Originally Posted by Gilles de Rais

Nope. Stop pretending you know what I am thinking and how bigoted I am. Read what I type.

???....I am pretending nothing.....I've been reading what you write for a long time.....of course you're bigoted.....

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OK. Now please answer the other issues... What factors explain Islam spreading to include 25% of the world pop?

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Originally Posted by PostmodernProphet

I posted this at the request of Gillies to describe how I made my choice.....and what on earth would a prescriptive choice be.....some sort of anti-free will allusion?.......

No no no. It's just that if a 'case' for the choices you have made being the 'right' choices is built, then they should be the right choices for others as well, and the case should be persuasive. So this effort has implications beyond your own personal situation.

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Originally Posted by Benjamin

No no no. It's just that if a 'case' for the choices you have made being the 'right' choices is built, then they should be the right choices for others as well, and the case should be persuasive. So this effort has implications beyond your own personal situation.

Indeed. Hence it should also work if you happened to be born in 37AD. Otherwise, it falls down to 'historical accidents' again...

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Originally Posted by Gilles de Rais

OK. Now please answer the other issues... What factors explain Islam spreading to include 25% of the world pop?

I think the fact they often kill people who convert to other religions may have some bearing.....

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Originally Posted by Benjamin

No no no. It's just that if a 'case' for the choices you have made being the 'right' choices is built, then they should be the right choices for others as well, and the case should be persuasive. So this effort has implications beyond your own personal situation.

the chain of discussion that led to this thread was, since there are so many types of religion out there, how do you choose which one to believe.....in response to my answer, Gilles requested this thread and I have outlined what my thoughts were on the issue....it is ridiculous to suggest that one could convince someone to have faith by means of debate.....however, if one believes a deity exists, there are rational steps by which one can decide what religions are or are not acceptable......other people may be using criteria which are completely different than mine.....you will have to solicit from them the validity of their criteria.....

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continuing to move on, as I had linked above, Islam believes that righteousness is attained through human conduct......I find this view incredible given the results of either a casual or intensive investigation of human conduct.......

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Quote:

Islam believes that righteousness is attained through human conduct.

So you believe that righteousness is attained through inhuman conduct? That sounds pretty right.

Originally Posted by roadkill

So you believe that righteousness is attained through inhuman conduct? That sounds pretty right.

didn't really think it necessary to document human failure.....I think we can take it as a given.....

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