Metal Reviews

Actually when the islam rose up in the Middle-East, they accepted all beliefs, but they saw judaism and christianism as older religions, that didn't have the entire truth. They see Jesus as just a prophet of God, instead of his son.

But a place like the US would (hopefully) never allow someone like Phelps to ever gain any sense of power, whereas the middle east is full of theocracies. Religion in the US, while still being far too intertwined with politics for any real democracy intended by the founding fathers, is nevertheless a lot more secularized than it is in Islamic countries. Christians don't go around stoning girls to death for getting raped.

I know that, they were called "people of the book", and when Arabs invaded a city, they were lenient enough to just impose a tax on Jews and Christians rather than killing them (which is what they did with everyone else). Did you read my previous post? I'm talking about modern day Islam.

But they do have stadiums full of people screaming 'FAGGOT!!' at Bruno... You're missing my point, Fridge, religious fundies are evil shits, whether Muslim, Christian or whatever. Saying one is worse than the other is silly because of all the other factors involved.

I get that, but for some reason it results in more violence coming from modern Muslims.

Whatever you people say or think, I for one can't deny that my christian friends (I was christian once) are the most loving and caring of them all. Whatever their beliefs, that's what it all comes down to in the end.

Take geographical variations into consideration. Norwegian Christians compared to US Christians? Hah.

Right, because the United States is full of nothing but religious fundamentalists, and Norway automatically puts fundies to death while burning their church down in front of their dying eyes.

There are lots of fundamentalists here in Norway. Way more than you'd imagine. I have no problem with them whatsoever as some of my friends are among them. Yes, those were the ones I talked about in my previous post.

Fact: The US is the country in the advanced world with the highest religiosity (and coincidentally, least knowledge of religion).

Almost everyone in the US call themselves Christians. There is a difference between those and those who actually practice it.

Religiosity means actual worship. Are there megachurches in Norway?

What do you mean by megachurches?

This thread is now starting to get retarded. DON'T FORGET THE HOLOCAUST!

FACT: We also have one of the highest populations in the world period. If religious fundamentalism was running rampant in this country like you say it is, McCain/Palin would have won by a landslide. the fact is Palin saying things like humans walked the Earth with dinosaurs(typical fundie dogma) scared the majority of the country away.

The truth is, fundies are a minority in this country, a very loud and obnoxious one to be sure, but a minority nonetheless.

Bathory didn't.

Holocaust

At dawn they rise pointing to the skies
Ready to cut through the clouds at command
From wombs in the ground born to deafening sounds
When the button is pressed by deaths hand

Loaded with death powered by the dragons breath
Climbing way above the clouds out of sight
To seek its destination and destroy it into void
And to spread its load of death and endless night

Below water in the ground on wings of steel up high
Seeds of death to be launched in final one of wars
Each with a number for a distant city at their sides
Wonder whats the number for my city and for yours

Metal phallous seeds of death
That is not won else cannot be lost
Precious burden seeds of death
Sown to earth brings the holocaust

Prepare to die

Now leaving their wombs all in fire baptised
Outnumbering the stars in the sky
Each with a skytrack on which they are sent
To destroy each part of the world on the other side

Not time to repent feel regret or ask for mercy
Once launched there is no way to bring them back
Finally the world created by man look so bright
Before it all turns black

Below water in the ground on wings of steel up high
Seeds of death to be launched in final one of wars
Each with a number for a distant city at their sides
Wonder whats the number for my city and for yours

Metal phallous seeds of death
That is not won else cannot be lost
Precious burden seeds of death
Holocaust

I know no one who is a fundamentalist (well, being looking as much like a dirty metalhead as I do, I don't really run with that crowd). Most Christians I know are really cool people, and even the most devout Christian I know is a really cool guy too. EI said it best, the fundamentalists are rare in this country, but because they're so loud and obnoxious, they get the most media coverage, probably because most people find them loud and obnoxious too, and when they read the headlines go "Those silly fundies" or something similar.

Also, I dunno if this has been covered before, but the biggest problem with the middle east and Islam is the leadership. I know some muslim people, and they're pretty cool too, but in the middle east, most people aren't well educated, and most rulers are completely corrupt, radical, and batshit crazy. Like Fridge was saying, someone like Fred Phelps would never get a position of power here, but over there, it's like Mohammed Phelps is the dictator of almost every country. The Sharia law that's practiced over there is sick and barbaric. The movie Persepolis has a good representatiom of the transition of power in Iran.

Even though it's most probably true that there are less fundies than there are 'normal' Christians, the fundies are in the positions that count, namely in the media and in the government.

What media? Even Faux Nooze isn't a bastion of religious fundamentalism. Sure, it's a bastion of a million other types of stupidity, but that's not one of them. Greta Van Sustern, one of their biggest personalities is a friggin Scientologist for crying out loud. Bill O'Reilly is just a run of the mill moron. MSNBC would rather close up shop tomorrow than have anything to do with religion, it's too controversial for them. CNN just sucks. The Big 3 of Broadcast news (ABC,NBC,CBS) are constantly being accused of being secular lefties, no fundamentalism there.

As for Government, it's not true there either. Sure, you have a lot at the local and state levels in the south, but at the national level there isn't a whole lot of them. That's why those idiots constantly fail at getting legislation passed, most suits in Washington pander to the fundies to get their vote and then forget about them once they get in office.

No, by worst crimes I meant that for Muslims, criticising Islam is one of the worst things you can do, and no one could do that in one of the Sharia law countries without being sentenced to death. And as for their way of life being imposed, that system is all they grow up with, and so they grow up to be fanatical. And as I said before, people who openly criticise Islam from a public standpoint end up with Islamic leaders issuing fatwas and calling for their death. There's a reason why these people stay well hidden when the threats are issued, because they're only too real.

And yes maybe there are a few who might shake off the influence of all that brainwashing, but none would dare to say anything against their government. Hell, one time I heard that in one of these countries (forgot the details as it happened a while ago) someone tried modifying the law so that Muslim women didn't have to wear the burkkha in public anymore, and the women actually opposed this change.

The thing is unlike in the West were the church lost it's power over time as it was separated from the government, religion and government remain intertwined in the Sharia law countries, and so the system has remained unchanged for many years. This is the fault of the people living there as countries like Turkey and Dubai are quite liberal these days, with metal bands actually touring to these countries. I could be wrong, but I don't think bands like Iron Maiden have played in Saudi Arabia.