By searching for truth!
Reader comment on item: Combating the Ideology of Radical Islam
in response to reader comment: How do I fight back against radical Islam

Submitted by PDM (United States), Jan 6, 2008 at 20:18

Dear David:

There are many ways in which you can voice your opinion. And you should not be afraid to voice your opinion unless you advocate violence: that is a sure way to gain the attention of the violence suppressors (the police!). There is a good reason why we have police! Civilized societies do not want violence!

Beyond the concept of police to suppress violence, we must also teach people and children that violence is NOT ACCEPTABLE! It is ironic, though, that in the case where a psychopath threatens an individual, it is appropriate for that individual to use force to repel the threat (you should challenge that statement as well!). DO NOT BE AFRAID OF A SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH! We are all in trouble if we cannot search earnestly for truth! You must suspend ALL biased opinions you have. This is not easy! Truth, like freedom has a cost!

You must be prepared to ABANDON your beliefs based upon the evidence! Including about Christianity! If you cannot objectively search for truth you will not find it! This is how science works – and it works EXTREMELY WELL!

First you must learn all you can about islam. I suggest you read Robert Spencer's book the Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam. While you are reading, choose at random (your choice) some idea or quotation contained in the book and research that idea or quotation. Be careful about looking at islam. I had three copies of the koran in front of me while searching for quotations. In this way you will validate (or disprove) the ideas of the writer. What I found when I did this was that a quotation from Mr. Spencers' book attributed to John Quincy Adams was in fact true.

How did I determine this? I contacted the Massachusetts Historical Society and asked them if the quotation I had was written by JQA! When the librarian told me that it was I then searched for the writings of JQA so that I could read it for myself – which I did! Something which astounded me because the quotation written by JQA is the most passionate damning statement that a human could write about islam!

Once you then learn about John Quincy Adams (read his biography and also of his father by David McCullough) you will then realize that he was no slacker! Quite the opposite! Now, should one believe the statement that JQA writes? One only has to look at the evidence. If you can prove that Mr. Spencer (or JQA or Thomas Jefferson) lied or lies in his book, then you have no reason to believe ANYTHING ELSE HE WRITES without a great deal of explaining to do!

You must compare the evidence that YOU observe with the proofs or statements offered by various people. This is the scientific method. Ideas can only survive based upon the evidence. For instance – if someone offers you the following premise, "islam means peace." You MUST seek out all evidence which supports this. Do you find evidence which supports this statement? Do you find evidence which refutes this statement? Then do the following. Change the question to the following. "islam means war." Can you find evidence which supports this statement? Can you find evidence which refutes this statement.

This is the type of examination you must make. And you must choose your own questions. This is called research. And you must be very meticulous about documenting your evidence (then you must research the evidence, and then the evidence of that, and on and on and on – how far can you go! Challenge yourself to go as far as you can)– whichever way the evidence points you! Try this experiment. Assume I just gave you a compass and tell you the pointer always points to the EAST. Can you prove I am correct? Can you prove I am wrong? Yes we all know the pointer does not point to the East – but CAN YOU PROVE IT! That is your task in the search for truth about ANYTHING!

Then take your evidence to the people you know. This is the best way to respond. Convince them to search for truth and they will then see. Offer your evidence. If they provide evidence to refute your story – research it! Is it true? Only in this way can you carry on a search for truth.

Good luck! And THANK YOU for your service as a Marine!

Paul

Semper Fidelis. And I will add Semper Vigilans.

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