OTOT
Tom, I think you hit the nail on the head. That's what troubles me most. I bet if there was a way to examine all the Muslim people in the world, the vast majority would be found to be decent law abiding people, just like you and me. Unfortunately, the Quran and Mohammed himself leave some very appalling messages for Muslims. Like you said, Jesus made it very clear through his actions and words that violence in all its forms just wasn't acceptable. When the Roman soldier slapped him, he turned the other cheek. He was asked, how many times do you forgive your enemies, 7 times? He said, "Seven times seven," meaning there is no end to how many times you forgive your enemies. They then crucified him and even though he had all the power of God at his disposal, he did nothing, because he knew through his death a million, million other souls would be saved.
When I first started reading about Islam after 9/11, I had it fixed in my head that Jews, Christians, and Muslims all had variants of the same religion and that they all held the same ideals. But what I found out after reading the Quran, shocked and apalled me. Anyway, I, like you, believe this is a very controversial subject with no way to win the argument. I just get so mad when I see things happen like in Bali, that sometimes I let it all boil over. But at least we can discuss it here without fear of death. If I was in Mecca and said some of the things we've all be talking about, I probably would have been stoned to death. Long live America! |
