I did address your points re ‘Machismo’ (patriarchy) and the larger influence of Catholicism than distant ancient Saracens, but I will not return the insults, that’s not my style, sorry.

“Your arrogance is breathtaking.”

Have you considered that your humour was lacking?

As for the rest of the screed directed at me (not my comments), you’ll have to try elsewhere to get someone to answer personal insults, no matter how far off base. Please try and stick to the topic.

I was making a point about culture, not race. You’re the resident atheist, aren’t you? I thought I detected a Dawkinsesque snark in your tone. Maybe your son was unruly because his dad barely acts older than a teenager himself.

Maybe my (white)parents were right, Mediterranean people aren’t to be trusted, they are ‘nearly black’ after all?

Christianity exhorts men to love their wives as “Christ loves the church and gave himself up for her…” We are to love our wives sacrificially, even to the point of death. Women are co-heirs in Christ’s kingdom and are given equal status. They are not allowed to preach or be the head of the family because of the creation order and the fact that they are the “weaker vessel.”

In Islam, women are property and are considered to be made inferior to men. For more on this, read “The Politically Incorrect Guide to Islam” or just read the Quran and Sahih al Bukhari and the biography of Mohammed by Ibn Ishaq. It’ll take you a while, but thanks for the moral equivalence.

OH GIVE ME A BREAK!!!!!

Patriarchy is across all “major” religions, which includes Christianity, or is the STRONG belief that women belong at home and that women don’t belong in the pulpit not tied to patriarchy?

I think Catholicm has more of an influence on the “morida” aspect of their culture-the bribes Mexicans pay almost everywhere to get things moving along or to avoid arrest.

Napoleon Bonaparte observed that “Europe ends at the Pyrenees” when noting that Spanish culture was so little like European culture. When the Muslims were finally kicked out of Spain in 1492, a nominal Roman Catholicism was imposed on the whole country. The Roman Cahtolic church is the great chameleon – it simply molds to whatever the going culture already believes. Local gods are replaced with patron saints of various things,etc. It tends not to replace the culture already in place – just worsen it, if anything.

In this day and age, with the Catholic church teaching that Allah and Yahweh are the same God, its little surprise that Latinos are converting to Islam.

As to your point about the Mafia – Sicily was conquered by the Muslims, which is why they’re darker than northern Italians, who look Germanic.

This it what warms me to patriarchal religions!

But I think you will find, Walt, that Catholicism contributes a large part of Latino/Chicano cultural ‘machismo’ characteristics.

If you have proof that it, instead, is a hangover from Middle-Ages Islam, then I too would be interested to read that. I have no conflict of interest in weighing religious effects on cultures so I will look at any evidence from an arguably objective point. Also do you have similar proof that the Mafia’s misogyny and brutalism comes from ancient Islam…?

An irony I find saddening is that many latinas are now turning to Islam as a route out of the Latino/Catholic patriarchy.

A case of out of the patriarchal pan, into the, er, patriarchal pan?

I would also add that just 0.37% of latinos are agnostic or atheistic

http://www.facsnet.org/issues/faith/espinosa.php

whether this is significant depends upon one’s viewpoint, maybe.

Regards,

John