Roller Coaster in the Mall

[de officiis]

Well, the world certainly is overrun with nuns right now. Something should be done to curb that bunch of radicals.

[Montegriffo]

Lolz....you really go to great lengths to defend the indefensible.....want me to start posting all the vids from Saudi Arabia? Whens the last time a Western government executed a women for allowing herself to be raped?

Again you are using the extreme to make your point. Saudi Arabia is not the norm when it comes to Muslims any more than the Lords Resistance Army is the norm when it comes to Christianity.
And don't strawman me, I'm not defending any abhorrent act in the name of any faith just pointing out you shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush when it comes to the acts of fundamentalists. Muslims come in many guises from moderates to extremists and it is dishonest to try and say they all throw gays off rooftops.

Would you rather live in a culture that is majority Muslim or something else? If you picked "Something else" then why are you so hell bent on defending a backwards ideology? Sure, some Muslims might not be as passionate as others about their religion, but if they are still practicing, then they are practicing something that does not work in western culture if it's a majority of the population. If someone wants to practice being a Muslim, let them stay in a Muslim majority nation. Funny how many flee those wonderful bastions.

I personally find all faiths to be backwards ideologies but if we are going to live in free societies then all of them should be free to practise. There are plenty of laws in our open societies which prohibit the most vile actions of Muslims so I don't feel the need to prohibit or restrict all followers of Islam from entering a non Muslim country. The backlash and quick U-turn from Trump's campaign message on this topic should make it clear enough that extremist measures against Muslims are seen by most to be merely stooping to a similar level and should not be a part of the policies of an "enlightened" nation like yours or mine.
So to answer your question, I would defend all backwards ideologies and also criticize their excesses but I would not ban any unless I could ban them all.

[skankhunt42]

Again you are using the extreme to make your point. Saudi Arabia is not the norm when it comes to Muslims any more than the Lords Resistance Army is the norm when it comes to Christianity.
And don't strawman me, I'm not defending any abhorrent act in the name of any faith just pointing out you shouldn't tar everyone with the same brush when it comes to the acts of fundamentalists. Muslims come in many guises from moderates to extremists and it is dishonest to try and say they all throw gays off rooftops.

Would you rather live in a culture that is majority Muslim or something else? If you picked "Something else" then why are you so hell bent on defending a backwards ideology? Sure, some Muslims might not be as passionate as others about their religion, but if they are still practicing, then they are practicing something that does not work in western culture if it's a majority of the population. If someone wants to practice being a Muslim, let them stay in a Muslim majority nation. Funny how many flee those wonderful bastions.

I personally find all faiths to be backwards ideologies but if we are going to live in free societies then all of them should be free to practise. There are plenty of laws in our open societies which prohibit the most vile actions of Muslims so I don't feel the need to prohibit or restrict all followers of Islam from entering a non Muslim country. The backlash and quick U-turn from Trump's campaign message on this topic should make it clear enough that extremist measures against Muslims are seen by most to be merely stooping to a similar level and should not be a part of the policies of an "enlightened" nation like yours or mine.
So to answer your question, I would defend all backwards ideologies and also criticize their excesses but I would not ban any unless I could ban them all.

I absolutely agree with you on all points. But, I still feel that Americans have a right to judge and reject any foreign cultures. In this case, Muslim ideology. I also don't understand what the policies are you're talking about. What has Trump done policy wise so far that you disagree with when it comes to Muslims and their ideology? He hasn't banned the freedom of religion.

[DrYouth]

I absolutely agree with you on all points. But, I still feel that Americans have a right to judge and reject any foreign cultures. In this case, Muslim ideology. I also don't understand what the policies are you're talking about. What has Trump done policy wise so far that you disagree with when it comes to Muslims and their ideology? He hasn't banned the freedom of religion.

I agree...
Every American has the right to judge and reject any ideology...
And there is no such thing as the right to immigrate.
Trump hasn't banned freedom of religion... he may have hinted at things like "registries"... which raise some possible red flags...
But limiting immigration is not a violation of citizens rights.

[skankhunt42]

I absolutely agree with you on all points. But, I still feel that Americans have a right to judge and reject any foreign cultures. In this case, Muslim ideology. I also don't understand what the policies are you're talking about. What has Trump done policy wise so far that you disagree with when it comes to Muslims and their ideology? He hasn't banned the freedom of religion.

I agree...
Every American has the right to judge and reject any ideology...
And there is no such thing as the right to immigrate.
Trump hasn't banned freedom of religion... he may have hinted at things like "registries"... which raise some possible red flags...
But limiting immigration is not a violation of citizens rights.

I consider myself a moderate. I voted for Bush in 04, Obama in 08, Indy in 12, Didn't vote this past election, I just disliked everyone running. Having said all of that, I think the country needed to swing conservative-ish after 8 years of Liberal to Extreme Liberal views...So I'm okay with what Trump has done so far; however, if "registries" ever occur, yea, then we've completely lost our way and it's time to get him the hell out of here. I don't ever see that happening.

Just to reinforce my previous posts, I don't believe the Muslim faith has any place in our Western Culture. I agree that those Muslims that are here have the right to practice their religion, but that will not stop myself or others from the judging the hell out of them for it. I would hope that over the course of time the Muslim ideology would decrease and not increase in America.

[DrYouth]

Just to reinforce my previous posts, I don't believe the Muslim faith has any place in our Western Culture. I agree that those Muslims that are here have the right to practice their religion, but that will not stop myself or others from the judging the hell out of them for it. I would hope that over the course of time the Muslim ideology would decrease and not increase in America.

Fill your boots and judge.

You and I are going to get along just fine.

I have no fear of, nor judgement towards my fellow Muslim citizens...
Whether their religion grows or stagnates or disappears off the face of the earth bothers me not one whit.
That you dislike their religion bothers me not one whit either.

[Montegriffo]

If someone wants to practice being a Muslim, let them stay in a Muslim majority nation. Funny how many flee those wonderful bastions.

I absolutely agree with you on all points. But, I still feel that Americans have a right to judge and reject any foreign cultures. In this case, Muslim ideology. I also don't understand what the policies are you're talking about. What has Trump done policy wise so far that you disagree with when it comes to Muslims and their ideology? He hasn't banned the freedom of religion.

Maybe those fleeing Muslim nations are doing so to escape the excesses and wars going on in them and are therefore more likely to be moderates than fanatics. I have no proof of this so I'll accept it is just a theory.

The Trump statement I referred to was his "temporary" ban on all Muslims entering the USA which he has since back tracked on.
Judge away all you want but I will challenge any attempt to call all Muslim refugees either terrorists, rapists or murderers as this is blatantly an untruth in the same way as calling all Catholics priests paedophiles or all Jews part of some all powerful illuminati would be false too. Not that you have done so but some others have implied this.
As for Islam being incompatible with Western culture I would counter that most Muslims brought up in our modern democracies are perfectly moderate and have integrated well enough to cause little trouble for others. Those that have perpetrated terrorist acts in countries like France and Belgium have been marginalised and discriminated against since birth which does not excuse their actions but may go some way towards explaining them.

[K@th]

This thread is called roller coaster in the mall. I love roller coasters. I got to ride two in The Mall of America in MN.

Awesome time. We spent four hours in the park and walked the mall for about two more hours. We didn't even finish 1/4 of one floor. Huge. Bigly huge.

[MilSpecs]

I'd love to see the Mall of America some day. I'd dearly love to ride a rollercoaster again too.

Epic trip, Martin.

[Montegriffo]

I'd love to see the Mall of America some day. I'd dearly love to ride a rollercoaster again too.

Epic trip, Martin.

I've only ever ridden one roller-coaster in my life. A rather small one in the seaside resort of Great Yarmouth. I feel like this is a bad thing and I should make the effort to have a go on a really big one sometime.