I had conversations with him about international events and attitudes, though we never got into any detailed religious discussions. His view was somewhat interesting, though I did not totally agree with it. His premise was that America controls 85% of the world's wealth, and will do anything to protect that percentage. No matter how hard other countries try, the USA continues to dominate that percentage, using military might when necessary under the guise of 'protecting our interests' (which he believes is code for 'maintaining that 85% domination'). He views us as a monopoly on wealth and resources.
I do not agree with his view, but I understand how he would come to it. We need to stop viewing the world as ours; we share it with many nations, races, and religions. Until we understand this, and mold our policies accordingly, we will continue to be viewed as a bully by many people in the world.
As far as the portion of the Koran, I believe there are similar portions of the Old Testament that are equally harsh on non-Christians. God supposedly wiped out the entire race except for Noah and his family for lack of faith. Soddam and Gommora (sp?) were similarly destroyed in the name of Christianity. Christianity reserves the harshest punishment, eternity in hell, for those who do not accept their faith. The centuries of religious wars and crusades in the name of Christianity have shown that any religion is subject to corruption. I'm sure these portions of the Bible are used by your counterpart extremists in Islam countries as proof that Christianity is evil. |
