Sallow -> RE: Islam Religion of Peace??? (9/11/2006 5:29:36 PM)
|
Like the many versions of the Bible, the Koran makes enough leading statements that any fundamentalist extremist can use it as justification for all sorts of murderous behavior. However, it's always been my firm conviction that if you're truly spiritually awake, and seeking the Divine - in whatever manner you perceive him/her/them/it - then you will act out of love, not hate and fear. There are 1 billion Muslims in the world. If 1% of them are fundamentalist whackos, that's 10 million - plenty to cause trouble. Just like Christian extremists, Jewish extremists, Pagan extremists, etc., etc. Noone called Timothy McVeigh or Charles Manson or Jim Jones or (insert your favorite local nutcase minister) "Christian Extremists", but that's what they were. Do they represent the majority? No, no more than the KKK represents all white people. It's my personal opinion that Islam is a backward religion. However, I'd defend anyone's right to choose it as their personal path to God if they sincerely feel in their heart that it is the path for them. I'm a Pagan - I'm accustomed to most people thinking my religion is evil, spooky, weird, cultish and immoral. I personally don't care what they believe, so long as they respect my freedom of religion, as I respect theirs. Islam does have some positive aspects to it. It requires discipline and humility. It recognizes the teachings of Abraham, Moses, and Yeheshua Bar Yusef (the man most of you incorrectly call Jesus) and incorporates them into its beliefs. It also has its negatives, like every other religion, including my own. The majority of human beings, in my experience, want to live in peace, be able to be productive in their communities, to raise and educate their children as they see fit, to be free to engage in commerce and trade in a free market system, and want to die peacefully in their sleep and go to some post-deathly plane of serenity, bliss, and union with the Divine. If all 1 billion Muslims in the world were like the extremists, we'd be fucked. Most of them are essentially no different than anyone else. Fear and hatred are always the enemy.........and let's not forget their sidekicks, the politicians........
|
|
|
|