BARBARIAN UPDATE

I almost hesitate to link to Eternity Road's hard-hitting, plain-spoken take-down of the recent Muslim riots, and their implications for society.

Almost, that is. But, as usual, Francis W. Porretto may be blunt in his assessment, but he is truthful, pointing out that:

civilized societies expect a man to refrain from violence against others, except in self-defense or defense of innocent others. We expect that a mature man will grasp the importance of this without having to be policed continuously. Those who don't, we imprison or execute.

(Incidentally, it speaks volumes that, among persons born in this country, Islam has made the overwhelming preponderance of its gains among convicted criminals, more often than not while they were imprisoned.)

Now, factually, Christianity made ITS first gains among the bottom level of that society, including the criminals. However, the difference is that, in Christianity, the leadership of the Church kept chivying and hectoring the recently converted to mend their ways, and was willing to toss them out if they didn't behave themselves.

Not so Islam.

Their leadership encourages the mobs' excesses, and uses their influence to whip them into regular frenzies of vile behavior. SOME of that behavior is unprovoked:

Muslims around the world routinely do far worse to non-Muslims -- mostly Christians and Jews -- when they can get away with it, and sometimes even when they can't. There have been no riots among Christians or Jews about maltreatment at Muslim hands, or about the desecration of Christian or Jewish holy places or documents. Who remembers the defilement of the Church of the Nativity by Palestinian terrorists? Who remembers it in the Muslim world -- and to what effect?

Where were the Muslims condemning the actions of the terrorists?

Answer: too busy blaming "the Joooos" for the situation.

Go read the whole thing. Then add Eternity Road to your blogroll.