@hawkeye10,
Quote:I dont care about race, and I have already said that Islam as it is currently practiced is not supportable. Islam must be reformed before I embrace it, and I call for my fellow Americans to also rebuff calls for tolerance of Islam until and unless it is reformed
Muslims who either embrace or tolerate the current radical anti western flavor of Islam have EARNED my condemnation.
I don't think you know squat about Islam, or about the various sects within Islam. If you did, you could not make a statement like, "Islam as it is currently practiced is not supportable". There are considerable differences in how Islam is interpreted and practiced--and those differences account for considerable conflict, among Muslims, in the Arab world.
You are further confusing political views with religious beliefs, and that is very clear from your comment about the "current radical anti western flavor of Islam".
Some Muslims, including those that attacked us on 9/11, may have anti-Western, and specifically anti-American attitudes, which are politically based and have little or nothing to do with the Islamic faith. Given our actual military actions, and our foreign policy in the Middle East, these negative reactions have some basis in reality, whether you agree with them or not.
And most Muslims in the Arab world deplore the radical religious extremists like Bin Laden, and the terrorist groups they spawn--these extremists kill other Muslims.
So, your call for "reform" of Islam is so patently absurd it is laughable.
Pray tell, exactly how would you like to "reform" Islam?
And why does Islam require more "reform" than Christianity?
Do you agree with the pastor Terry Jones, of the Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida? He's the man who has organized the International Burn the Koran Day for 9/11. He considers Islam "of the devil". In fact, pastor Jones doesn't seem to tolerate any religious beliefs, except those that agree with his.
He said this about his planned Koran burning event in an interview...
Quote:
Who is the audience for your event?
We hope to reach Moslems and Non-Moslems to awake and awareness that the Koran is a book of lies and that the only true salvation is in Jesus Christ.
Do you think Muslims will turn to Christ as a result of this?
This is our prayer and desire that they would seriously reexamine their religion. They will then come to the conclusion that Islam is of the devil and Christianity is the only true religion.
Do you worry about being accused of spreading hate? Is any publicity good publicity?
No, we are not worried about spreading hate because we are spreading the truth. Truth is love and the hope of salvation.
Do you fear any backlash from the Muslim community?
Of course we do becaue Islam has proven itself to be a violent religion and Muhammed promoted violence in the Koran.
http://friendlyatheist.com/2010/07/24/interview-with-pastor-terry-jones-the-man-behind-%E2%80%9Cinternational-burn-a-koran-day%E2%80%9D/
Does pastor Jones seem any more tolerant than the most extreme fundamentalist Muslim? Can he accept any faith other than his own?
And, while there are fortunately not many others about to burn the Koran as a way to spread the Gospel, there are plenty of other fundamentalist evangelical ministers who are just as intolerant and bigoted toward those who do not believe as they do.
And have radical extremist Muslims cornered the market on violence?
Well let's not forget those violent Christians, like members of the Army of God, a Christian terrorist anti-abortion organization that sanctions the use of force to combat abortion in the United States--things like murdering doctors who perform abortions, and bombing abortion clinics--all in the name of Christianity.
Or the good Christian members of the KKK who proudly burn their cross as a symbol of their terrorism.
And then there was the Inquisition, the Salem witch trials, etc, etc.
Does this mean that Christianity--in all it's aspects and various sects--needs to be "reformed"?
Is Christianity really any better, or any worse, than Islam?
Or do you condemn Christianity along with Islam?