Quote Originally Posted by Bob's World View Post
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We must compete a more successful message (not attack their message) to win this competition with Muslim extremists, and we must also modify our behavior in the Middle East. This must be a two-way street or we'll never get there.
I suspect it will take more than just competing a more successful message, particularly if we accept the value of BW's analogy based on his view of the Reformation's effect on the reigning Roman Catholic political status quo.

The response of Roman Catholicism in the Counter-Reformation was to turn away from the philosophical underpinnings of its world view and message--Neo-Platonism as modified by Augustine. A different world view, based on Aristotle, as seen through the lens of Thomas Aquinas, became central to the work of the reforming monks who sought to win the world back for Rome. The religious message remained the same; what changed was the metaphysical and epistemic foundation on which the message stood.

Interestingly, a slightly different process took place in England. The Anglican Church outdid Rome at its understanding of Aristotle and won the day by focussing on the pragmatic aspects of his work, particularly the naive empirical epistemology. This more practical application to the everyday person won over the English people more effectively than the casuistry found in Thomism.

(But this is all just my opinion as a former academic with some little hands on time as a practical person too.)