islam is a religion of peace?

[hrnbloer]

no. it's not. let me explain:

the pope did make a comment, in the form of a quote, which was insensitive. the quote, for any who haven't seen it is this: Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.it pissed the muslim

Comments

[sylphbranching]

Islam has sects just like Christianity. The Taliban and other violent groups are Muslim in the same way the Nazis were Christian - waging war against everyone who does not hold their beliefs, even others who are members of other Muslim groups.

[hrnbloer]

i repeat: today, islam is not a religion of peace. i object to anyone calling it so.

i also object to anyone calling christianity a religion of peace in the 19th century, when christians were so happily subjecting the world to colonialism. or during the crusades. or any other period when they went smashing out into the world 'for god.'

if you live in a period when people of your religion are killing and destroying 'in the name of god', then you don't have a religion of peace. but the religion can become peaceful, if the peaceful members of that religion will get up and stop the violence.

[sylphbranching]

well, i think there's a difference between religious texts, ideology, and practices. but i don't think that it's as simple as saying the religion itself is violent. nor is it as simple as "those who are peaceful must stop violence." since that would necessitate some kind of force in itself.

[hrnbloer]

a religion is its practices. texts and ideology are dead. they change with the speed of decaying matter. practices change far more rapidly.

stopping the violence certainly would necessitate power. not necessarily force. if, as is supposed by many, the majority of muslims are peaceful, they would probably not need physical force. social condemnation can be powerful, but until the peaceful ones start to do something in opposition to the violence, we won't ever know what it will take to stop it.