Having never read my copy of the Koran (bought many years ago), and having only read parts of the Bible, despite attending a Christian school, I come
to this topic in ignorance. I regret I've not made the effort to read them both. As a child I was disinclined to because I assumed the purpose of
these texts was moral proscription. It seemed (and still seems) disastrous to derive moral precepts from any written text, ancient or modern.
Narrative and allegory can suggest better ways of behaving and can inspire and enlighten but as such are only catalysts. Whether we reject or accept
the ideas we find in them depends upon something pre-existing within ourselves (a conscience).
To approach a religious text as a fundamentalist, as the literal word of God, you would have to be convinced the text is both sacred and infallible.
How would you come to that belief? Because your family, your church, your friends told you so? How did you arrive at the absurd idea that they were
infallible?
Ancient religious texts are full of inconsistencies and often incoherent. They are only read in highly interpreted translations:
“About a fifth of Koranic passages make no sense at all!... If the Koran is not comprehensible, not even understood in Arabic, then it isn’t
translatable.” Gerd-R. Puin, German scholar.
Even the most educated Arab speaking Muslims need some sort of translation to make sense of the Koran and the same applies for Christians reading the
Bible.
Clearly for many there is something fatally attractive about putting faith in the infallibility of an ancient text. It removes the burden of
exercising a conscience in the face of uncertainty.
Anyone see an opening here for the politically powerful and astute to exploit the gullible and the weak?
As I said, I'm not qualified to enter the theological debate as to which text contains the least warlike sentiments. Interpretation and practice take
precedence - so I think that's rather irrelevant anyway. The Muslims I meet are tolerant, spiritual and neither warlike nor militant.
I recently listened to this interview with a prominent Muslim leader in my town - the Chairman of Birmingham (UK) Central Mosque, Dr Mohammad Naseem.
I see a wise, intelligent man promoting peace and multi-faith tolerance, but meeting death threats from political forces that see more profit in
dividing, agitating and radicalising. He shares my view that this opposition is not coming from his fellow worshippers.
[edit on 28-9-2008 by EvilAxis]
and see how the other half lives. The perfect way to gain
some insight into eachother and stop the conflict. Even if it is a war of words. 
themuse
