response 241 of 293:

Dec 18 16:56 UTC 2003

re resp:235: In resp:201 I stated that I think Middle Eastern based 
Judao-Christian moral principles are the basis for modern nationalism 
and the conversion of our lifestyles from being based on agriculture to 
being based on industry.

What I see by way of counter-argument is speculation that maybe another 
culture would have gotten there too.  I have no problem with that, 
except that it has nothing to do with the point I made and which is 
presumably being refuted.

It is a fact that Western European culture has become dominant over the 
last 500 years.  Maybe it got to this state despite Christianity, and 
not because of it.  Maybe Buddhism or Hinduism or Samurai culture or 
something else would have gotten there eventually instead.  My only 
argument to that is that none of them did.  Shouldn't that count for 
*something*?  Even if it is stylish on Grex to hate Christianity?

I was responding to resp:200 which questions why anyone would want to 
adopt Judaism or it's offshoots, Christianity and Islam, given that 
there's a political mess in the Middle East.  I'd say (I did say) the 
political mess isn't the most important thing ever to result from the 
Middle East.