If Andrew Sullivan is right, it now appears that the same thing is happening in Iran.
Years ago I predicted that Iran might become the first stable democracy in the Arab/Persian part of the Islamic world, because they were getting a taste of democratic politics and a toxic dose of what happens when religion and politics mix too intimately. I based my prediction on the rise of the Enlightenment in the West after decades of bloody religious war and state churches.
My prediction has not come true yet, but it's looking better.
My prediction has not come true yet, but it's looking better.
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I agree. Conservative Christianity and the RR as definitely colored my opinion of Christianity. While I realize that not all Christians or their sects are the same, conservative Christians have really got me to the point of looking at them with distain.
Modern hysterical atheism grows from hubris and hastens its own demise
Sounds like Kendall is just what everyone else has been referring too. It's so nice to see that fanatics can learn from others.
An important difference between Arabs and Iranians is that Iranians had a glorious civilisation before Islam, and Islam was initiall imposed upon them against their wishes. The Arabs, on the other hand, therefore had little before Islam, and it is in fact arguable that the Arabs as a people are a creation of Muhammad. Patriotism / ethnic pride therefore oppose Islam in the case of Iran, but support it in the case of the Arabs. I therefore suspect that, once secularisiation starts, Iran will rapidly become non-Islamic, but I find that more difficult to imagine in the case of the Arabs.
Rombald,
What an interesting post! You share such important information. I look forward to hearing much more from you.
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