islam religon of peace?

[joshgold17]

do any of you think it is.

[Skipper]

Nope. /thread

[DeistPaladin]

Sure, just like Christianity is the religion of love. [/snark]

[Sam]

I think it is unfair to summarily judge Islam and in fact, any religion.

I'll start out by saying that I don't really care for any of the Abrahamic Religons. On the whole, I believe they promote an environmnt condusive to extremism and fundamentalism. It should also be noted however, that Islam is interpreted subjectively by its adherents.

Some may indeed use it as a vehicle on which to promote their extremism BUT I personally know many muslims who are completely peaceful in thought and action. A great many muslims follow a more subtle, nuianced system of beliefs than is widely accepted, a main tenent of which is peace.

I have experienced both forms of Islam. I find one utterly detestable and while I have no issue with nuianced, moderate Islam per se, I can not help thinking that it promotes the style of belief which is feeding the extremist sub-culture.

Thanks

Sam

[Thor]

Is Islam a religion of peace?

Look what happened when a newspaper had the temerity to publish cartoons depicting Muhammad! Look what happened when a school teacher allowed her class to name a teddy bear "Muhammad". Look what happened to Theo Van Gogh! Look what happened to Daniel Pearl!

All religions have their kooks, but Islam seems to breed lunacy. If Islam is 'the religion of peace", then I'm Obi Wan Kenobi.

[Dotard]

If Islam is 'the religion of peace", then I'm Obi Wan Kenobi.

If Islam is 'the religion of peace'. and Obi Wan is taken, I'd like to be Yoda please.

[Thor]

If Islam is 'the religion of peace'. and Obi Wan is taken, I'd like to be Yoda please.

(Doing my best Yoda impression.)

Yoda you may be. Religion of peace, Islam is not.

[Anomalocaris]

It is a religion of primitive domination and unreasoned submission, in which argument for domination and submission was calibrated without tact or subtlety to overawe mediocre minds amongst 8th century Arab culture. To such minds peace is essentially a matter crudely asserted domination and nauseatingly willing submission. So for the intellectual capacity to which this religion is calibrated, it is a religion of peace.

In this Islam exhibits the primitive traits of Abrahamic root, along with some derived traits calculated to take into account the caliber and outlook of audience for which it was intend at the onset, and the fact that Christianity has already existed for some centuries in it's region. Islam is a religion of peace in essentially the same way and to essentially the same degree as Christianity. To people whose intellectual capacities are outside the scope for which either religion is calibrated, Christianity my seem less belligerent at the moment than Islam. But that is due in no part to any additional merit on the part of Christianity. It is due purely to secular social developments in the west that have managed, uneasily, to disgrace and suppressed some of the most strident aspects of Christianity whose counterparts in Islam are still allowed free reign.

[DeistPaladin]

There are two things that make Islamo-Christianity incompatible either with each other or with any other system of belief or non-belief:

1. Demand of conformity on pain of eternal torture after death
2. A devil to fight against, where the only other faction is the god being served.

The latter narrows down who any non-believer is in league with. There is no "Bob the Neutral Christ" or any other third possibility. All non-believers must therefore be in league with the devil. This literal demonizing of others makes it possible to do anything to them.

The former ratchets up the stakes as high as they can go. Not only is your "soul" at stake but so is the soul of everyone you love and care about. Killing an unrepentant non-believer to save the souls of your children, preventing their "corruption" can thereby be justified.

This is why Islamo-Christianity can preach the message of love and peace all they like. The two factors I mentioned make it just words.

[annatar]

islam is as peaceful as any mafia organisation. Once you join there is no way out...