Europe more dangerouse than USA? (gunshots vs terror threat)

That is not an accurate representation at all Hoyt or reflecting historical events that one side of the coin hence my reply.

I have studied religion a lot when i was younger and i did not find a single religion or faith that advocates hate, murder or death.
ALL RELIGIONS teach tolerance understanding and how to become a better person and also how to be strong to defend yourself.
Now if a person calls himself a Muslim or christian or what ever and in the name of his religion commits atrocities why is the religion at fault?

Just like if some one breaks the law and steals, would you say that the law and all law abiding citizens are wrong or the person doing the deed is at fault?

Atrocities in the name of Christianity have been made thorough out the history does that mean Christianity or Christians are at fault? No it doesnt just the people doing the crimes because they choose to hurt others in what ever name, faith, reason.

 

I've seen videos, blogs and collections of writings all over the internet that quote passages from the Quaran and other Muslim writings as 'proof' that it is a Muslim's religious obligation to kill or subjugate non-believers. For some reason, none of them ever quote Muhammed's letter in 628, to monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai.

This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.
Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them.
Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses.
Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.
The Muslims are to fight for them.
If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).

That doesn't prove all Muslims are little saints of course, and the word of Muhammed has often been twisted or ignored. On the other hand, do we really need to go through a long laundry list of the things Christians have done in the name of God and Jesus? Or quote some of the bloodier passages from the Bible?

 

I was not aware you knew that Troy, thank you for your post.
I choose to abide by my teaching and my religion just because it helps me become a better person, what ever the faith one believes in the religion, teaching etc.. if it helps him become a more reasonable man than that should be his religion.

A quote from a man i met a long time ago (he was christian btw):
"Religion is a guide to make yourself a better human, choose what ever religion that helps you reach that goal."

 

Islam, Christianity and Judaism are all religions devoted to the same god, with some minor tweaks such as christianity holding Jesus for god, while he is a Prophet in Islam, and a wannabe in Judaism. But Religious history of sevral thousand years ago holds little relevance over the politics of today, IMHO.

 

God has killed more ppl in the world than anything or anyone else.

 

Very true, yet its used as a tool to create a false sense of fear and assumptions about other nations faiths and beliefs.

We have Jewish temples in Egypt as well as churches, my mothers Aunts where Christians, my wife's Aunts are Christians, one of my best friends in Christian, our neighbors as well.
Even in Egypt there are those who wish to create a barrier between faiths, use the media when incidents happen to generalize how bad the relationship between religions are.
yet here i am and i would stand by any of my friends or relatives regardless of their faith (even have a couple of atheist friends)

Honestly all i wanted from this thread is to relay a message not to pre-judge faiths or religions, color or behavior. if a muslim, christian, jew or human commits a crime punish him, not his faith, family or friends.

This thread has been a portal of views and ideas, we might not agree but it was a pleasure being part of the discussion!
I shall take my leave now and hope for further fruitful discussions.

 

This discussion is very easy for us non-religious types. All religions are the same to us.

Hoyt's quote though:

This quote could easily be rewritten to say:

^^^^^^Could be written by a Native American or victim of the Spanish Inquisition or Crusades, commenting on Christians.

Just about all large religious groups have members that are guilty of violence and land grabs under the guise of religion.

 

fox news doesn't bother me, i wear a tin foil hat

 

both your eyes are on the right side of your face

 

I don't advocate hate, murder or death either. I believe in freedom of religion and that the "People of the Book" should not be forced to pay the higher tax levied upon them for not being Muslim. Let us protect each others' necks by living in peace with each other.

There is nothing in Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism that says kill non-believers, but in the quran are written the "Prophet Muhammad’s" words: “I have been ordered by Allah to fight and kill all people [non-Muslims] until they say, ‘No God except Allah.’”

 

It's more complicated than it sounds.

I'm not wild about the idea of paying higher taxes if you're the wrong religion, either. But those Muslim laws were originally a careful political balancing act, rather than just an unfair taxation system. Yes, the Jisya was levied only on non-Muslims. But in return, they were guaranteed the same protection and most of the same rights as Muslim citizens, and exempted from some of the requirements laid on Muslims, such as compulsory military service and zakat -- the mandatory alms paid by Muslims. And their freedom to practice their own religion was guaranteed.

Show me an instance in Christianity (before the USA) where non-Christians were guaranteed the right to practice their religion -- aside from Sicily, where the Normans simply reversed the system after conquering it, and charged the local Muslims Jisya.

 

Before Islam, Chrisianity was spread in the Old World by word of mouth. The militancy experienced in the New World was an over-reaction after having just evicted the Moors from Spain in the same year 1492 AD that Columbus discovered the New World. In the Old World, Islam was spread by the sword. In the New World it is spread by word of mouth and the use of violence only harms the message.

 

you wanna go with that statement?

 

That plus the witnessing of wholesale human sacrifice may have set them off a bit.

 

so your saying the devil made them do it?