Anyways here is an update of the rebellious laptop. RIP May 25, 2009 Macbook Pro.

Any law that permits this to take place in the first place is unjust and contrary to all civilized societies. The whole muslim world should be condemning this, right? If we all agree that this is wrong, then isn’t it wrong that they’re are not condemning it and seeking to bring about change?

I have seen change and rejection of these types of values in the Muslim world. In Iraq, the Sunnis eventually had enough of the Al Qaeda jihadis and rose up against their brand of Islamic fundamentalist rule. I want to see Islam change. There are a number of Muslims that live in my community–they go to school, own businesses, raise families. They are good people and they are a benefit to my community and to my country.

I am of the opinion that religious fundamentalism–Christian, Muslim, Zionist, or otherwise–is generally a bad thing because ultimately fundamentalists come to the position that their way is the only way.

As you can probably tell from my last name, I am of Irish descent (also part Hungarian and Lithuanian–quite a combo, eh?). I grew up Irish-Catholic, went to Catholic school for part of my elementary education. I haven’t been in the confession booth in nearly 20 years and haven’t been to mass in about 4 years. I am not particularly religious one way or the other.

I think you have to give institutions and individuals credit when they change and right past wrongs. I can still condemn the sexual abuse that occurred in the Catholic church (and we all know it doesn’t only happen in Catholicism!) and also applaud the church for its changes.

Change can happen. Unfortunately, I don’t see a peaceful solution for the Islamic fundamentalist problem. Pakistan is moving towards disintegration or, at the very least, capitulation to Islamic fundamentalism (see, Musharraf wasn’t that bad–the devil you know is better than the one you don’t). It makes me long for the days that the Soviets pointed thousands of missiles at us (well, I guess they still do). The world, ironically, was a much more safer place then than it is now.

It’s also very cute how you dismiss the sexual abuse argument in Christianity by saying “yeah well, we ended up changing, so that’s ok”.
First of all, it took a long time for that change to happen. What’s your reference point? Modern times? World War II? The beginning of the religion? By my calculations, it took them about 2000 years to get there, so Islam still has 700 years left to “change”. Ridiculous? Yes it is. You can’t just say “oh well we had it for a long time but we changed so it’s ok, but for those guys it’s not and they have to change RIGHT NOW”. It just doesn’t work that way, no matter how unacceptable these things are. Real change takes time, if you try to force it, it won’t stick.

And second, the point isn’t even that the church did change, the point is that when the sexual abuse was still happening, you probably wouldn’t have condemned and judged the whole western world for it. Which is what you’re doing with Islam today.
Let me illustrate that further: if your parents are Christians (I’m not assuming they are), would you have had the same feelings towards them in the 70s that you have towards Muslims today?
I’m just trying to point out, again, that things aren’t as simple as you make them out to be.

Yes, it is judgmental. But, I believe it is correct. In my mind, I cannot justify accepting the forced marriage of an eight year old girl to any person, let alone a man old enough to be her grandfather. It is wrong no matter one looks at it (unless, apparently, you are a Muslim who happens to believe that the Koran permits this type of practice). I am not going to attempt to understand the motivation or rationale for it because it is wrong on so many levels and is contrary to basic human decency and basic human rights. If the world is going to get along, there has to be some kind of standard of decency which transcends cultural, religious, societal and legal boundaries.

Yes, the Catholic church was slow to change. But it did change. It took the United States eighty years to bring an end to slavery and another hundred years to bring about the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. Christianity had its reformation. Islam, in my opinion, is ripe for one as well.

Second, the condemnation of the sexual abuses by the Catholic church only officially came in recent years. Before that, they would just move the offending priests around and pretend like it didn’t happen. Certainly you didn’t condemn the whole church and all religious people in the 70s or 80s for it.

And third… please don’t use caps like this. The only effect is that we get the impression you’re screaming to make your point, which really really doesn’t help. I’m not being snotty, it’s just that you’re being very judgmental to begin with, and yelling doesn’t enforce your judgment, it just devalues your argument.

Ok, one last thing: if you are so keen on condemning and putting pressure on Saudi Arabia for those unspeakable actions, then I can actually commend you for it. If you put your money where your mouth is. Here’s a suggestion that might actually mean something: tomorrow, ride your bike to work instead of driving there. Not that easy, right? Yeah, as I said: shades of gray…

At least, finally, the Catholic church came forward and lifted the veil about sexual abuse, settled with the victims and condemned the actions of the priests who committed the abuse.

This is a prime example of the huge chasm in cultural and societal values between the Islamic world and the West. In America, undoubtedly, there are girls who are finding themselves in similar situation in religious cults, be they the David Koresh types, fundamental mormon polygamy, etc. The difference between here and Saudi Arabia is that it is ILLEGAL to engage in such behavior and there are CONSEQUENCES for violating the law. Where I live in New Mexico, there was recently a leader of a radical christian sect who was seducing teenage girls. You know where he is now? In prison. In Saudi Arabia, had he been a Muslim male, apparently all he would’ve had to go through was a divorce proceeding.

All this is permitted in Saudi Arabia by Sharia, the Islamic law. If this is the case, then this type of Islam is wrong, unjust, and uncivilized. We need the good Muslims of the world to rise up and end this type of behavior and bring Islam into the 21st Century. Let it really be the religion of peace, tolerance and goodwill as it claims to be, as I see many good Muslims actually practicing instead of the cult of death and reactionary thinking that the fundamentalists have turned it into. When I see that happening, my criticism of the Islamic religion as a whole will cease.