Interesting Map about how religions expanded (11 Viewers)

[JuveJay]

I think Christianity has many worse examples of how it spread, countless examples by direct force, convert or die, especially for animists and polytheists. Islam was different in many cases, my understanding is that the 'small tax' you mention was asked to be paid, but of course if it wasn't there were consequences, and sometimes that was humiliation, at other times it was death. Islam is a very detailed and thorough religion that gives many answers which I think is the main reason why it was so successful and spread at an incredible rate (millions of square miles in a century or two at one point!), it gave enlightenment to many, but also conversion did at times come through conquest, even if choice was often given, or so we are to believe. Texts from the time are quite difficult to find. Muhammed was a philosophical military commander as well wasn't he? So the idea of warfare isn't uncommon in Islam, the region had been fighting each other long before he arrived after all, unfortunately it is something ingrained into early religion. The idea of Islam 'spread through the sword' seems fanciful and a deliberate insult on Islam to me, there was no real requirement for it. It was a natural progression from expansion.

 

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[Quetzalcoatl]

I like how they completely ignored the one peaceful religion, Rastafari

 

[Zé Tahir]

I find it funny that people think that people back then were good natured and peace loving human beings until relgion arrived which corrupted them and made them hell bent on world domination.

 

[JuveJay]

I find it funny that people think that people back then were good natured and peace loving human beings until relgion arrived which corrupted them and made them hell bent on world domination.

Well of course, people were fighting wars, raping and pillaging during the period and before, that's humans. I suppose religion at least brought some semblance of order to society, but it also would inevitably have been abused.

 

[Martin]

I find it funny that people think that people back then were good natured and peace loving human beings until relgion arrived which corrupted them and made them hell bent on world domination.

The ever popular strawman.

 

[X Æ A-12]

I find it funny that people think that people back then were good natured and peace loving human beings until relgion arrived which corrupted them and made them hell bent on world domination.

Of course not. Judeo Christian religion is the foundation for modern morality and Hinduism is also not the first human religion.

 

[X Æ A-12]

I like how they completely ignored the one peaceful religion, Rastafari

And the only plausible religion, Scientology.

 

[Quetzalcoatl]

And the only plausible religion, Scientology.

Everyone knows it's not about plausibility, it's about what's convenient. Being a pothead yourself, I'd think you'd embrace Rastafari.

 

[Fred]

Most of the areas Muslims spread to were through invitations to Islam and without a drop of blood, take Egypt for example, we opened it after Christian Egyptians needed someone to get them rid of Romans who stole everything in the country and treated Egyptians as slaves for the difference in beliefs.. Muslims on the other hand allowed freedom of belief completely. and equalled all citizens but christians were allowed to choose between joining Islam or paying more taxes (not too much)
and the wars Islam spread by were after the people we sent messengers with the Quran to, killed the messengers or refused Islam AND declared war on us.

proof that Islam wasn't spread by blood is the time we reached China and India to the east, they -hindus and buddhists- refused Islam nicely and made it clear they want peace with Muslims and each in his own beliefs, and there Islam stopped expanding in lands, but hundreds of years after Pakistian was founded by Hindus who converted on their own

East Asia and Moon Islands converted to Islam simply by Muslims merchants who were the greatest role models in honesty in their trades, that the people of those places converted by themselves

on the other hand, Christian missionaries in Africa with starvations fed those who converted to Christianity.. and the church burned scientists

I agree with most of what you said, but only until the Rashidun Caliphate, after that, well there isn't a lot of difference between muslim conquests and any other conquests in most cases.

I think Christianity has many worse examples of how it spread, countless examples by direct force, convert or die, especially for animists and polytheists. Islam was different in many cases, my understanding is that the 'small tax' you mention was asked to be paid, but of course if it wasn't there were consequences, and sometimes that was humiliation, at other times it was death. Islam is a very detailed and thorough religion that gives many answers which I think is the main reason why it was so successful and spread at an incredible rate (millions of square miles in a century or two at one point!), it gave enlightenment to many, but also conversion did at times come through conquest, even if choice was often given, or so we are to believe. Texts from the time are quite difficult to find. Muhammed was a philosophical military commander as well wasn't he? So the idea of warfare isn't uncommon in Islam, the region had been fighting each other long before he arrived after all, unfortunately it is something ingrained into early religion. The idea of Islam 'spread through the sword' seems fanciful and a deliberate insult on Islam to me, there was no real requirement for it. It was a natural progression from expansion.

When it was first introduced and before it was corrupted, the "Jezya" (what they call that tax) was actually a fair rule. Because muslims had to pay a yearly charity which we call in Islam zakat, Jews and Christians were asked to pay a similar amount as a tax.

 

[blondu]

i feel so stupid at this chapter...

 

[X Æ A-12]

Everyone knows it's not about plausibility, it's about what's convenient. Being a pothead yourself, I'd think you'd embrace Rastafari.

I am no pothead, sir. I am a repeat traffic offender.

 

[ReBeL]

i feel so stupid at this chapter...

Why?

 

[Naggar]

JuveJay, mind telling me what you have against Islam briefly? and I assume you're atheist.. right?
you don't have to answer, I'm just curious : )

 

[Naggar]

One has to give it to the Jews. It takes guts to create the pink thing exactly in the middle of the big green, and to live there.
Green on the north, green on the east, green on the south, sea on the west side. They'll have nowhere to run if things start going against them.

as sad as the Palestenian situation is but I find this funny somehow, and pathetic for us..
but don't forget the pink dot was backed by a whole blue world that didn't want to have pink dots so they promised them the "holy" land

 

[blondu]

Why?

i know lots of things about christianity, buddaism and hinduism but i really don't know the situation in the middle east...who was first, who was last, who deserves that and that teritory...

 

[Fred]

I know you can't generalize and pin specific characteristics to certain races, but Jews are extremely intelligent people, they wouldn't be where they are if that weren't true.

 

[Zé Tahir]

JuveJay, mind telling me what you have against Islam briefly? and I assume you're atheist.. right?
you don't have to answer, I'm just curious : )

I've actually think JuveJay is a pretty reasonable guy when compared to other atheists and agnostics on here.

 

[mikhail]

I was still waiting for a massive color splotch on that map starting from West Virginia signaling the spread of Burkejism.

It's there, but a splooge stain doesn't really show up well on a map at that scale.

 

[Martin]

I've actually think JuveJay is a pretty reasonable guy when compared to other atheists and agnostics on here.

*holding hand to bleeding chest*

 

[swag]

Did you notice how the Christian coloring looked like a rash at first? That was interesting. Then they filled it in like a coloring book.

It was a site-specific cancer that metastasized.

One has to give it to the Jews. It takes guts to create the pink thing exactly in the middle of the big green, and to live there.
Green on the north, green on the east, green on the south, sea on the west side. They'll have nowhere to run if things start going against them.

Jews nothing. You have to give that one to the Brits.

I find it funny that people think that people back then were good natured and peace loving human beings until relgion arrived which corrupted them and made them hell bent on world domination.

The equation of religion and war in the title made little sense to me too. Sure, they're a crutch for each other. But it's not like Genghis Khan went on his rampage to spread a religion. In fact, the guy promoted religious tolerance.

It's there, but a splooge stain doesn't really show up well on a map at that scale.

It does if you limit the map to the world's population of 11-year-old girls.