Daniel J. Pipes

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Hagia Sophia and the mosques

Reader comment on item: The 751 No-Go Zones of France
in response to reader comment: Nice Commentary

Submitted by Ianus (Poland), Dec 3, 2006 at 12:03

Dear Jeff, you wrote :

> Yes, it appears that your philosophical view is in line with that of Paul the Apostle. There is freedom in Christ Jesus but the law is death and to go UNDER the law is to return to bondage. Islam is clearly UNDER the law and it produces death and fear.

Actually , I wasn't aware of the affinity of Paul of Tarsus' views in that respect although I am much flattered to have the support of such an authority.

Islam is mental and spiritual serfdom and as such it leads inevitably to intellectual degradation and moral decay. Helmuth Moltke once wrote comparing Hagia Sophia and mosques he saw in Constantinople that while Hagia Sophia isn't so impressive as seen from outside its beauty is overwhelming when you get inside. On the contrary the mosques' exterior may look very imposing but inside all is empty and dull so that "it doesn't inspire any awe or reverence " in the beholder. It is an apt comparison of the two religions. I like that comparison although I am not a Christian myself.


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Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".

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