A bit last minute of me to advertise, but if you are in the UK, somewhere near the South, please come to my talk at Chichester Skeptics in the Pub. The talk will be about Islam and violence and the details can be found here. The description reads:
On Tuesday 4th October Chichester Skeptics in the Pub welcomes Jonathan Pearce to talk about the nature of Islam,
This century has seen the emergence of Islam as a religion closely connected to violence and terrorism. With regrettable regularity the latest religiously inspired terror attack fills the news broadcasts around the world whether they be the work of ISIS, the Taliban, Al-Qaeda or other such group. However these events are also vociferously condemned by peacful Islamic groups as being distinctly against the teachings fo the Qu’ran. Islam is a religion of peace and unity for many Muslim across the world.
To investigate whether is a part of Islam, and to what extent, Jonathan will examine in turn; the Qu;ran, the history of the prophet of Muhammad, and modern day interpretations given by Muslims. However regardless of his conclusion Jonathan will consider what role political expediency plays in accepting the narrative that fundamentalists are acting outside of the religion. It may be more desirable to accept a more moderate interpretation of Islam, even if it is less accurate.
Jonathan is a philosopher and author of several books of philosophy and theology. He is a founding member of both Tippling Philosophers and the Skeptic Ink Network.
All are welcome at the Chichester Inn. Doors open at 7:30pm and tickets will be available on the door priced at £5.