07-31-2008, 03:02 AM
I saw a good Documentary recently called "The Qur'an". It was quite informative about the differing types of Muslim faith from Sunni and Shi'a to Wahabism. It discussed the relationship between Islam, Christianity and Judaism as well as the differences in the culture that led to the fragmentation of Islamic faiths. They talked about womens rights in the various faiths and about the conflicts between the faiths as well.
To be honest, there are similar breaks in Christianity and Judaism. In recent time the Infighting within each faith other than Islam has not been so violent, but 500 years ago Christians were at war with each other. At its base Muslims should be no more violent than any other religion, but like during the middle ages influential individuals twist some of the meanings to spawn the evil acts they wish to be carried out. In the Bible and the Qur'an, both say you should not tell other what is meant, but they should read it and understand it themselves.
I am not a theological scholar so I can not tell you chapter or verse of the Bible or the Qur'an, but having read both, it is my opinion and that of the documentary that both books, including the old testament which is supposed to be the same as the Torah, teach self determination and compassion with a dose of protectionism for others of the same religion to the exclusion of all others. This is the part that is mainly abused by extremists of any of these three religions. They ignore the parts that promote live and let live, compassion for your neighbor and allowing others to have free will but at the same time emphasize the parts that say you should aggressively defend your faith over all others and that all others are essentially evil for believing what you believe if you are a true believer.
I hope that moderate Muslims, Christians and Jews take control of their religion and learn to live with others no matter what they believe, their same God tells them that everyone has the right to self determination and that if they are not true believers, then God will judge them in his own way, and will definitely deal with radicals, extremists and so called martyrs.
To be honest, there are similar breaks in Christianity and Judaism. In recent time the Infighting within each faith other than Islam has not been so violent, but 500 years ago Christians were at war with each other. At its base Muslims should be no more violent than any other religion, but like during the middle ages influential individuals twist some of the meanings to spawn the evil acts they wish to be carried out. In the Bible and the Qur'an, both say you should not tell other what is meant, but they should read it and understand it themselves.
I am not a theological scholar so I can not tell you chapter or verse of the Bible or the Qur'an, but having read both, it is my opinion and that of the documentary that both books, including the old testament which is supposed to be the same as the Torah, teach self determination and compassion with a dose of protectionism for others of the same religion to the exclusion of all others. This is the part that is mainly abused by extremists of any of these three religions. They ignore the parts that promote live and let live, compassion for your neighbor and allowing others to have free will but at the same time emphasize the parts that say you should aggressively defend your faith over all others and that all others are essentially evil for believing what you believe if you are a true believer.
I hope that moderate Muslims, Christians and Jews take control of their religion and learn to live with others no matter what they believe, their same God tells them that everyone has the right to self determination and that if they are not true believers, then God will judge them in his own way, and will definitely deal with radicals, extremists and so called martyrs.