The fundie procedure goes something like this. Take everything you don't know, and declare that not knowing something proves god because it's much easier to fill in the gaps with god than ever try to learn anything. Then take everything which has been learned, and declare that this knowledge is so great that it proves god because it's much easier to attribute what you know about things to god than it is to actually study it or formulate and test a theory for why the truths of science are what they are. Finally, deposit fingers in ears and mutter something about faith when people try to reply.
Well, the stated goal of the opening post was to disassociate Islam from terrorism, which the thread does by giving it an overpowering asscoiation with pseudoscience, pseudophilosophy and and silly arguments philosophers shot down many centuries ago which will nonetheless always serve people who feel constantly threatened and insecure enough in their belief that they require the so-called proofs as security blankets. I call it Descartes syndrome normally, but perhaps I should give more credit to Islam as a pioneer in the method (problem is, I get the impression Islam has come to practice it more recently instead of necessarily having always been like that). Anyhow, I find it to be a sure sign that the person at some level knows the irrationality of their belief, and this is why they're fighting so desperately to maintain a facade of reasoning (which, though it may appear pitiful to an observer, gives the user the reassuring idea that they've backed up their faith with logic).
* Disclaimer: Some Muslims take a more rational approach to their religion than others, just as with Christians and other religions. I am aware that not all Muslims would argue that the quaran gives details about the structure of the atmosphere, nor that as I've seen argued elsewhere it predicts Einstein's special relativity in detail. Much like not all Christians declare that every news story is fulfilling something written in the book of revelations.
uzzer said:
ok, remember this sign, and if it happens....
Islam has branched out into horoscopes now too? Well, I recently made a prophesy. On another forum, on August 7th, I wrote "I forsee a horrible disaster when Sedna comes into alignment with 2003 UB313 and Pluto. The ground will shake (in Parkfield, California), the air will boil (in Death Valley), and vast areas will fall into the sea (in Antarctica) as people struggle to breathe in contaminated air (in Mexico City)." I will build a temple to myself later.