In Reply to: Terror and Civilization posted by Perry on May 04, 2005 at 13:57:15:
Hi, Perry!
I found your post interesting. I've gotten in trouble in the past, for posting long monologues that could be construed as political/preachy.
You wrote, "In the Preface, the author describes precisely what her book is about so I provide that Preface here so that you can determine whether it is worth your time to read. I found that it was worth mine. The remainder of this post consists of that Preface."
C'mon, Perry--it was still a long and politically preachy monologue, which we're supposed to avoid here. I'd rather read your own thoughts, and try to understand where you yourself are coming from, at this time in YOUR "Journey." Why not just post a link?
You posted 75 of your own words, about her, and 2,018 of hers. Why?
A quick Google search on Drury show her to be a hard-left mainly political critic. Her main thrust is undeniably political, but I didn't find her religio/socio/political arguments very persuasive, or even novel, and as an historian she's rather cockeyed and unscholarly; I'd say.
History is history.
When I hear that Islam is a gentle religion, I refer people to Suras 5, 9 and 11, in the Koran. It's not.
When I read Drury's promotion for her ideas, I easily refer mentally to what I know to be an historical Christian faith, again based on the extant documents, Biblical archeology, and the dominant historically Christian view that the world is irretrievably fallen.
It makes me feel that low-level apologists like Drury haven't bothered to read what they are criticizing.
IMO, the Fall was NOT "Plan A"; the gift of free will from a sovereign God was real, for angels as well as humans.
Wishful thinkers like Drury have been waiting a very long time for any abiding evidence that man is essentially good, if only he could just get rid of his religious tendencies.
When no such evidence arrises, they very boringly attack "Straw Man Arguments", defeat them easily, and proceed to conclude their own erudition and scholarliness. Ta-dah!
So, why was she so fascinating, Perry? Am I missing something?
Respectfully,
OldtimerToo (OT2)