@vikorr,
Following the killing of the American Envoy in Libya over a movie...
Quote:Islamic protest in the streets of Sydney from Hyde Park to George Streets.
Protesters, including children, held signs saying, "Behead all those who insult the prophet" and "Obama Obama, we love Osama", and threw objects from construction sites and water bottles at police officers.
Police responded by spraying capsicum spray into the crowd.
The video Innocence of Muslims was produced in the US but has been condemned by US Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, who said the film had nothing to do with the government, and it emerged the clip was a trailer for a movie that did not exist.
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/police-use-pepper-spray-on-anti-islamic-film-protesters-in-sydney-at-the-us-consulate/story-fndo1uez-1226474744811
There's previous for similar behaviour as well, in death Threats issued to the Dutch cartoonists a year or two back, and death threats against Salman Rushdie back in the 80's (of course just the main ones I recall).
I'm sure anyone can do a google on to 'death threats/riots/killed mocking the prophet'
@no logo,
Malaysia banned the film Babe and probably pig in the city too....It's not on. Also the level of physical violence in a country doesn't measure it's overall level of insensibility...take North Korea for example. Although I know nothing about Malaysia because I've never lived there so it could be wonderfully peacefull. But I think any sort of censorship is shifty....especially over a talking pig.
@vikorr,
Like wiping Israel off the map, I'm sure this is either one of those translation errors, or simply misunderstood.
@CerealKiller,
yes,there are some like UAE,Saudi Arabia etc
@vikorr,
You are simply talking nuts,Vikorr
The following is my opinion. I believe in God and the bible.
Religion, all religions, can be taken to extremes. One extreme is strict adherence to God's laws/ commandments. We need the law. Without the law we fall into lawlessness and chaos. We also need a just God because without that there is no strength in the law.
Christians believe that only God is perfect. People are not perfect therefore people cannot hope to live up to the perfection of religions that require strict adherence to law. Like Islam, Christianity has the law, but it also has forgiveness in the person of Jesus.
Christians are told not to judge. Because only God is perfect, when we judge ourselves righteous and condemn another for being unrighteous we have become self righteous. How can we be righteous if we are not perfect? If we are not perfect then we must all be sinners. Interestingly enough this makes us all equal in the eyes of God. When we condemn another for their sinful behavior we agree with the law that says sinners are deserving of punishment, but at the same time aren't we are also condemning ourselves because we, like them, are not perfect. When we do something wrong that is deserving of punishment don't we hope for leniency and mercy for ourselves. Knowing that, should we not then show this same love and forgiveness toward others? When we claim self righteousness and pass judgement on others aren't we setting ourselves up on the throne of judgement, a seat reserved only for God.
The end result of christianity is love. The bible gives us two commandments. That we love God and that we love our neighbors as ourselves. Even if we don't know or understand the law as presented to us in the commandments most everyone can understand what it means to be loved. We also have the person of Christ who is our perfect example and embodies these two commandments in all that he does.
Religious extemists often demand strict adherence to the law. The law does not allow for forgiveness. Religions that only have the law use their religious laws to justify their right to condemn another and because people are not perfect a reason can always be found to judge others as less righteous and therefore worthy of punishment under the law. Those who are condemned may very well be guilty of having broken the law -in large part because people are not perfect. Those who follow the law may seek to prove themselves righteous, yet being imperfect and therefore also falling short of the perfection the law demands, they can never find righteousness through the law. They are then apt to seek selfrighteousness by pointing out the faults of others and meting out punishment. They are always looking for faults in others to condemn so they can feel righteous. In christianity Jesus is the forgiveness for an imperfect world. He was perfect/righteous. He died. He did not deserve to die under the law. He died in our place to fulfill what was required of the law that we might live not under the law, but under grace, God's love and forgiveness.
Extremists will hold a gun to the head of others demanding that others believe or die. Knowing that you are going to die may make believers out of some, but I doubt God wants those kinds of believers. Which do you believe God would value more: Praises offered to him that have been forced by threats and cohersions, praises that make a big show of piety and offerings in order to prove how righteousness a person is, or praises offered from a humble heart full of love and respect for God?
Was it religious self righteousness that drove Tamerlan and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev to kill an eight year old boy, three young college girls and a security guard?
Here is wikipedia's definition of jihad: Jihad:an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihad translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Within the context of Islam it refers to struggle against those who do not believe in Islamic God (Allah).
Jihad is commonly misunderstood as "Holy War", Jihad means "to struggle in the way of Allah"... Jihad is an important religious duty for Muslims...There are two commonly accepted meanings of jihad: an inner spiritual struggle and an outer physical struggle. The "greater jihad" is the inner struggle by a believer to fulfill his religious duties. This non-violent meaning is stressed by both Muslim and non-Muslim authors.
The "lesser jihad" is the physical struggle against the enemies of Islam. This physical struggle can take a violent form or a non-violent form. The proponents of the violent form translate jihad as "holy war", although some Islamic studies scholars disagree. The Dictionary of Islam and British-American orientalist Bernard Lewis both argue jihad has a military meaning in the large majority of cases. Some scholars maintain non-violent ways to struggle against the enemies of Islam. An example of this is written debate, often characterized as "jihad of the pen".
According to the BBC, a third meaning of jihad is the struggle to build a good society."
It would seem to me that jihad is extremist muslims' excuse for justifying their constant warring and exacting punishment on believers and nonbelievers. I fear for them that they are setting themselves up on God's seat of judgement.
Religious extremists, in their zeal to obtain righteousness for themselves under the law, can exact their punishment for misdeeds at any time. People are not perfect, only God is perfect. There can be no sense of peace only a fear that religious extremists may turn their judgement on you next.
You can find religious extremists in all religions. I follow Jesus. He is my peace. I find it truly amazing the way God, through his son, has set up his plan of forgiveness, love and peace.
I recently read the book Reading Lolita in Tehran. It is about Islamic women in Tehran and the religious extremists, under the Ayatollah, who took over the country after the revolution. The women the book was written about had great devotion to God, but not so much love for their extremist islamic government. I was shocked at the fear they were forced to live under. The book talks about how women in Iran were forced to live with a dress code where they had to become invisible behind scarves and veils. If they didn't adhere strictly (or even sometimes if they did) to the code/law they could be accused by a man of trying to sexually excite them then be thrown into jail where they could be beaten and raped. (Thank goodness in America women are not blamed for a man's lack of self control. We expect a man to show self control.)
The recent arrest of Crawford and Feight, who wanted to kill muslims with radiation, shows just another example of self righteousness. As you can see you can find extremists in follwers of all beliefs. It is interesting what U.S. Attorney Richard Hartunian said about the incident, "This case demonstrates how we must remain vigilant to detect and stop potential terrorists, who so often harbor hatred toward people they deem undesirable." Regardless of their beliefs there will be people who will judge others as undesirable, and worthy of punishment and/or death.
Islam, especially jihad, seems to me to promote this violent behavior. I believe islam to be a violent religion. That is just my opinion.
@snj,
I didn't even realise this thread was still going on. You do note I actually posted a multitude of information - not mine - that actually backed up what I was saying (after being asked to back up my position).
I also haven't seen anyone point out (logically) anything wrong with what I said. There's been plenty of name calling on the part of those who disagree - but no ability to articulate how what I've said is wrong.
since the past there have been so many crimes which are the result of having different religions..have a look at the countrys having higher proportion of atheists,they are more peaceful and happy countries..no religion can give peace if its aim.is to outnumber the other religion or to prove that their religion is better than the other.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_terrorist_incidents
You'll find a year by year listing a little down the page.
That list also contains the group alleged to have carried out the attacks.
Comment : A large number on that list are attacks involved in civil wars, and much doesn't. Many, even in civil wars, are clearly terrorist attacks (many Boko Haram attacks spring to mind). It also includes some terrorist attacks by ruling govt forces. The list appears to ignore the question 'what is a freedom fighter, and what is not?'.
@dagmaraka,
Before making comments about any religion you should first study it, then you can make an educated comment. I can tell you are not educated in the Christian belief due to your comments.
You cannot take a verse and just twist it to make it mean or what you THINK it means.... In order to understand the Bible you must also have a fundamental understanding of Jewish life during the time period that the Bible(Old and New) was written.
You have obviously never read the entire Bible, therefore your comment is meaningless.
@vikorr,
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/asio-report-says-there-are-great-dangers-from-radical-islamists/story-fni0ffxg-1226752319068
Quote:"This year ASIO . . . investigated several hundred mostly Australia-based individuals who are advocates of a violent Islamist ideology."
In fact, we already have 20 Muslims jailed for terrorism-related offences and ASIO fears more may come: "There has been an increase in Australians travelling overseas to participate in terrorist training or engage in foreign disputes - Syria is the primary destination...
Nor is the danger just from the 80 or so Australian Muslims fighting in Syria, or others who've trained or fought in Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. There are also the ticking bombs at home, fired up by messages pumped into their homes over the internet.
"The threat of homegrown terrorism is of significant concern," says ASIO, citing the Boston Marathon bombings and the London jihadists who slaughtered a British soldier. "In Australia, there are individuals and small groups who believe an attack here is justified."
List of terrorist incidents & convictions in Australia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism_in_Australia
