"Modernize" a religion means to 'change' it

Submitted by DR Wills (United States), Jul 31, 2002 at 09:15

Dr. Pipes:

Your closing remarks in "The Evil Isn't Islam" speak for themselves, where you said:
"Muslims must emulate their fellow monotheists by modernizing their religion. . . ." To urge that Muslims must 'modernize their religion,' is the same as to say that Muslims MUST CHANGE the tenets of their religion. "No more . . . no more . . . [of a host of evil practices which you listed]", you objected in your subsequent remarks.

You hit the nail squarely on the head, then, when you recommend that the way to change evil behavior is first to change the content of the fountainhead of evil ideas from which such evil behavior follows. Indeed, every sort of behavior, whether good or evil, necessarily is the consequence of choosing to act upon certain ideas.

Islam is evil in its teachings, Dr. Pipes. That many Muslims are neither as dogmatic in their understanding of Islam nor as enthusiastic in their desire to practice its teachings, does not alter the evil character, nor diminish the evil influences, of that religion's sacred writings, so-called.

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