you give all belief systems equal weight? one cannot be more developed and sophisticated than the other?
It's a good place to start from, one where we acknowledge that it's possible any/all belief systems are equally as likely as any other to be valid/true. That goes for atheism (even though this is a complete lack of belief), Islam, Xianity, Scientology, Judaism, Buddhism, etc....
Beginning from this position we can think about and discuss the sophistication each system of belief has to offer.
How's that sound? Calmer?
Take the time I was speaking with the Buddhist Priest in Japan. I said I don't believe in an afterlife, or karma, or even Buddha to be honest. He said I might be right. I even asked some other Buddhists independently, they said the same.
Think of it as the fair go you give a new person you've just met. Do you think: This guys' Indian, I will like him, but I will not like the Chinese guy because Chinese are inferior. No way, we don't think like that. Or, at least in multicultural societies, we shouldn't. AFTER we meet the person, yeah, we my find we really get on, or not.
How on Earth is it intolerant bigotry?
Did you know that White Supremacists WASP say the exact same thing. How on earth can calling for the peaceful co-existence of separate races be intolerant bigotry? How on earth can the peaceful co-existence of separate belief systems be intolerant bigotry?
We (Whites) desire to live in our own neighborhoods, go to our own schools, work in our own cities and towns, and ultimately live as one extended family in our own nation. We shall end the racial genocide of integration. We shall work for the eventual establishment of a separate homeland for African Americans, so each race will be free to pursue its own destiny without racial conflicts and ill will.
See, he thinks exactly like your Sura. Each to their own. White's with Whites, Blacks with Black.
What do you think about that? Seem fair enough? Or, does it seem like something is wrong somewhere? What do you think about White Supremacy? How does it feel when you hear a WASP telling his Kids that Arabs and Blacks and
Persians are
inherently inferior races? How does it make a Hindu feel when she hears you telling your kids that Hindus and Buddhist are
inherently sinful/inferior belief systems?
Did it really shock us when a group WASP egg-heads murdered a pregnant Portuguese woman riding home on the train a few months back (apparently they thought she was Arab). And yet year the paragraph: WASPs aren't calling for violence. And yeah, 99.9 out of 100 WASPs are pretty peaceful otherwise decent hard working good honest people, who simply don't want a mixing of their Superior White Race with the Lesser inferior sinful Races. They want their "Perfect" White Race to be left "Pure". AND YET..... that woman was murdered for be a mistaken Arab.
Hmmmm.... must be a one off hey? OR, just maybe, there's something about being an intolerant ass-wipe that brings out the worst in some people. Sadly, an unnecessary intolerance at that.
Think about those ideas: Pure race. Perfect race. Pure Islam. Perfect Qur'an.
ARE these unnecessary intolerance?
Why is it, do you suppose, all those hundreds of Ahmadiyya Muslims were murdered in Pakistan? Why is it that the majority of the Indonesian Muslim public are calling for Ahmadiyya Muslim's belief to be made
illegal? Why is it that Sufi Muslims were murdered last week? It must seem shocking to you - given your Sura. Each to their own. Just as shocking as it is to David Duke, when he hears of a WASP skin-head White Supremest killing a pregnant Portuguese women on a train.
Yet, I don't find it at all perplexing. You know, when you think about it, it's not at all shocking is it? I'm sure you know exactly what motives more than 80% of Indonesian Muslims to call for Ahmadiyya Muslim's to be jailed for the crime of their
Sinful faith. You're not surprised at all are you? Me neither.
I mean, you yourself have labeled these other faiths as
Sinful. Implying of course there is something inherently wrong with their faith. As a matter of fact, the world would be a better place without these sinful faiths, would it not? It'd be a better world if everyone where Muslim? Yes? WASPs think the same way about the other races.
But again all of this irrelevant in terms of coexistance. Despite theological differences it doesn't mean we can't infact find common ground, that they don't do good in the world and or that we can't coexist.
Just remember, this week alone, close to 100 Sufi were murdered because of these ideas that YOU perpetuate. There is only One True God, One True Book and One True Last Prophet. Think about your ideology. Can you see how it's intolerant and bigoted? Can't you see how that has led directly to the murder of these people? And for what? Why? Just to perpetuate more intolerance. One God, One Book, One Prophet. Unnecessary intolerances every one of them, yet here we are, another 100 people murdered over them AGAIN - sad isn't it?
I then responded by saying no and the question I was mainly responding to was will they enter paradise and is their faith according to Islam equal to Islam, the answer is obviously no. Polytheism is a sin (see: shirk). However this doesn't mean we can't find common ground, that they don't do good within the world or that we can't coexist. I'm sorry, I'm not Baha'i. I didn't say anything about their philosophies nor did I say they were inferior per se more that with Islamic theology polytheism is a sin and thus adhering to and worshiping other gods other than the one God would bar one from entry into paradise. That was your question, will polytheists and those whom don't worship God enter paradise? I said no, I also pointed out that the righteous members of ahl al-kitab ("people of the book") namely Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians will enter paradise.
I'm curious. If you were to tell us one thing you have learned from studying the Qur'an. Something that you personally consider an
Islamically enlightened position on the human condition, something that is from Allah and is not expressed in the other "human" mundane theologies (such as
sinful Buddhism or
flawed Christianity as they ponder the human condition) - what would that something be?
Actually, I can. Also, given the fact that any answer I give is automatically wrong and that you are saying that coexistance is not possible with Islam and that our philosophy is wrong and so forth, are you not infact saying Atheist philosophy and Atheism is superior? Do you not infact believe that Atheist philosophy is superior to Theist philosophy and that the idea and belief in God is not only wrong but deserving of ridicule? Are you no infact saying Islamic philosophy is inferior? Isn't "to each their own," under the backdrop of supremecy, intolerant bigotry in your opinion?
I said, you may be right. Islam may be true. Though I can't believe Islam. I can concede that point. I can no more believe Islam than you can believe Xenu or change your eye color. See, it's impossible for me just ,as it's impossible for you to believe in Xenu. Funny that, if you stop to think about it, your perpetuating a belief system that teaches eternal damnation for people not being able to believe in Allah. Why not make it blue eyes instead and be done with the charades? It'd be easier. That way when people are murdered for their blue eyes you can turn to your sura and say,
hey!? 
- I like visiting Temples to various Gods. In particular I like nature deities. I like the rituals and the aesthetics.
- I actually do not think atheism is a good ideology for the general populace. At least not at this time. People don't seem to thrive as well under atheism as they do under theism.
- Sure, Islam was probably perfectly fine for people living in a little village somewhere on the coast of the Arabian peninsula 600 years ago. But, that's not the world we live in today.
- Teaching people intolerant belief systems, such as yours, is
not good in a multicultural world. But, also, teaching people a atheist belief system such as mine is also not good at this level of social development.
- So? What to do? Well, IMO, we need something totally new. While that isn't going to happen any time soon, we should, for now, at least work to educate people NOT to fall for these intolerance perpetuating memes like Perfect, Pure, Only, Sinful, Race. I think a pantheon of Gods and Goddesses would be one way to go as that at least injects a high level of tolerance. Or, alternatively, a pantheon of Aliens? Whichever. From my POV it seems Buddhism and Polytheism would be a good starting place. Buddhism having a lot of philosophical perspectives to offer any polytheism.
Kinda like the Jewish kapos who monitored the camps in Auschwitz or the torturers who run the rendition camps for the CIA. Its not the fault of the Germans or Americans. They are only providing the weapons, infrastructure and political backing. The real bad guys are those doing the down and dirty. In this case, because they're muslims. Or cubans. Or japs. Or gooks. Or reds. Or spics. Or kikes. Or ...
No, that's not quite right. More like removing the police (Saddam) from South-side LA (Iraq) and watching the Bloods -vs- Crips gang violence erupt (Sunni -vs- Shia) from the safety of a drone (yes, a drone).
The USA needs oil and may be in the start of the death throws - Iran has a lot of oil. As you know, after the Roman Republic fell, the Roman Empire lived on and people greatly prospered. I don't think the USA is going to become an Empire, but, more war seems inevitable. Unfortunately.
