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12/1/2009 7:54:33 AM

12/1/2009 7:55:07 AM

I'm beginning to think any religion is stupid and so far perverted from its core that it's not even worth the time. Islam would be included in this.

12/1/2009 8:17:44 AM

"What do you think about Islam?"

About as silly as other religions. Nice rituals, though.

12/1/2009 10:32:39 AM

as unbelievable as any other religion


(nah man, i swear, i uh sat in a cave and transcribed what god was tellin me...and you can tell its real cause i didnt use any punctuation)

12/1/2009 10:45:47 AM

it breeds terrorism

12/1/2009 10:56:54 AM

It is the fastest growing Abrahamic faith that has shared the intertwined histories/traditions of the other Abrahamic faiths for nearly 1,300 years. They are all very similar by design, and yet their differences are perceived as very distinct by their followers, which is not the case (when compared to non-Abrahamic faiths). I view Islam as a double-edged sword, depending on the interpretation of the texts, it can breed very good, or very bad people. Not unlike any religion actually.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 11:10 AM. Reason : -]

12/1/2009 11:09:01 AM

islam is, pure and simple, just another false cult. if you look at the history of the religion, it's members have had one major goal throughout time: spread their belief by the sword. their religion is a culture of death. ritual killings, terrorism, and war is just the start. only one faith offers you eternal life, if you turn away from sin and death.

everywhere islam has gone, culture has fallen. its not compatible with american values.

12/1/2009 11:11:49 AM

a lot of you are against religion in general, but tell me what you think about Islam specifically. If you don't know much feel free to admit as much.

12/1/2009 1:52:52 PM

Quote :

"it's members have had one major goal throughout time: spread their belief by the sword."

kind of like christianity

12/1/2009 1:53:37 PM

Quote :

""What do you think about Islam?" About as silly as other religions. Nice rituals, though."

yep

12/1/2009 1:56:44 PM

Islam is a religion of violence. I just did a research paper on Islam for HI 478 and Nigeria has a major problem with the Muslims and Christians not getting along just like in most middle east countries. The Muslims in Nigeria want to be ruled by Islamic law. Sure Ireland has its problems with Catholics and Protestants, but the majority of the worlds religious problems seem to involve Islam. If it was possible to get rid of Africa, the middle east, and south and central America then we wouldn't have half the problems we do in this world as far as religious conflict and the illegal drug trade. We do have religious problems in America too, but you don't see Christians and Jews running around blowing things up. We have had some issues here with American Muslims causing trouble though (The Pit at UNC, and Fort Hood).

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 2:08 PM. Reason : .]

12/1/2009 2:03:56 PM

I think they want us to make concessions for them, but they're not willing to do the same.

I see European countries being very sympathetic and bending over backwards for them and see it as a potential glimpse of what could happen here.

12/1/2009 2:04:22 PM

Quote :

"Islam is a religion of violence. I just did a research paper on Islam for HI 478 and Nigeria has a major problem with the Muslims and Christians not getting along just like in most middle east countries. Sure Ireland has its problems with Catholics and Protestants, but the majority of the worlds religious problems seem to involve Islam. If it was possible to get rid of Africa, the middle east, and south and central America then we wouldn't have half the problems we do in this world as far as religious conflict and the illegal drug trade. We do have religious problems in America too, but you don't see Christians and Jews running around blowing things up. We have had some issues here with American Muslims causing trouble though."

Did you actually do any research for that paper? Most of that is made-up bullshit.

12/1/2009 2:07:21 PM

^There are a lot of issues over Sharia law that are causing problems.

12/1/2009 2:09:42 PM

Quote :

"south and central America"

aren't they overwhelmingly Catholic?

12/1/2009 2:11:46 PM

Don't worry, he won't let facts get in the way of a good generalization.

12/1/2009 2:12:56 PM

Quote :

"If it was possible to get rid of Africa, the middle east, and south and central America then we wouldn't have half the problems we do in this world as far as religious conflict and the illegal drug trade."

There also wouldn't be resource-rich areas that the West could fleece and rob to support their wealth and sprawling corporate empires.

You people are hilarious. Why, exactly, do you think those areas of the world suck to begin with? Browns?

12/1/2009 2:13:37 PM

^Well said, but my point was get rid of people in those areas (No I am not promoting genocide, or nukes). Economics is a part of the issue in Nigeria, Iraq, etc but so is the fact that the different Muslim faiths hate each other. Also, we have resources too in America, but we don't go blowing each other up do we?



[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 2:20 PM. Reason : .]

12/1/2009 2:19:09 PM

That's because the native population was, in essence, completely decimated when the invading hoards moved in (oh wait I'm sorry we call those "settlers").

If there were still sizable American Indian populations I'd bet you'd see more trouble in paradise. Just because a continent was taken over efficiently and is now on lock-down doesn't mean that we've got our shit more together. It just means that the people fleecing us are also fleecing people in the third world -- we get a kick-back, and so it's in our best interest to support the system.

12/1/2009 2:25:06 PM

terrorists

12/1/2009 2:25:41 PM

12/1/2009 2:26:43 PM

I like how Islam has become symbolized by the makeshift explosive, whereas somehow Christianity has avoided being symbolized by the factory-manufactured explosive.

Ah wait that's right, people who get hit by these explosives recognize their make and source.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 2:29 PM. Reason : .]

12/1/2009 2:29:00 PM

Some of you are focusing too much on Arabs and not enough on Islam as a religion...be sure to note the difference.

I will however be writing about how the two are seen as the same thing by the masses so some of those quotes are helpful

12/1/2009 2:30:07 PM

The Arab language/ethnicity is pretty built into the religion to be honest, although anybody can be a Muslim.

Most Islamo-phobia is just thinly veiled racism.

12/1/2009 2:31:25 PM

Quote :

"I like how Islam has become symbolized by the makeshift explosive, whereas somehow Christianity has avoided being symbolized by the factory-manufactured explosive."

Depends on who is making symbols I guess.

12/1/2009 2:32:37 PM

It works the other way too. Any person of any race could be a Muslim, and not all Arabs are Muslim. Christians and Muslims live side by side without much conflict in many mid-east countries

12/1/2009 2:32:51 PM

Read Mateen Elass's "Understanding the Koran" and Abdullah Saeed's "Interpreting the Qu'ran: Towards a Contemporary Approach."


Those pretty much some up my views towards it.

12/1/2009 2:33:02 PM

i haven't read either, can you sum them up?

12/1/2009 2:34:14 PM

Quote :

"Did you actually do any research for that paper? Most of that is made-up bullshit."

It's pretty obvious he didn't do any actual research.

What kind of idiot posits that if you eliminate the 2nd biggest religion in the world, there'd be no religious violence?

If the name Big4Country didn't conjure images of a dumb redneck, that post certainly did.

12/1/2009 2:43:38 PM

Quote :

"Islam is a religion of violence."

despite the fact that christians have committed atrocious acts in the name of god throughout history, such as the crusades, the spanish inquisition, the st. bartholomew's day massacre, and conquistadors slaughtering natives in central america. yes, i realize these were all acts of the catholic church, but the church is a christian organization. it's kind of ironic now how the catholic church is actually kind of more pragmatic than other segments of christianity. at least it recognizes evolution.

12/1/2009 2:47:21 PM

Elass is a converted Christian whose view is pretty much to outline the similarities b/w christianity and islam in both belief and observed doctrine in order to reach a middle ground, establishing christians as a "middleman" between jews, which share the old testament, and muslims, which observe many of Christ's teachings, in order to bring peace to all three sects.

Interpreting the Qu'ran takes a more modernized approach to the text itself, and basically affirms what most people already know - that extremists don't really even follow the text. It does, however, go into the deep cultural significance that the Qu'ran takes in Islamic culture, and that, in order for Islam to continue to exist and thrive i a modern world, it must hold to some long-held traditions, while also looking at others more liberally.

Basically, Islam hasn't done what Christianity and Judaism have been so successful at - adapting to the ages to fit the needs of its believers. I'm not talking about "last 30 years," I'm talking about "last 900 years." This has presented a clash within Islam itself, those who wish to move towards a modernized approach (which isn't modernized as we think of it, but modernized in comparison to that which they already observe), and those who absolutely refuse to compromise. You have to consider that Islam really hasn't changed much since the original Imams. No reformations. No renaissance. No age of enlightment. No industrial revolution. This has deeply affected contemporary Muslims.

Not all hardliners are extremists; however, all extremists are hardliners. So it's this problem within Islam that has created the problem, and the solution is not likely to come from anywhere else but within Islam.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 2:51 PM. Reason : ...]

12/1/2009 2:49:28 PM

^Of course Christianity has cause violence, but Islam isn't no religion of peace either. If it was then they wouldn't be running around blowing up stuff all over the world.

12/1/2009 2:50:03 PM

Ben get working on your paper

12/1/2009 2:50:13 PM

Catholicism is also the only Christian religion that's growing in America (supposedly due to immigrants, but still).
(graph is a bit old)

12/1/2009 2:51:15 PM

Big4Country always finds new ways to amaze me.

12/1/2009 2:54:42 PM

Quote :

"^Of course Christianity has cause violence, but Islam isn't no religion of peace either. If it was then they wouldn't be running around blowing up stuff all over the world."

by that same logic you can say that the russian orthodox church is not a faith associated with peace because there are russian terrorists who belong to it. it works for any religion that people associated with terrorism follow.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 2:57 PM. Reason : .]

12/1/2009 2:56:26 PM

The vast majority of Muslims are peaceful people. I think a lot of peoples views are skewed by a small percentage who go to an extreme form of Islam that the Qur'an does not teach.

12/1/2009 3:05:42 PM

^ likewise, a lot of foreigners views of Americans are skewed by a select few people and sometimes our entertainment media.

12/1/2009 3:12:34 PM

I honestly believe it is a beautiful religion. Their devotion to Allah and reliance on him is something that I, as a christian, cannot even fathom. For the people that I know are some of the purist people in thoughts and actions. I am quite the fan of the hijab and the abaya and my friends wear them out of respect for Allah and for their own bodies. I guess when a woman is forced to wear a burqaa, I start to feel bad for the women. What women wear is definitely on a country to country basis.

I learn more about the true heart of Islam by talking to different muslims. I am also finding that the more I talk to muslims, the more I realize the differences in devotion of each person. They love Jesus and love to talk about him, so I never feel like I am pressing him on them. I would convert in a minute because of what I have learned from different people but I do believe that Jesus is the way and I love trying to develop a relationship with God. My friends do believe that to have a relationship with God or to even call him father is putting yourself on Allah's level and that in itself cannot be attained. I just look at my relationship as a devotion and not on the same level.

Just like all religions there are nazi like zealots that ruin the religion as a whole. I am eternally sad about the disunity. My friends also say they don't give a damn and are extremely sad about people who kill innocent people because that is not what the Qu'ran says to do. It is twisting of scripture and very disheartening to Islam as a whole. They do pray for them and try to separate themselves. Too bad that the media has to pinpoint just these killers.

There is so much more I have to learn and I never want to stop learning about Islam.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:24 PM. Reason : words]

12/1/2009 3:22:11 PM

^ if jesus is "the way" does that mean your friends are going to burn in hell for eternity?

12/1/2009 3:27:02 PM

I don't know. I think God decides things. It is not up to me. I talk about God to people and if they want to be a christian then so be it but I def don't go around condemning people to hell when I believe it is not my job.

You are a moron.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:29 PM. Reason : ^]

12/1/2009 3:29:06 PM

What is the functional meaning of "jesus is the way" if Muslims might go to heaven too? It seems like that is a meaningless statement, in the context of the other things you are saying.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:32 PM. Reason : ]

12/1/2009 3:31:58 PM

That is what I believe (Jesus is the way), yes, but I believe God is bigger than what I believe. If he wanted me to condemn people to hell, I would not be a christian. I don't want that job.


[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:34 PM. Reason : Belief is a helluva drug.]

12/1/2009 3:33:52 PM

I'm honestly not trying to be a dick (no more than chit chat requires me to be)... but I don't see how you can believe that Jesus is the way, but also believe that God might not see things this way.

If you think there is a reasonable chance that God wouldn't see things this way, why wouldn't your belief then be that Jesus might be the way, or might not be the way?

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:41 PM. Reason : ]

12/1/2009 3:40:19 PM

Quote :

"What is the functional meaning of "jesus is the way" if Muslims might go to heaven too?"

Think of it as college admissions. You know that if you have a 4.0 GPA and a 1600 on your SAT's and a boatload of extracurriculars with no history of crime, you're definitely going to get into NC State. There is no question. Anything less than that, and the question develops and gets bigger.

Likewise, with the exception of some crazy predestination folks, Christian denominations will say that if you believe in Jesus and perfectly follow his teachings as they interpret them, you WILL go to heaven, no question. If you don't, there's a question. Some denominations say the answer to the question is "you're going to hell." Others say they don't know the answer, it's up to God.

In short, Jesus is the way . . . to be 100% sure.

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:42 PM. Reason : ]

12/1/2009 3:41:04 PM

^ it sounds like you're saying that "Jesus is definitely a way, but not necessarily the only way," is that right?

Or "Jesus is the most-right way, but muhammad might work too"?

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:43 PM. Reason : ]

12/1/2009 3:42:09 PM

More like, Jesus is the definite way, but not necessarily the only.

And even that's a bit simplistic, but it'll serve for now.

Quote :

"Or "Jesus is the most-right way, but muhammad might work too"?"

Not quite. It's not so much "Muhammad might work too" as it is "Muhammad might not be a deal-breaker."

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:44 PM. Reason : ]

12/1/2009 3:43:28 PM

Okay, I understand that.

But the majority of Christians would view acknowledging that other ways might work as complete blasphemy, and non-Biblical, etc..

12/1/2009 3:44:42 PM

^^ that's not really what christianity teaches though

[Edited on December 1, 2009 at 3:44 PM. Reason : .]

12/1/2009 3:44:44 PM