re: #127 NelsFree

Dear Fianna (and such a lovely name, too),

I respect your ability to hold your “belief” of Islam and basically peaceful. Others, like myself, have taken time to study the Koran, the Sunnah (biography of Mo) and the Hadith (sayings and stories about Mo). It is my opinion that, if you take some time to read up on Islam, your opinion may change. Please read up on it.

Love,
NelsFree

Thank you for the compliment.

On this issue, I strongly agree with Charles.

All ideologies can be misused by humans who seek control. To say that the Koran advocates violence is absolutely true. However, so does the Old Testament - stoning adulterers, the right of fathers to kill disobedient sons, etc. Most modern Jews and Christians don’t do that and don’t accept it as part of their daily faith practice. They find and cling to the other parts of the Torah and Bible which advocate good things like charity and humility.

One thing to consider is that while the Koran is definitely based on the Bible, it’s also post-Roman and not a reaction to Roman culture the way that the Bible is. The 3rd c. was an exceptionally violent time and it’s not strange that the book would be marked by the era in which it was written.

The Muslims that say that Allah demands killing are no different than the extreme Christians that say that the Bible demands killing abortion doctors and pagans. I won’t let myself judge all of Christianity by it’s nutcases, and I won’t descent to the BNP’s level by judging all followers of Islam by Bin Ladin’s actions. Most Muslims haven’t killed anyone, same as most Christians, even though certainly some of both Muslims and Christians have done so in the name of a perverted belief in their faith.