Dialogue with Muslim Extremists - A Starting Point for Results?

Perhaps the Muslim extremist movement could be deflated by a direct theological/values discussion. Young men may choose to join these movements for a number of reasons but one component seems to be that they believe they are serving God. The Taliban in Pakistan desire to instill sharia law. Perhaps a motive for this is that it will allow better devotion to God and eliminate temptation and sin.

This particular motive is one the nation and particularly the church can offer agreement. Emphasizing that we also desire a society with less lust and prideful vain ambitions could open discussion on the means towards this end. We could then argue that killing innocent people is not the best way. We could show how people in the US are living holy lives even while women are given equal rights to dress and work as they are called.

We could even offer assistance and collaboration for living lives free from sin. This could include counseling and advertisement. It could include assistance countering pornography and prostitution and it could emphasize using wealth for the benefit of the poor and countering greed.

Perhaps this effort would seem too religious for the US government to undertake. If this is the case perhaps the Vatican or some association of churches could take this tact.