayers the reason for them to be silent.
    https://ia600404.us.archive.org/10/items/p1americanannual29blunuoft/p1americanannual29blunuoft.pdf
    Look on page 274-5 of the pdf document.

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