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It's also an interesting thought experiment to frame Islam as the other (more successful) branch of non-Nicene unitarian monotheism. It popped up not long (hist

It's also an interesting thought experiment to frame Islam as the other (more successful) branch of non-Nicene unitarian monotheism. It popped up not long (historically speaking) after the final triumph of Nicene Christianity, after Arianism etc was stamped out. And blossomed in the historical heartland of Christianity (North Africa, Asia Minor, and Palestine / Syria). What we've ended up with is this interesting historical situation where Christianity is the "European" monotheism and Islam is seen as "foreign" and "other" likely on account of its association with the historical Orient. And yet it is that region where Christianity had its origins and was strongest for the first 500 years. I find the whole thing fascinating. But also, I believe in none of it.

WorldMaker 2y ago
Though it is also interesting to note that Islam is post-Paul and rather "Pauline" in its roots, too. There's always been a weird sense of "I learned it from you, Dad!" relationship between the two religions that maybe often isn't obvious enough at first glance. It's an irony that doesn't fail to escape me any time I hear a evangelical moron talk about fear of "Sharia Law". A lot of "Sharia Law" they would enact in this country if they could get the votes to do it, from many of the same bible passages, too. They don't understand how much it is the same picture. (Though some of the worst certainly understand the real difference is "white".)
- cmrdporcupine 2y ago
  Yes I've said this to my mother before and it made her angry, but my sense of the deep anti-Islamic "vibe" in (at least) the evangelical Christian world is that it is more about them being competition than some ethical or philosophical fault. "Shariah law" is offensive not because it is alien to "western society" (because its not-liberal or whatever) but because the traditionalist/conservative/strict morality (and destruction of church/state division) it wants to impose is competition for the one they want to impose. In any case, just like Christianity, Islam has a spectrum of approaches of reading such morality passages.

WorldMaker 2y ago

Though it is also interesting to note that Islam is post-Paul and rather "Pauline" in its roots, too. There's always been a weird sense of "I learned it from you, Dad!" relationship between the two religions that maybe often isn't obvious enough at first glance. It's an irony that doesn't fail to escape me any time I hear a evangelical moron talk about fear of "Sharia Law". A lot of "Sharia Law" they would enact in this country if they could get the votes to do it, from many of the same bible passages, too. They don't understand how much it is the same picture. (Though some of the worst certainly understand the real difference is "white".)

cmrdporcupine 2y ago
Yes I've said this to my mother before and it made her angry, but my sense of the deep anti-Islamic "vibe" in (at least) the evangelical Christian world is that it is more about them being competition than some ethical or philosophical fault. "Shariah law" is offensive not because it is alien to "western society" (because its not-liberal or whatever) but because the traditionalist/conservative/strict morality (and destruction of church/state division) it wants to impose is competition for the one they want to impose. In any case, just like Christianity, Islam has a spectrum of approaches of reading such morality passages.