Comments on: Ayaan Hirsi Ali Supports Missionaries?

By: Michael O. Powell

Michael O. Powell — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:29:01 +0000

That’s a pretty good assessment, terran. I hadn’t actually thought of it in those circumstances but now that you summed it up that way, it makes perfect sense.

By: Michael Powell

Michael Powell — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:59:50 +0000

Rob, that’s generally true that Christianity appears more benevolent. That’s mostly because our society has become secularized (and in a democratic manner as opposed to how the communists did it). Religions have to compete with one another peacefully, which I think is what Ali is getting at. I’m a fan of hers but there are passages in her book where she slips from the secular humanist outlook and gets dangerously close to the Christianity is better than Islam one.

Building a church right next to a mosque, even in the most liberal parts of America, seems like it would be a major act of passive aggressiveness. The possibility for confrontation, especially in the contentious atmosphere of today, warrants a tepid approach.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 15:30:26 +0000

Thanks for the responses. I asked out of ignorance, more than defensiveness. While there are extremist bad apples among Christians, I think most Christian groups are benevolent. Also, notice that she is talking about Christian (and humanist and feminist) outreach in the Western world, not sub-Saharan Africa so I don’t see that her statement has much to do with “foment[ing] fundamentalism” in Africa.

By: tarran

tarran — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:34:12 +0000

Also the support given to psychotic dictators like Charles Taylor.

I haven’t looked at this issue in any systematic, comprehensive way. What I have noticed, though, makes me suspect that Africa is viewed today by the evangelical community the way the Native Americans were viewed 150 years ago – as a backward people to be brought into the fold of God’s Kingdom. The Christian missions to the Native American tribes were, from the tribes perspective, a disaster; providing them with abusive schools that gave poor educations, destroyed the bonds of family & culture etc.

In effect, there is a destructive filter in evangelical philosophy – that which is outside the Bible is worthless and to be discarded unstudied.

By: VRB

VRB — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:14:50 +0000

Don’t forget the current witch hunts which abuse, abandon and kill children in NIgeria.

By: Michael O. Powell

Michael O. Powell — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:57:27 +0000

Not to mention the leader of the largest denomination of Christianity taking a “nothing to see here” approach to systematic pederasty.

By: Michael O. Powell

Michael O. Powell — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:28:27 +0000

If you want to see extremist Christianity, look up recent Irish history, Uganda’s anti-gay laws or the history of Christianity before modern secular democracy.

By: Rob

Rob — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:10:11 +0000

I would like to know which nefarious Christian fundamentalists Ms. Hirsi might be contaminated by who support honor killings or kill Christians who convert to other religions? The stretch for moral equivalence here is, well, a stretch.