**** Elections thread *****

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Given that you're paraphrasing and assuming the clarification was genuine, I think the initial remark was very poorly worded and far too abrupt to convey his feelings on the issue. He's a candidate for president, communication is very important.

That being said, his clarification is spot on, imo. I think it's great that he gave the counter example of a theocratic Christian. Good on him.

edit: Even so, the assumption that any Muslim, and especially one who would stand as a candidate for POTUS, would support a Sharia based theocracy is a pretty big gaff in of of itself. I mean, I understand it to an extent-- this was a wide spread worry about Kennedy having a primary allegiance to the pope-- but we're in the information age, it's too easy to do a little research and realize that moderate Muslims who don't believe in a Sharia based theocracy are a significant minority in Islam.

edit2: But this was ffffffffffffffffar less egregious than Trump assuring that mouth breather that, "We'll be looking into that" when asked about Obama being Muslim or born in Kenya or whatever.

[wufwugy]

but we're in the information age, it's too easy to do a little research and realize that moderate Muslims who don't believe in a Sharia based theocracy are a significant minority in Islam.

about this specifically, i cant find it but i recall seeing some stats on poll responses from these so-called moderate muslims across the globe. the results were shocking. it seems moderate islam still has lots of philosophical agreements with extreme islam. granted i dont have a source and even then you can say anything you want with stats (especially polls)

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about this specifically, i cant find it but i recall seeing some stats on poll responses from these so-called moderate muslims across the globe. the results were shocking. it seems moderate islam still has lots of philosophical agreements with extreme islam. granted i dont have a source and even then you can say anything you want with stats (especially polls)

Yeah, no, I'm definitely sort of playing devils advocate here, because I feel pretty strongly that, of the world religions, Islam has some pretty heinous flaws that we should rightfully be worried about. But I also think that it is terribly erroneous to allow so much wiggle room for Christians, Jews, Buddhist, etc, but insist that Muslims must be fundamentalist or renounce their faith.

As for tact and whatnot-- I hear what you're saying, but being an absolutist in any way is almost always going to be less than optimal. So, for example, the idea that being frank is virtuous, especially if the sentiment is backed by fact-- this may be argued on some sort of theoretical level, but in reality the candidate adhering to this "virtue" isn't going to ever see the oval office. Thought of a different way, the target is honesty, and at one extreme we have the liars and at the other extreme we have the inconsiderate. Absolutism never hits the mark (har har.)