Perhaps it’s a matter of empowerment: what changes Muslims feel the have the power to effect. Christianity, for example, has been dealt the same emasculation the modern age heralds, but has had about 300 years to deal with the changes; where there weren’t widespread massacres, opponents of the Church fought with Reason and logic.

What’s different is that the Muslim world (if such a monolithic entity exists) has been thrust face-first into the Industrial age without so much as a by-your-leave. Maybe therein lies the root of the problem?

As for problems inherent in the religion of Islam, I think the same can be said for Judaism and Old Testament Christianity, but then again, I believe that’s a function of the times in which these religions first took root and flourished. I’ve sometimes said, in previous posts, how this opinion should offend Muslims, and I’ve apologized before. However, I don’t think Muslims see what’s so offensive about what I’ve said.

The truth is, if you’re willing to accept that much of the tenets of the Muslim faith arose in the cauldron of war and conflict during prophet Muhammad’s time, and therefore believe that such tenets would look very different in our modern age, then Muslims will have to accept that the “truth” are not “truths” with capital “T’s” - they are not timeless. And if not timeless, and subject to revision, then these tenets fail as the final arbiter of what they prescribe - in law, morality and practice.

I’ll have to point out, though, that it is a weakness that almost all religions face. I’m not sure about religions with a more mystical bent, like Hinduism, for example.

Islam seems to have been corrupted by manipulative forces not unlike those of a cult. Muslims seem very insecure. If not, why are they always so quick to defend themselves (YET, do nothing when their more fanatical Muslim brothers maim, kill, destroy and hate). If not, why do they FORCE people into converting to Islam, or preventing them by misusing the law from leaving Islam?

They say the media thinks Muslims are terrorists. But the problem is with themselves. Every time there is a terrorist act in the name of Islam, they say nothing. When a “fatwa” is issued (by humans, not God) to KILL someone, they say nothing. When an Islamic country declares war and terrorism on others, they say nothing.

I suppose the task of a pluralistic conception of religion requires one to find commonalities, if not in the expression of the divine, at least in the agreement of human ends. Exclusivist religions make this particularly hard when they agree with abstract conceptions of human ends, but disagree on the antecedents to these conceptions.

For example, you and I could agree that humanity’s end (and “end” not as in “end of life”, but as in “ultimate purpose”; religions are necessarily teleological) lies in communion with Supreme Being. But if you were Jew and I were Christian, we’d both disagree on what or who this “Supreme Being” is - a Christian, for example, conceives of God as triune, which has a direct implication on, really, what “communion with Supreme Being” means.

But consider the alternatives; a pluralistic conception of religion is anathema to religions which consider themselves to have the “fullness of revelation”. This includes both Christianity and Islam, as examples. To submit to a pluralistic conception of religion (and therefore adopt an inclusivist vision) which treats of revelation as the property of all religions is to admit that one doesn’t have the fullness of revelation…

…things fall apart from there. I guess it’s why I have a bit more sympathy for these religions against humanists with an agnostic bent; these religions can’t admit anything more inclusivist.

Anyways, I’m not satisfied with my post; as I was writing it, I was toying with the idea that there might be a general objection behind my other objections.

Might take some looking into.

If XXX is the best religion, why are many of the XXX dishonest, unreliable, and involved in activities such as cheating, bribing, dealing in drugs, etc.?

That’s because we’re all too human