Anyone else sick of hearing how Islam is the religion of "peace"?

One's view of Islam is going to be colored by their views of religion itself.

Unfortunately, this issue has become quite muddied due to the fact that political pundits have for 15 years been pushing the idea that Islam is exclusively a religion of hate. Politics should not have had any impact on this issue because the people who initiated that claim were not religious scholars with an accurate knowledge of Islam, the Qur'an, or Middle Eastern history and culture, but political partisans who promoted the view entirely for purposes of warfare. The idea gained a life of its own becoming so pervasive that it was able to be misused against Barack Obama in 2008. By doing nothing more than claiming that he was a Muslim a lot of people were convinced that he was unsuitable to become President for that reason alone. In reality a servant for any political office in the United States can be a member of any religion he or she chooses, or a member of no religion at all and even an atheist, and that is fully supported by our Constitution. But mistaken ideas about Islam and the rise of Islamic extremism have created an air of suspicion around anybody who is Muslim, and this is really unfair and unjust.

All religion is initially founded on peace, social justice, empathy, and love. This includes Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, and every other major religion. But one of the big problems with organized religion is that they all have a head, or a central administrative body, or a chief religious ruler. This creates a scenario where sects can form and break away. By their very nature a sectarian offshoot is extremist because in order to break away in the first place they must believe that they alone are staying 'faithful' to what they consider to be the original tenants of the faith. Because sects are extremist by their very nature, it requires that the leaders of the sect be even more extremist just in order to maintain the vitality of their sect. In time, the sects themselves experience divisions which means even more sects form possessing even more extremist viewpoints.

Those who claim that Islam is a faith based exclusively in violence very rarely know much about Islam other than what they've read on anti-Islam websites they have visited. I've had discussions with people who refuse to budge one inch on the issue simply because they can tell you how many verses in the Qur'an encourage violence, or jihad, or 'killing infidels', etc... It did not matter to them that they were actually citing verses that were taken entirely out of context because what mattered more to them was being 'right' and defending the view because it's what everyone they personally knew believed. This means the mind is closed, there is no room for debate, and no room to admit they were holding to and promoting a set of wrong ideas.

Consider this: When the Roman Empire fell there was a political vacuum that eventually came to be filled by Roman Catholic leadership, namely the Popes of Rome. At first they started out relatively peacefully seeking to spread the faith of Christ around the world, but once their power began to be questioned, and divisions occurred there was a sudden backlash. The Popes began acting like the very Ceasars they replaced, ordering wars, taxing people, financing the building of Cathedrals, passing laws (in this case religious laws better known as "Christian dogma"). Any significant opposition was quickly squashed. After Protestantism gained a strong foothold you had bloody wars between the two - each side claiming that they alone represented the true faith and that the other side was heretical, and that they were justified in killing them in the name of Christ and with Christ's full blessing. The Popes lost their power at the time of Napoleon, and by the end of the 1800s the temporal authority of the Roman Catholic Church was written out of every national constitution and charter. The Divine Right of Kings officially came to an end with the destruction of the European monarchies following World War One. But right at that point you had the rise of Evangelical Protestantism, and they began to do the same thing that the Popes of Rome had done centuries before. The political and religious extremism led to all sorts of violence, death, and unethical behavior, all done in the name of Christ and fully justified as being supported in truth.

Islam had started out peacefully because they had Christian roots. By the 600's the idea came to be formed that Jesus' prophecy that a "Comforter" would come was adopted by certain Christian Arabs, and eventually it was applied to Mohammed as being the fulfillment of the Comforter foretold by Jesus. After the death of Mohammed sectarian divisions began. Violence and bloodshed began to be used by both sides against each other and it was all done in the name of Allah.

Islam was established on peaceful principles, many of which were centered in both Christianity and Judaism. But tribal warfare, sectarian divisions, and extremism created innumerable problems that plagued them off and on for centuries. With modern social and cultural advancements the core membership of Islam have sought to reclaim their faith from the extremists. But they are facing an uphill battle due to the political climate which has pushed hard to convince people that Islam is a religion of war, and because few people are real scholars they will stick to their ideological biases, believe only those sources which support their preconceived viewpoint, and reject anything different as invalid or untrue. They will reject anybody who disagrees as being the one who is truly blind. This is not the behavior of a true scholar, but is the behavior of an ... extremist. Quite ironic.

All religion is based in peace, and all religion gets corrupted by violence, bloodshed, and war. At that point all religions seek to reclaim themselves from the extremists. It's a difficult job, but it can be accomplished.

a reply to: dovdov

Excellent essay.

Very concise ending. I hope the right people read.

a reply to: crazyewok

I've never deluded myself.

Nobody has ever asked me the right questions or had a reasonable debate on the subject, y'all call SJWs emotional wrecks when in reality they tend to be the voice of reason.

I don't consider myself a SJW, never even been to a protest before... I've seen a marching band once though.

Put it this way, go back 500 years to Europe, heck 150 years ago and talk about the civilization we have today, they'll laugh and quite possibly kill you.

Wasn't all that long ago we jailed gay's.

Evolution takes time, education takes time, a just society takes time and all of that is relative to the eye of the viewer.

The worlds a screwed up place and we can sit on our high horse all we want but the fact is our history isn't much different... When was the slaughter of the Zulu's again? How about the rape and plunder of the native Americans?

Yeah...

Times change, sometimes slowly.

If you don't like em tell em to # off back to their crap holes and get on with your life. More people die due to drink drivers, driving whilst using a phone and simple murder than by the hand of a terrorist.

It could be a religion of frog breeding for all I care, chances are I'll be murdered by a white man, smoking or a drunk at the wheel than a Muslim.

I'm not bothered about any of those potential death scenarios, especially Muslims.

originally posted by: crazyewok
a reply to: Ohanka

I will be fair on them.


1000-500 years ago they were pretty enlightened and "peaceful" compared to Europe and Christianity and where far ahead politely, socially and scientifically.

But Since then something has happened. The Islamic world has moved backwards and the Western world forward.

This, I agree with wholeheartedly. The Islamic world was a very enlightened place "back in the day." It's amazing how much damage hard times and bad rulers can do to a culture.

Someone needs to figure out a way to fix this broken mess.

This world is a depressing place, all this free education and potential yet we choose to read crap that we agree with to confirm our own belief's.

People are scared to talk to a Muslim, you could go visit a Mosque and be welcomed.

People choose to be divided, they choose to be ignorant.

Heck it's funny really, I live in a first world nation, one of the best apparently and I know loads of people who can't spell, read or write properly
.. Don't even mention math.

Nah people choose to be ignorant, they must do because education is pretty much free here.

Ow mabe da w8ing 2 finis xfacta and der fb talk b4 da learn sum abc. Nah wat a meen?

Toxic world, toxic people... Might as well just get high off the fumes.

a reply to: RAY1990

Jews are not welcome at all Mosques it would seem.

Source

Visiting imam at Montreal mosque preaches that Muslims should kill Jews

a reply to: D8Tee

I'm gonna pretend that this doesn't come from Anne Marie Waters who has links with Tommy Robinson who has been a slightly confused person regarding Islam.

In fact I can't even be arsed to research the story at hand and just say that anyone and I
mean anyone claiming and preaching that anyone should be killed in our Western societies deserves to be investigated, charged and if applicable barred from entry.

We have laws and as a person who does his best to stay lawful (actually I don't even need try as most is common sense) I demand that such people have no place in our societies until they sort the old noggin out.

Noggin means brain btw. Enticing murder is wrong regardless of whom is claiming it's right or should be done.

a reply to: crazyewok

Religion of peace? doubt it. I was going to post the following thread last night, but was too tired.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali: 'Islam Is Not a Religion of Peace'

a reply to: RAY1990

The story is all over the news, my internet is throttled right now, couldn't link to the story from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The story seems legit.

a reply to: ElectricUniverse

That's not a bad thread, shame people are too lazy to read it and it kind of fell by the wayside.

I'm all for women's rights they are humans just like us men, equal in existence. But you do know that many of these "tenants" of Islam are more cultural based than religious, things such as the mutilation of genitalia or the wearing of attire such as the Burka. I suppose it could be argued that Semites practice the mutilation of male genitalia too but let's not get into that...

Muhammad was not friendly to prostitutes and he taught that a dog should never lick a Muslim (thinking of the times it almost makes sense doesn't it?) and if a dog should lick a spoon it should be washed 7 times with the first being with dirt/soil. Anyways Muhammad saw a dog foaming at the mouth dying of thirst and a prostitute took off her shoe and brought it water. Muhammad blessed that woman that day for her deeds, he kind of went against two teachings I suppose of what we may call fundamental to Islam.

My point being, it's not all cut and dry.

Jesus taught many things too it didn't stop the Salem witch trials or the many other murders done in religiously motivated acts, done in times we were supposed to be civilised here in the west.

People will abuse religion all the time, dovdov touched on that at the top of this page.

Their is no religion of peace really is there? Not whilst people use them for their own ends.

originally posted by: D8Tee
a reply to: RAY1990

The story is all over the news, my internet is throttled right now, couldn't link to the story from the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The story seems legit.

I did a little search and I'm not touching it with a barge pole considering the sources I'm finding, don't want to be labelled an anti-semite.

It seems legit, it also seems like a gallon of petrol thrown onto a fire and quite frankly I don't have the energy for that. Not today.

Could care less either way. Why let people saying it's the religion of peace bother you?

There are people out there who also think maroon 5" makes good music. I don't let that bother me either.

Things like flys and bad weather, understandably bothersome. Petty stuff like misrepresenting a religion, you gotta seek that stuff out if u want it to trouble you.

You'll be dead one day no matter what. Why waste your time on that nonsense? Imagine how happy those people saying the things you don't like would be if they knew they were bothering you. Your only giving what bothers you power.

Stress is the number one killer!

All religion is based in peace, and all religion gets corrupted by violence, bloodshed, and war. At that point all religions seek to reclaim themselves from the extremists. It's a difficult job, but it can be accomplished.

Religions are merely cults. And it'd be ridiculous to say that about cults in general.

Are the Hudud corruptions of Islam, or right there from the beginning. Things like lashings and dismemberment, are they there from the first groups or do you claim these punishments came way after.

originally posted by: crazyewok
I don’t have a issue with the majority of Muslim that don’t do anything and abide by all laws.

But come on lets stop kidding ourselves. Islam is not a religion of "peace".

Does a religion of peace:

Create a caliphate that burns people alive and tortures people to death?

Fly’s planes into tower blocks.

Drives cars into crowds of people.

Executes women for rape.


Pretty much every country ruled by Islam is a violent totalitarian state with little to no personal freedom, even if rich like Dubai or Saudi Arabia they are ruled by the sword.

And to pretty much confirm my argument.
If Islam really was religion of "peace" surely one could draw a picture of Muhamad with out the fear of being killed?

Now I am not in favour of anysort of religion ban or dircet percecution. I just want the media and SJW to stop trying to kid themselves.

I have never read either the Bible nor the Quran.

Can someone who has read the Quran tell me the following:

How does the Quran deal with people that are not Muslims? All the talk of "Religion of Peace" often involves mentioning how the Quran really is just a "rule book for good behaviour", peace & love and all that.

My point:

Even if the Quran describes a happy place, and talks of nothing more than being nice to one another, doesn't it EXCLUSIVELY address muslims?

If if does, and anyone NOT being a muslim basically is a worthless dog that needs to be ruled over, It is - to be polite - a very interesting aspect of the whole religion.

Am I right? I hope not - I hope the Quran is this peace-loving manifesto, where muslims only get "preferred seating" but we are all siblings in this lush garden of love. Kumbaya.

If I AM right, I want to point out that the majority of the world - you know, the 75% of us that are NOT muslims, should not wholeheartedly agree with us being "second rate" (or worse).

While I'm at it - maybe it's time to stop rubbelizing the Middle East - Give up this stupid facade of "trying to help people", when it's all about getting control over resources and their transportation from A to B. People tend to get angry when they're being bombed.

originally posted by: WilliamtheResolute
a reply to: namelesss

I sense you are misinformed about the wonders of Islam compared to Christianity, probably attributed to your inability to look beyond the end of your nose.

Your screaming bias is noted.
Typical response of a challenged 'believer'.
When the ego gets tweaked, when you have nothing intelligent with which to respond, we turn to insults.
I guess that means that our conversation is over.
Have a nice night. *__-

I'm sick of religion, period.

originally posted by: WilliamtheResolute
a reply to: namelesss

"What is the rationale behind the 'X'lam? *__-"

Well, now we know the reason behind "Xtians".....just another secular attempt at denigrating Christianity just as Christmas was changed to "Xmas."......so why not "Xlam" for Islam? All you secularists don't want to be accused of discrimination do you? ....or is that the point.

Quite the little Xtian snowflake, eh?
You have your delusion to see through.
In my explanation, there was nothing 'negative' at all.
It is your own feigned egoic social 'Xtianity' that took the hit of Truth, and you attacked in response to your imagined threat.
'Beliefs' are quite symptomatic, and you are displaying.
And now you are whining at me about Xmas?
I have to tell you, snowflake; tough. *__-

originally posted by: Mizzijr
I'm sick of religion, period.

Stick around, it will soon be gone, not even remembered.
Scripture will turn to dust.
The 'belief' virus will be dead!

Happy day! *__-

a reply to: crazyewok

This has been a very interesting thread and I have found myself defending positions I generally have little investment in, this subject has not only been divisive in this thread by is mirrored in our society. I made this post in another thread on Islam earlier and thought it might help focus on the issue of Islam and it's relationship to America's foundational government.


"The threat that the Muslim religion represents to the United States is from Shariah Islam and the violent jihad propagated by a criminal class of Muslims known as the Muslim Brotherhood or the "Ikhwan mafia." This secretive organization dominates most established Muslim groups and mosques in America while exploiting, manipulating and even victimizing law-abiding Muslim Americans.

Only a small share of the worlds 1.3 billion Muslims are part of this dangerous group. In America this group hides behind our laws and is known as CAIR, a Muslim Brotherhood front group that has infiltrated every level of our government."

originally posted by: namelesss

originally posted by: WilliamtheResolute
a reply to: namelesss

"What is the rationale behind the 'X'lam? *__-"

Well, now we know the reason behind "Xtians".....just another secular attempt at denigrating Christianity just as Christmas was changed to "Xmas."......so why not "Xlam" for Islam? All you secularists don't want to be accused of discrimination do you? ....or is that the point.

Quite the little Xtian snowflake, eh?
You have your delusion to see through.
In my explanation, there was nothing 'negative' at all.
It is your own feigned egoic social 'Xtianity' that took the hit of Truth, and you attacked in response to your imagined threat.
'Beliefs' are quite symptomatic, and you are displaying.
And now you are whining at me about Xmas?
I have to tell you, snowflake; tough. *__-

...and in true Christian spirit I turn the other cheek and forgive.