whether promoting Bahaism might be a way to stop violent Islam.
The answer is no. Actually, the answer is “Oh dear Lord, this is the same as asking whether you could bloodlessly win a war by sending a lot of balloons with smiley faces across the front lines”.
Bahaism tries to be the next version of Islam
No, not really, it doesn’t. It’s a small religion, an offshoot of Islam, but so are many others in the region. It’s peaceful for the same reason contemporary Judaism does not proselytize—that’s how a minority survives in a hostile world. Any particular reason you prefer Bahais over, say, Alawis? Alawis are actually fighting ISIS at the moment...
Any particular reason you prefer Bahais over, say, Alawis?
No. I just haven’t heard about them before. I guess in every situation we should support the more peaceful alternative that is already there, so the preachers are genuine.
I guess in every situation we should support the more peaceful alternative
I don’t think so—pacifism fails rather badly. Sometimes you just need to kill the bastards.
But if I may ask a general question—what led you to offer a suggestion in the area about which you know practically nothing? This isn’t snark, I am really curious. You probably wouldn’t offer advice on how all the surgeons in the world should operate, so why did you take it upon yourself to suggest changing religions for a billion people?
what led you to offer a suggestion in the area about which you know practically nothing? … You probably wouldn’t offer advice on how all the surgeons in the world should operate, so why did you take it upon yourself to suggest changing religions for a billion people?
I thought that saying “perhaps someone who knows more … could tell whether … might be a way to …” was a sufficient disclaimer.
If I had an idea about how all the surgeons in the world might operate better (e.g. trying tools from materials with different physical properties, having other surgeons watch the operation on video in real time and offer advice when asked by the main surgeon, etc.), yeah, I might ask in the same way whether someone had thought about it.
Indeed, it is humorous to suggest this as a solution. You have now created a task that is probably about as hard as defeating aging of creating a friendly AI. (Well maybe not quite as hard but close!)
The answer is no. Actually, the answer is “Oh dear Lord, this is the same as asking whether you could bloodlessly win a war by sending a lot of balloons with smiley faces across the front lines”.
No, not really, it doesn’t. It’s a small religion, an offshoot of Islam, but so are many others in the region. It’s peaceful for the same reason contemporary Judaism does not proselytize—that’s how a minority survives in a hostile world. Any particular reason you prefer Bahais over, say, Alawis? Alawis are actually fighting ISIS at the moment...
No. I just haven’t heard about them before. I guess in every situation we should support the more peaceful alternative that is already there, so the preachers are genuine.
I don’t think so—pacifism fails rather badly. Sometimes you just need to kill the bastards.
But if I may ask a general question—what led you to offer a suggestion in the area about which you know practically nothing? This isn’t snark, I am really curious. You probably wouldn’t offer advice on how all the surgeons in the world should operate, so why did you take it upon yourself to suggest changing religions for a billion people?
I thought that saying “perhaps someone who knows more … could tell whether … might be a way to …” was a sufficient disclaimer.
If I had an idea about how all the surgeons in the world might operate better (e.g. trying tools from materials with different physical properties, having other surgeons watch the operation on video in real time and offer advice when asked by the main surgeon, etc.), yeah, I might ask in the same way whether someone had thought about it.
Indeed, it is humorous to suggest this as a solution. You have now created a task that is probably about as hard as defeating aging of creating a friendly AI. (Well maybe not quite as hard but close!)