| The Balance in the world of religions
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| | could be argued that, while an aggressive
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| Each religion including that of
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| | Islam needed to be opposed, a peaceful
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| Christianity, Buddhism and Islam had its
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| | Islam was impotent and only fit for
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| particular impact on the very essence of
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| | cultural improvement.
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| the word, shaping its culture, politics,
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| | On the other hand, the role of force in
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| science, social life according to the
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| | Islam could be down-played. From the
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| main prerogatives of the religions
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| | middle of the seventeenth century there
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| mentioned. Moreover, religions had, I
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| | had been those who decried it as a vulgar
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| would say, the most important influence
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| | opinion that Muhammad spread the faith by
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| on history. It is due the conflict
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| | the sword. [Tailor.T, 1868].
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| between Christianity and Islam the
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| | To cover Islam from the perspective of
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| progress of Western society turned out to
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| | cultural, artistic, political and social
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| be so extensive and deep. It is due to
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| | perspective I would like to propose you
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| Buddhism people try to bring profound
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| | the following brief analysis of Islam.
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| changes to their lives making an effort
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| | Cultural tradition: religious enthusiasm,
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| to free themselves from negative
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| | argument concerning the relative truth of
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| influence of the society they live in.
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| | Islam
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| Buddhism
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| | Artistic traditions: dominance of
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| As the religion of more than 90 per cent
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| | religious contest in all kinds of
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| of Thailand's population, Buddhism became
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| | artistic traditions
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| one of the three pillars of the national
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| | Political system: justified use of
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| ideology, alongside the monarchy and the
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| | force, mission of spreading the faith,
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| nation. Since the very beginnings of
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| | imperial confidence in the virtue of
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| Buddhism in Thailand in the thirteenth
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| | Islamic culture, radical political and
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| century, it has always been closely
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| | social implications, the image of Islam
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| linked with the state, and specifically
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| | as a religion of force, the political
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| with the king in the form of the
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| | decrepitude and moral and social evils
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| dhammaraja (Dharma ruler or just ruler).
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| | Social system: secular and religious
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| Buddhists stress the personal choice of
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| | patronage, the moral degradation of
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| the individual or family when it comes to
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| | women, slavery, the physical and mental
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| religion. No religion is superior to
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| | debilities of men, envy, violence and
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| another: the goal of all religions is
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| | cruelty, the disquiet and misery of
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| identical--to lead a moral life--and
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| | private life, the continual agitations,
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| converting others to Buddhism is not
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| | commotions, and revolutions of public
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| given much prominence.
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| | life.
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| Buddhism in the age of Asoka had made
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| | According to Smith Islam and scientific
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| universal claims to the allegiance of
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| | and political progress are incompatible.
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| man. Eventually, allegiance or commitment
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| | Thus, Islam was often seen as the source
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| would become the major feature of other
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| | of all the evils which, in the western
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| religions such as Christianity and Islam
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| | imagination at least, had afflicted
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| Christianity unjustified use of force.
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| | Islamic societies. It was Islam,
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| The Christians are convinced that theirs
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| | extravagant but not progressive, that had
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| is the way of ultimate truth. For
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| | relieved the eastern mind from the
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| Protestants even more than for Catholics,
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| | discipline of improving itself, and had
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| Christianity is seen as superior to all
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| | left it in its preferred state of untamed
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| other religions.
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| | wildness. Islam and scientific and
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| Christianity has become the religion of
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| | political progress are incompatible, as
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| dogmas. However, divided by heresy and
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| | Christianity and scientific and political
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| factionalism, and permeated by impiety,
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| | progress are not incompatible". [Smith
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| inequity, iniquity and idolatry
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| | B., 1995]
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| Christianity was near to lose its
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| | Consequently, Islamic religion can be
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| humanistic nature. Still, the image
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| | characterized by
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| Christianity as a vibrant, active,
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| | 1.Blind devotion to Muhammad
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| progressive was a good contrast to a
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| | 2.The presence of Islamic fatalism.
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| passive inert Islam. This was one of the
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| | 3.religious intolerance
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| factors that enabled religious and
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| | 4.political despotism
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| political hegemony of Western culture.
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| | Despotism.
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| These were common definitions of
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| | The perceived relationship between Islam
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| differences between these two religions.
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| | and despotism has always been the
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| Edward Freeman, for example, defined the
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| | landmark of many disputes. However, I
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| west as progressive, legal, monogamous
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| | would again refer to Bosworth Smith, who
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| and Christian, and the East as arbitrary,
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| | considered that it to be wrong to judge
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| stationary, polygamous and Mahometan. To
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| | Islam in terms of despotism as well as
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| William Muir, Islam may have been
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| | Christianity in terms of Anabaptists,
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| suitable to the Arabia of the time of
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| | Pillar Saints, or Shakers. Consequently,
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| Muhammad, but quite unsuited to other
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| | a strong tendency to evaluate Islam as
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| times and places: "it binds society hand
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| | the source of all evil is a mistake.
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| and foot", he declared. [Smith B, 1995].
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| | It is quite visible that there are
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| So, my evaluation of Christianity as a
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| | significant differences in the cultures
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| religion would look as follows.
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| | of different religious societies.
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| Cultural tradition: no religious
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| | However, my reading the book by Herb
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| enthusiasm, argument concerning the
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| | Ziegler Traditions & Encounters: A Global
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| relative truth Christianity
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| | Perspective on the Past has helped me to
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| Artistic traditions: partial religious
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| | shape my perception of history as
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| contest in all kinds of artistic
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| | connection of "complex societies"[Ziegler
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| traditions, the prevalence of secular
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| | H.,2005] that eventually is an inevitable
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| traditions over religious ones
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| | process for coexistence of different
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| Political system: Legal basis
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| | worlds and ways of life. However, the
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| Social system: secular and religious
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| | most controversial issue in this aspect
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| patronage, the moral value of women,
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| | is religion.
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| slavery, , violence and cruelty,
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| | 6
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| revolutions of public life.
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| | Conclusion.
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| Islam as religion of enthusiasm
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| | The world religions (Buddhism,
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| In the later part of the eighteenth and
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| | Christianity, Islam) created the history
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| into the nineteenth century, religious
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| | and shaped it in the way of continuous
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| enthusiasm no longer carried the radical
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| | contest the outcome of which is the
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| political and social implications it had
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| | society we are having now as it has been
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| held during Commonwealth and Restoration
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| | stated in my paper. My research also
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| times. It was more often viewed as
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| | proved that each religion is unique in
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| potentially self-deceptive than socially
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| | its own way, and is build upon long-term
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| disruptive. As Nathan Alcock put it in
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| | traditions. In fact, all religions has
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| 1796: "Enthusiasm may cause a man to
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| | both positive and negative sides.
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| deceive himself, and take his own fancies
| |
| | Eventually, neither of religions could be
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| and conceptions for divine suggestions.
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| | defined as right or wrong. That is why
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| This probably was the case with Mahomet
| |
| | everyone must be aware f other
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| and the success of his enterprises [sic]
| |
| | civilization's presence and its cultural,
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| might still further persuade him that his
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| | social and political values.
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| cause was the cause of God." [Thomas
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| | Consequently, the rivalry between this
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| Alcock T.,, 1796]
| |
| | West and that East--between the West and
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| In the Victorian period, the cultural
| |
| | Islam--is natural rivalry of two
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| hegemony of west over east allowed for
| |
| | different systems each of which has
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| modifications to the image of Islam as a
| |
| | strong demand for world dominance.
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| religion of force. On the one hand it
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| |
|
