Islam is one of the world’s most popular religions, but it’s also among the most complex and misunderstood faith systems. This fact remains, despite its prominence in terms of the number of adherents and its prevalence in mainstream news media. When considering an overall analysis, there are a wide variety of reasons why the Muslim faith is so difficult to pin down.
To begin, political events (September 11 and international terror incidents) have helped to color the public’s sometimes negative perception of the faith. As a result, there’s an overwhelming tendency to view the Muslim religion as a singular entity — however, this oversimplifies the dynamics both within and surrounding the faith.
Considering Islam’s wide reach into diverse territories, there are a multitude of traditions, beliefs and customs that can be found within the Muslim umbrella. Many times, media report about the Islamic faith as though it is overwhelmingly linear. But, like many other religious traditions, the customs and practices that are undertaken by adherents greatly differ — as do the interpretations of its central commandments.
30 comments:
Ok. So how many Christians kill people because they are not Christian? Anyone have an answer? Muslims are radical barbarians. They have never known peace. They do not care about peace. Please stop making them look like peace loving people, because they are not, nor will ever be.
5:47
The difference is the Bible tells us NOT to kill. God gives us free will if we chose to kill someone it is not from the teaching of the bible......
Now open a quran. It tells them they may kill and gives many reasons and sometimes no reason at all that they may kill for allah. I wonder why allah doesn't do his own dirty work.
Leave it to Barack Hussein Obama --
NOT!
Can someone just plain cut to the chase about the Qu'ran, the Quoran, and the Koran? Somehow Muslims want to kill Jews and Christians, but somehow Jews and Muslims go with the XXX-ran, and Christians and Jews have no interest in killing anybody! If this could ever be explained to all 3 sides, I'm sure there would be less confusion. Until then, I'm thinkin', "Kill 'em all, let God sort 'em out!". I mean, who can make a rational decision without the full understanding.
To 5:47 - read some European history and you'll see there are plenty of examples of Christians killing people because of their faith. Your ignorance of both history and religion is astounding.
5:57,
Have you ever heard of the Crusades? A series of wars raged on by christians which lasted for generations. Or how about christian militias which have committed war crimes in Africa? Every religion has extremists, but people with common sense realize this and do not attribute the actions of extremists with an entire religion.
7:02
"First of all, the crusades should not be referred to as the “Christian crusades.” Most of the people involved in the crusades were not truly Christians, even though they claimed to be. The name of Christ was abused, misused, and blasphemed by the actions of many of the crusaders. Second, the crusades took place from approximately A.D. 1095 to 1230. Should the unbiblical actions of supposed Christians hundreds of years ago still be held against Christians today?"
The crusades were in response to the muslim invasion of what was one land occupied by Christians.
ALL muslims are extremist if they follow the quran.
>>>A series of wars raged on by christians which lasted for generations.<<< I'm not quite certain what that gibberish is supposed to mean. Are you equally aware that parts of Europe were occupied by Islamic invaders? It was not just Christians 'raging on' - despite what you've seen at the movies.
8:14 this is 5:47 Thanks for your statement. It was where I was coming from and you presented it better. We are on the same page!.
The original crusades were to stop the exact same thing that is happening now.
Islam trying to conquer the world and convert all to Islam. By FORCE.
If you choose not to convert and they have power, you are dead. Period. Christians are being slaughtered daily all over the World in the name of Allah.
Any questions? Disputes?
Have a look at thereligionofpeace dot com.
Islam is an evil cult wrought with contradictions of humanity, double standards and general immorality not to mention muslims are barbaric people with no respect for Human dignity or life.
There were plenty of European wars waged by Christians other than the Crusades, not to mention various pogroms against the Jews and other massacres of non-Christians or Christians who held "wrong" beliefs. That's true even up to present times. Look at the Troubles in Northern Ireland. Of course, people try to say that these weren't the actions of "real" Christians. Perhaps, but if you want to evade the issue this way, you can't blame Islam for the actions of Islamic terrorists.
9:47
You are MISSING the point. A Christian that would kill in such a manner is NOT following the teaching of the bible.
A muslim that kills is following the teaching of the quran.
You can claim you are any religion, your actions are what define you.
ok 9:32 you obviously don't know much actual medieval history about the Islamic empires in the Middle East/North Africa/parts of Europe when you claim that "if you choose not to convert and they have power, you are dead. period." this is patently false. Open up a history book about the time, you'll come across the Muslim term "dhimmi," literally referring to a "protected person". It described the class of people in Muslim kingdoms that weren't actual Muslim citizens. (Read: Christian and Jewish citizens). They had full legal rights under Muslim laws in their kingdoms, with relatively minor restrictions on things like not being able to eat pork in the open, etc. Even these restrictions seriously pale in comparison to the blood-libel atrocities committed by Christian kingdoms in Europe during the same time against Jews. So yeah, mainstream Muslims really aren't out to kill you, anymore than mainstream Christians are out to kill Muslims. I would know, I'm a history major.
Do they really believe that "virgins 4 U" stuff?
With all the recent converts to Islam are there any virgins left?
" I would know, I'm a history major"
You are not making your case with that statement. With all the liberal professors out there who knows what you are being taught.
You also need to look up dhimmi, dhimmitude or dhimmitude tax. This is the muslim system of controlling non-muslims populations conquered through jihad. Non-muslims are FORCED to pay a tax for their protection. It's also part of Sharia law. Don't you think for a minute they will NOT kill you.
"Open up a history book about the time, you'll come across the Muslim term "dhimmi," literally referring to a "protected person"."
I don't know what the literal definintion is when translated but as 4:20 points out dhimmi under Sharia is a more "tit for tat" concept. A far as "protected" that's a bit misleading taken at it's common definition also. Non Muslins weren't so much "protected" but more excused from certain Muslim duties and were allowed to engage in some non Muslim behaviour but with restrictions applied. Like alcohol consumption was permitted but in private as was worship of a religion other that Muslim.
10:20
If you're a History major locally you're probably victim of liberal revisionist history professors.
If your assumptions are true, explain the daily killing of Christians in the Muslim world....
More importantly explain why today's Christians aren't out killing muslims in the streets of America.
8:43,
How about the dopey Christian who shot up the Sihks in Wisconsin, because he was too ignorant to know that they were not Muslims? His goal was to kill Muslims, he just didn't have one of those "liberal history professors" to teach him crazy things like the difference between Sikhs and Muslims.
Yeah, I know you will just say "well, he wasn't being Christian." Same could be said for the Muslim extremists. the problem is extremism, not any particular religion.
9:08
I'm not 8:43 but let me try to explain this to you in simple terms.
In the Christian faith God gives you feel will. You can either chose to follow his teaching or not. People can claim they are christian but their actions that you speak of are not following what the bible teaches.
The muslims on the other hand are taught by their Imams and the quran that killing in the name of allah is ok. There are several verses in the quran the detail how to kill the infedel. Smite them above their necks etc etc. These are the teachings of the quran.
Do you see the difference now? (probably not)
A good Christian will NOT kill an innocent person.
A good Muslim will. If you read the quran it will tell you muslims can not kill and innocent person. However if you are a non-muslim you are never innocent you are an infidel. There are several verses that deal with killing the infidel. Smite them above their necks etc etc. They are even allowed to lie if it is in the best interest of their religion.
9:20,
So. . . the popes who have ordered their followers to kill non-Catholics were not actually Christian? News to them. There are plenty of passages in the Bible that can be used to justify killing people. You take the Koran literally (as do those extremist Muslims) but undoubtedly do not take the Bible literally (seriously, do you think 2 of every animal literally got on some boat, or is that an allegory? Did women turn into salt? Slavery, good or bad? Mix any fibers lately? Did water literally turn into wine--if so Romney's anti-alcohol beliefs seem to go directly against what Jesus would do). The Koran, like the Bible, contradicts itself and can be read to justify all sorts of great things and all sorts of terrible things. Bottom line is this: are you a good person or a bad person? You will choose passagges based on that and that alone.
well i have read some of the comments. If the article is close to what Islam is about, well there are plenty of People not coming close to following their own religion.
About chistianianty when some one uses Chistiananty in a not so christian way (example: the baptist church which protest soliders funeral) Christians speak out against such acts stating that is not chistian at all and go back and read your bible again.
10:05
Show me in the New Testament where God says to kill an innocent person.
Your actions make you a good or bad person. Where do you think the teaching of what is good and what is bad comes from?
The bible is what sets what is good and what is not. Think about it
Don't steal, lie, cheat, kill, love your neighbor, respect your parents etc etc.
Now open a quran and show me where it mentions love at all.
Please find a headline in a recent paper that tells of a Christian that is being charge for an honor killing or was put in prison because she was raped. These are all part of Sharia law aka Muslim law.
Don't hold people accountable for things that happened hundreds of years ago. Lets talk about what is going on today!
You liberals claim the Republicans have a war on women but sympathize with these muslims that are abusing women. Women are raped and put in prison because it was their fault. They are murdered by their family because they disgraced the family honor and got theirself raped. They have their genitals mutilated so they can not enjoy sex because that would mean they would cheat on their husband. They are married off when they are children to some old guy for the money he will pay their family. In many countries they can not leave the house unless they are with their husband. In other places are they forced to walk behind their husband because he is better than they are. In other parts they are forced to walk many steps ahead..in case there is a land mine. They are forced to wear clothing from head to toe because they men have no self control and if they see skin it might excite them. The men are allowed to have temporary wives if they are away on business. It's a way for them to legally cheat on their spouses.
I could go on and on but somehow I don't think you will get the point.
Keep sympathizing with them and it might be your neck at the end of that knife or rope.
Please stop comparing actions separated by hundreds of years in a "tit for tat" argument. Civilization progresses and is SUPPOSED to become more enlightened, as in, it's wrong to set women on fire, its wrong to slice a human's head off and broadcast it in a show of their "strong faith" (!!?), it's wrong to blow up a market full of women and children to show your disapproval of an event that happen 5000 miles away. It's wrong to kill your daughter to save your "honor". Because Christians did something 800 years ago DOES NOT compare to, or justify, barbaric treatent of people TODAY. Isn't THAT taught in history class?
You don't have to go back 800 years to find examples of people using Christianity to justify terrible behavior.
Westboro Baptist: today.
Crazy guy in Wisconsin: Today.
Pedophile priests: today.
Eric Rudolph: today.
Murder of George Tiller: today
Recent history: Catholics vs Protestants killing each other in Northern Ireland.
Somewhat recent history: KKK
You will not find liberals justifying the Taliban's horrible treatment of women. In fact, NOW (which your hero Rush calls feminazis) has been trying desperately to get attention to their evil acts since the early 1980s. But you wouldn't listen to them because, after all, they were just a bunch of radical feminists. Liberals also do not support cutting off of heads (that typically is the "eye for an eye" argument that comes from the Bible and conservatives).
Which liberals are justifying the actions of the extremist murderers? Certainly not me, and certainly not a single liberal that I know. Of course you will find some nut-job so-called liberal who will rant about how America deserves this--but then I can point to none other than the good Christian Pat Robertson, who said America deserved 9/11. I'll say it again, the problem is extremism, not any particular religion.
Oh, I forgot the nut-job in Norway who murdered 70+ kids. Let's add him to the list.
You liberals just do NOT get it. One LAST TIME. God gives Christians free will. They can follow him or not. If you select to not follow the bible that is on YOU. You will be judged. If you do wrong wrong you will be judged by GOD. The bible does NOT tell people to do bad things. People make the choice to do those bad things but it is NOT from the teachings of the bible.
When muslims kill others they ARE following what is in the quran.
That is as simply as I can put it. If you don't get it Im sorry you never will.
Wow, you guys busting my chops for the history major comment are hilarious. Notice I mentioned they were treated "relatively" well. Yes, it was a tit-for-tat thing, they had to pay a tax to be protected. Keep in mind though, this was the Middle Ages. Jews in Europe were regularly being executed because superstitious Christian leaders believed in "blood libel" and that Jews were murdering Christian babies to use their blood in religious rites. Relative to that, non-Muslims had it fairly easy paying a dhimmi tax. Again, this history lesson brought to you by an actual, educated history major. Not crazy fringe political beliefs you'll find on the best-seller shelf at Barnes and Noble.
I think you should ask for a refund. You could have found the drivel you spew anywhere online at any muslim site. I guess what you are saying is Christians have evolved and the muslims are still living in the stone age.
2:18,
See, you believe you are the judge of what is right and wrong in the Bible, or what constitutes "bad things." Is it wrong to say women should be silent in the church? Says it right there in the Bible (heck, that is even in the New Testament)! Yet some Christians do ordain women. Quit pretending all Christians believe the Bible says the same thing about what is right and wrong. Is it ok to enslave people? Bible says so! Or doesn't. It all depends on how you read it. Is it ok to murder an abortion doctor? Yes and no, depending on what part of the Bible you read. Death penalty? Some Christians believe in it, others argue vehemently against it, each one using the Bible. Is nuclear war bad, or is it a good thing because it is a sign of the end times? Can you drink alcohol? Jesus did, but baptists and Governor Romney say you cannot. By the way, are Mormons Christians? Depends who you ask. It isn't as simple as "do the right thing as it says in the Bible" because even Christians cannot agree what the Bible is telling them to do.
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