On Feb 8, 9:33 pm, John Schilling <schil...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Fri, 08 Feb 2008 02:13:33 GMT, "Mike Schilling"
>
> <mscottschill...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >John Schilling wrote:
> >> On Wed, 6 Feb 2008 08:30:05 -0800, "Mike Schilling"
> >> <mscottschill...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >>> Tapio Erola wrote:
> >>>> Islam is a far more cohesive and comprehensive memeplex than
> >>>> Christianity, with far less variance between Islamic
> >>>> denominations.
> >>> Are you really saying that about ****a and Sunni? Or the Alawite,
> >>> whom many athorities on Islam don't consider Muslims at all?
> >> Well, if they're not considered Muslims they don't really count
> >> towards intra-Muslim diversity.
> >I said "many". Their situation seems to be quite analogous to that of
> >Mormons, who are variously described as Christians, floor waxes, or
> >breath mints.
>
> Except that you can get a copy of the Book of Mormon for the asking,
> or in some places the not-refusing-fast-enough.
>
> The Alawaites, AIUI, are the Gnostic Muslims; their public faith
> is pretty standard Twelver ****a Islam, but they've got Secrets as
> well, and they won't tell you what they are.
>
> >The best-known Alawites are of course the ruling house of Syria.
>
> But what the Aassad Dynasty is best known for, is secular Arab
> nationalism. So the theological details of the Moslem-ish faith
> that they're conspicuously not bringing to the table, aren't terribly
> im****tant. I presume they are downplaying the "We've Got A Secret!"
> of their religion even more than the "We've got a religion!" part.
They apparently ****trayed themselves as a _Sunni_ group for awhile,
although the Sunni majority in Syria probably never bought it. To be
fair, this isn't just about the Assads seeking and keeping power.
There are plenty of reasons not to appear heretical in Muslim lands.
Will in New Haven
--
"I am thus far a Quaker, that I would gladly argue with all the world
to lay aside the use of arms and settle matters by negotiation, but
unless the whole will, the matter ends, and I take up my musket and
thank Heaven He has put it in my power."
-Writings of Thomas Paine 56 (M. Conway ed. 1894)
>
> --
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