That is not Islam - to just take the scripture and make up what you feel it means. You might choose to make up this version of Islam to criticise but it would be dishonest to the generations of academics (both Muslim and non-Muslim) to suggest that this is a Muslim fatwa front the text.
In philosophy it is a more philosophically sound procedure to portray an argument in the best light in order to evaluate it. I'd suggest you do the same with Islam if you seek to convince a Muslim. Islam has a clear legal system (also allowing for variance as long as due process is kept) and to say that am not following Islam or the Quran if I don't kill pagans just won't cut the mustard - especially when these verses have such well known contexts and circumstances that are well known to Muslims.
So many criticisms of Islam fail when they portray Islam as just reading the Quran and doing what you think - by and large this is what happens with evangelical biblical Christianity so I understand people's tendency to impose this familiar process on Islam. But ultimately it is like a misled person criticsing an everyday atheist by using arguments against Communism - I hope you see.
I'd say that embarking on a journey to learn together would be more productive process.
(Someone might raise figure after figure to suggest that the USA is the most violent and crime ridden country on earth and even convince an American of this - but that American won't necessarily denounce the American dream and what's more is that they don't have to because the system or American ideal is not necessarily the problem!
I hope you see why Id suggest a more positive tact - we are after all both humans looking for a better tomorrow (I presume)
This is why Id suggest it would help your endeavour (helping Muslims see the truth about Islam) and mine (of helping develop a more nuanced and realistic knowledge of Islam) would be helped by criticism of a form of Islam more familiar to a Muslim as myself or criticism of Islam from a creditable authoritative source.
Peace!
In philosophy it is a more philosophically sound procedure to portray an argument in the best light in order to evaluate it. I'd suggest you do the same with Islam if you seek to convince a Muslim. Islam has a clear legal system (also allowing for variance as long as due process is kept) and to say that am not following Islam or the Quran if I don't kill pagans just won't cut the mustard - especially when these verses have such well known contexts and circumstances that are well known to Muslims.
So many criticisms of Islam fail when they portray Islam as just reading the Quran and doing what you think - by and large this is what happens with evangelical biblical Christianity so I understand people's tendency to impose this familiar process on Islam. But ultimately it is like a misled person criticsing an everyday atheist by using arguments against Communism - I hope you see.
I'd say that embarking on a journey to learn together would be more productive process.
(Someone might raise figure after figure to suggest that the USA is the most violent and crime ridden country on earth and even convince an American of this - but that American won't necessarily denounce the American dream and what's more is that they don't have to because the system or American ideal is not necessarily the problem!
I hope you see why Id suggest a more positive tact - we are after all both humans looking for a better tomorrow (I presume)
This is why Id suggest it would help your endeavour (helping Muslims see the truth about Islam) and mine (of helping develop a more nuanced and realistic knowledge of Islam) would be helped by criticism of a form of Islam more familiar to a Muslim as myself or criticism of Islam from a creditable authoritative source.
Peace!
Kudos given by (1): Dawud
