[SevenatoR]

Originally Posted by Jongpil Yun

No. God only does good, and is the creator of all that is good in the world, therefore not believing in him is the greatest of all sins, deserving of the greatest of all punishments. If you refuse the gift of basking in His splendor, then you refuse His gift of life. Thus it is your solemn duty as a Muslim to either convert or destroy those who refuse Allah's grace.

Allahu Akbar, asshole.

OK, I'll bite....even if you're theology is correct, and not believing in Allah is the greatest of all sins, who the hell are you (or anybody else) to place themselves in the judgement seat of Allah and take a life? This practice takes away any future possibility of conversion, no? But it is acceptable practice because a whacko fundamentalist/extremist cleric says it's OK? You would decry cartoons depict your prophet, but you would deign to place yourself in the shoes of Allah himself and destroy a life that he has created?

This has very little to do with religion and very much to do with stupidity.

[noodles]

Originally Posted by SevenatoR

OK, I'll bite....even if you're theology is correct, and not believing in Allah is the greatest of all sins, who the hell are you (or anybody else) to place themselves in the judgement seat of Allah and take a life? This practice takes away any future possibility of conversion, no? But it is acceptable practice because a whacko fundamentalist/extremist cleric says it's OK? You would decry cartoons depict your prophet, but you would deign to place yourself in the shoes of Allah himself and destroy a life that he has created?

Someone's sarcasm sensor is turned off, because Jongpil Yun is an atheist.

Either way, since when has theology ever gotten in the way of political and military objectives? Warping religion to meet one's own goals is almost as old as religion itself. Notice that the clerics that call for sacrifice never actually strap a bomb to themselves.

[Drew]

Just wanted to toss one more thing out - the whole "innocent civilians" has more or less been passed by at this point in the conversation, but it's a serious stretch to call Blackwater employees "innocent civilians." They're civilian contractors, true, but they're effectively paid mercenaries, and have been tried for and I believe convicted for some fairly heinous war crimes, even within the States.

Civilians didn't die - mercenaries did.

[Stitch]

Originally Posted by SevenatoR

This has very little to do with religion and very much to do with stupidity.

The difference being...?

[Jongpil Yun]

Originally Posted by Stitch

The difference being...?

Oh snap, pwned by Stitch, Queen of Scots.

[JJ Rodriguez]

Originally Posted by Drew

Just wanted to toss one more thing out - the whole "innocent civilians" has more or less been passed by at this point in the conversation, but it's a serious stretch to call Blackwater employees "innocent civilians." They're civilian contractors, true, but they're effectively paid mercenaries, and have been tried for and I believe convicted for some fairly heinous war crimes, even within the States.

Civilians didn't die - mercenaries did.

I thought it meant it sent Blackwater in to investigate, not that these guys WERE Blackwater.

[Jason]

I dunno.. Everyone is getting so upset cause this poor guy just got shot, but how is this really any dif from anyone else getting shot in cold blood?

[courtney2018]

That video was definitely for real with a real chopper and a real burned human. If it was faked, then they should be working for a Hollywood special effects company. Sometimes aircraft can burn so hot that it literally melts the metal to a point where it just looks like a burnt pile of trash. The skin of an aircraft can become brittle after being exposed to temperatures in the 2000 deg. F range.

The gun shots were an AK47. Very distinctive sound. It's like the weapon of choice for them. They're just readily avaliable.

I hate it for the guy, but that was in his job description.

The whole war over there really pisses me off. Sometimes it's pleasant to just sit back and daydream of having the power to turn that entire country to one large piece of glass, and care less about the innocent dying. Let God and Allah sort 'em out. Then break that sheet of glass and start over.

[JJ Rodriguez]

How is turning the place into glass any better than just leaving? If you don't care about the innocent dying and the whole place being fucked, leaving them alone would be a much better option, let them do their own thing.

[courtney2018]

If we left them alone there would be no revenge. At any rate, it's unrealistic, so it doesn't really matter.