Violence is the Natural conclusion of Religion.

[Mudhammam]

With the exception of strictly pacifistic such as maybe Buddhism, I believe the logical conclusion of most major religions is Misogyny, Repression, and Violence.

How could there be any logical conclusion to a set of beliefs that are counter to logic?

Now I believe most Americans (at least many of the one's I've met) have a fair bit of Xenophobia and disdain for most things middle eastern. Sharia law and the like are pretty shocking compared to what most are used to. But when some "good christian" derelict starts in with the holier than thou BS, my first though is always: "Wait a minute!, isn't Christianity just as violent and ignorant as Islam?"

Is Christianity really just as violent? Are you making that judgment by assessing the teachings of Jesus and his early followers in comparison to Muhammad and his early followers? Are you comparing the history of Christian theocracies with Muslim theocracies, or the actions of Christians in the world today with their Muslim counterparts? What's the basis for your claim?

Forgive me for using their name and repeating something that deserves to be buried (than pissed on):
The westboro baptist bastards. Are they not simply Christianity taken to the same extreme?

I'm willing to bet quite a few Christians would vehemently disagree. Personally I don't see much similarity between the Westboro Baptist Church and the teachings of Christ apart from their superstitious condemnations of those they dislike (but at least give Jesus the benefit that he was a first-century peasant and not a crudely ignorant American in the twenty-first century).

I don't care about being "right". I respect my friend's opinion and he makes good arguments. I just want to see what the opinion here is.

I don't think religion naturally results in violence. I think that comes pretty naturally to animals in general, especially those among our species that haven't learned to discipline their passions with good judgement; and good judgement more often than not follows from a balanced education that involves cultivating an appreciation for sound reasoning---the disregard of which so often makes religion culpable for the monstrous ideas that people find acceptable.