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[[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 15:23, 3 March 2009 (EST)

[[User:AddisonDM|AddisonDM]] 15:23, 3 March 2009 (EST)

1.The [[Five Pillars of Islam]] are submission to [[God]], fasting during [[Ramadan]], the [[Hajj]] (pilgrimage to Mecca), almsgiving, and [[prayer]] five times daily facing Mecca in the East.  These are the most fundamental requirements of all [[Muslim]]s.  

1.The Five Pillars of Islam are submission to [[God]], fasting during [[Ramadan]], the [[Hajj]] (pilgrimage to Mecca), almsgiving, and [[prayer]] five times daily facing Mecca in the East.  These are the most fundamental requirements of all [[Muslim]]s.  

2.The major difference between Islam and [[Christianity]] is that Islam combines [[government]]al and [[military]] ideas with [[religious]] ones.  Christianity instructs its followers to be good [[citizen]]s and follow their own governments for the most part ([[Jesus]] said "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s," and the [[Bible]] and Christian tradition uphold good citizenship), while Islam, at least for much of its past, has militarily conquered land and set up its own government.  Islam adopted some of the violence that seems typical in the [[Middle East]], and contains elements of theocracy, making it both a religion and an ideology. [[Shariah]] is considered the only fully approved form of government in Shia Islam.

2.The major difference between Islam and [[Christianity]] is that Islam combines [[government]]al and [[military]] ideas with [[religious]] ones.  Christianity instructs its followers to be good [[citizen]]s and follow their own governments for the most part ([[Jesus]] said "Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s," and the [[Bible]] and Christian tradition uphold good citizenship), while Islam, at least for much of its past, has militarily conquered land and set up its own government.  Islam adopted some of the violence that seems typical in the [[Middle East]], and contains elements of theocracy, making it both a religion and an ideology. [[Shariah]] is considered the only fully approved form of government in Shia Islam.

3.I equally like [[Charles the Hammer]] and [[Charlemagne]].  Charles the Hammer famously won the [[Battle of Tours]] in 732, saving [[Europe]] from a Muslim military invasion.  This preserved Christianity in [[Europe]] and also kept peace.  Charlemagne almost re-established a civilized and overarching central government with the [[Holy Roman Empire]], and he introduced [[education]] and [[civilization]] where there had been very little.

3.I equally like Charles the Hammer and [[Charlemagne]].  Charles the Hammer famously won the [[Battle of Tours]] in 732, saving [[Europe]] from a Muslim military invasion.  This preserved Christianity in [[Europe]] and also kept peace.  Charlemagne almost re-established a civilized and overarching central government with the [[Holy Roman Empire]], and he introduced [[education]] and [[civilization]] where there had been very little.

4.I like that [[feudalism]] seems to be a great improvisation.  It began rather haphazardly but it worked very well.  Even though there was no strong central government like in the [[Roman Empire]], Europe functioned much as though there was.  The fact that all the land was owned, and that peasants could not move, made the system very stable and difficult to disrupt.  I imagine it like a square board cut into pieces and surrounded by a frame.  Whatever happens on top of the board, the board itself remains intact.

4.I like that [[feudalism]] seems to be a great improvisation.  It began rather haphazardly but it worked very well.  Even though there was no strong central government like in the [[Roman Empire]], Europe functioned much as though there was.  The fact that all the land was owned, and that peasants could not move, made the system very stable and difficult to disrupt.  I imagine it like a square board cut into pieces and surrounded by a frame.  Whatever happens on top of the board, the board itself remains intact.