The emergence of a new breed of militants, who target people practicing arts they consider "un-Islamic", has led several worried parents to take their children out of the school.
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Artistic director Ahmed Salim said many students could not practice their instruments at home, fearing attack by gunmen in their neighborhoods. "We find this a lot with loud instruments. It is dangerous if neighbors hear you're a musician," he said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUSL1118868820080530?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0How screwed up do your religious beliefs have to make it okay to attack kids for playing music or dancing?
Holy crap, those warped Islamic freaks. Damn.
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But lets consider.
If you think there are not similar levels of religious intolerance in our country, think again. There is not as much violence, but that could change. The potential is definitely there.
Here are excerpts from items I found on the ScripturesForAmerica.org website:
Dear Pastor Peters,
I am disgusted with pea brained people who know absolutely nothing about the Bible, but are quick to say that "it's the old testament" that says that homo-sexuals are to be put to death. As if everything in the "old" testament is null and void. But, I never allow them to get away with saying that "it's the old testa-ment". I point out Romans 1:32 which backs up the "old testament" by saying that homosexuals are "worthy of death".
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The book of Romans saying they are "worthy of death" is good enough for me. But, thank God for the entire bible. I wish it were a bigger book. But, it is all one bible with no contradictions. I pray for the day when there will be no more of the types "worthy of death” on earth.
http://www.scripturesforamerica.org/newsletters/newsletter%20vol%206_2007.pdfThe following week after my baptism at Branson I became very angry. At first I could not understand what was happening to me. I was always taught that tolerance was a form of Godliness. For an example, before Branson I would not have called a homosexual a queer. After Branson I called homosexuals like it is, they are “filthy fagot queers”. Any kind of sexual deviance should not be tolerated in any society. That is why God demands that the sexually wicked be removed from society.
I realized that the true Holy Spirit was severing the ties that bonded me with the counterfeit spirit. It really does take Holy Hate to break the spell that these churches of today are casting on God’s Children.
http://www.scripturesforamerica.org/newsletters/newsletter%20vol%208_2007.pdfThe programmed populous may say, “You are entitled to your opinions and I am entitled to mine”, but, that is if you stay inside the box – the parameters of which are the false premises programmed into the mind of the populace. Take for example the subject of homosexuality. Believe it or not, there was a time in America that if such a filthy, vile, sex pervert came out of the closet he immediately went into the grave. It was recognized as a capital crime by the men (when there were still Christian men in our society) who had the law of God on their hearts (Hebrews 8:10).
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A few years ago this preacher wrote a small booklet entitled, “Death Penalty for Homosexuals is Prescribed in the Bible”
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That booklet has been shown on the serpent’s national TVand it’s author has been cussed and discussed as a radical, the world’s most dangerous cult leader, an extremist, a terrorist, etc.
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and a major portion was devoted to portraying Pastor Peters as a terrorist. Why? They are terrorized that people might dare think outside the box. Now, mind you, this preacher did not instruct anyone or even intimidate that anyone should execute a homosexual. He only introduced them to a truth – i.e., that the death penalty for homosexuals is prescribed in the Bible. And isn’t it?
from the innocently titled "THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX" by Peter J. Peters
http://www.scripturesforamerica.org/newsletters/newsletter%20vol_6_2003.pdfThere is also material against interracial relationships. And this is just one website.
Do you think these people wouldn't really do it, given the right circumstances?
Here's a nice article about violence against GLBT or perceived GLBT persons:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Violence_against_gays,_lesbians,_bisexuals,_and_the_transgenderedWith a large list of actual attacks.
According to several sources, religious extremism has increased in Iraq in the absence of Saddam's extreme persecution of organized religion. It is said most Islamics do not condone the use of violence. But who is brave enough to fight them? Who is crazy enough to step up and face an extremist, and become the next target? This is where Islam stands today, and it makes me wonder.
If America ever reaches that point... where the religiously motivated carry out violence against artists, gays, interracial couples, pagans, Jews, or whomever... are you going to stand aside? Or are you going to take up arms? If the government won't stop them, will you? Will there be armies against intolerance? Or will we just stand aside, cower in our homes, bite our tongues, and let the extremists speak for us?
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