Dear Mr. Durie, Thank you for commenting on this. Regarding Islam and women, The Global Gender Gap Report 2011: Rankings and Scores give some clarifying perspective on the treatment of women under Islam: 22 out of the 31 countries (67.7%) that oppress women and girls the most are Muslim countries. But Muslims make up 23% of the world population (or alternatively, 49 Muslim-majority countries out of 231, which makes 21%). So, Muslim countries are over-represented as oppressors by a factor of about 3. According to the report, the difference in scores between the worst and best countries is quite large. Changing topic: This is off topic but worth alerting you about since you might be in a position to do something about it: Report: American Bible translators bowdlerize scriptures to avoid offending Muslims: no "Father" and "Son" http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/01/report-american-bible-translaters-bowdlerize-scriptures-to-avoid-offending-muslims.html. As a linguist by training and I always respected the SIL's contributions. But this is incomprehensible...
That a recognized religion so close in kinship to Christianity should give rise to such systematic atrocities against non-muslims and females on a planetary scale during more than 1.5 millenia causes a revulsion that is deep enough in the soul so as to contaminate the possibly innate impulse towards religiosity, making it suspect or worse... For how can it be that Islam is still defended by millions upon millions? How else can we understand this phenomenon except as a probable invalidation of the human religious enterprise as a whole? That is how Islam affects me as a Christian... and it makes me suffer.
Comments are moderated. Avoid profanities or foul language. Stay on topic. Avoid ad hominem attacks. Posts which violate these principles or are deemed offensive in any way will be deleted.
Mark, I read all your posts with fascination, because you always say something important or useful. Thank you for your faithful work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gordon - I'm so glad the posts are helpful.
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Durie,
ReplyDeleteThank you for commenting on this. Regarding Islam and women, The Global Gender Gap Report 2011: Rankings and Scores give some clarifying perspective on the treatment of women under Islam:
22 out of the 31 countries (67.7%) that oppress women and girls the most are Muslim countries.
But Muslims make up 23% of the world population (or alternatively, 49 Muslim-majority countries out of 231, which makes 21%). So, Muslim countries are over-represented as oppressors by a factor of about 3. According to the report, the difference in scores between the worst and best countries is quite large.
Changing topic:
This is off topic but worth alerting you about since you might be in a position to do something about it:
Report: American Bible translators bowdlerize scriptures to avoid offending Muslims: no "Father" and "Son"
http://www.jihadwatch.org/2012/01/report-american-bible-translaters-bowdlerize-scriptures-to-avoid-offending-muslims.html.
As a linguist by training and I always respected the SIL's contributions. But this is incomprehensible...
That a recognized religion so close in kinship to Christianity should give rise to such systematic atrocities against non-muslims and females on a planetary scale during more than 1.5 millenia causes a revulsion that is deep enough in the soul so as to contaminate the possibly innate impulse towards religiosity, making it suspect or worse... For how can it be that Islam is still defended by millions upon millions? How else can we understand this phenomenon except as a probable invalidation of the human religious enterprise as a whole? That is how Islam affects me as a Christian... and it makes me suffer.
ReplyDelete