Parmaynu

Firstly I appreciate your response. I will not deny that Islam is considerably more legalistic than many religions, but since you are reading 'with highlighter in hand' might I trouble you for some evidence regarding the danger to the lives of unorthadox Muslisms? Hitherto I have neglected to consider this and would therefore appreciate any information you could give me. Your question is fair...I have had two friends in seminary who converted to Christianity and they currently live in fear for their lives by members of their family. Salman Rushdie is still nervous they tell me. But, for drifting from orthodox thought I have no educated comment other than to say the culture has a tendency to see things very black and white. You have caught me rushing around on a Friday afternoon with family responsibility pressing me. Parmaynu, I will take the challenge to pour over the Qur'an this weekend and hopefully answer your question or admit I don't know or can't find it. Does your question have in basis in some personal experience? No, my question has no basis in personal experience it is simply a topic which interests me. I appreciate what you have told me so far and as such I do not wish to make any more demands on your time; instead I will look into the matter myself (provided of course that I have the time) Thanks very much for your input.

Firstly I appreciate your response. I will not deny that Islam is considerably more legalistic than many religions, but since you are reading 'with highlighter in hand' might I trouble you for some evidence regarding the danger to the lives of unorthadox Muslisms? Hitherto I have neglected to consider this and would therefore appreciate any information you could give me.

The title of your thread would lead me to think that you were looking for proof that Islam is peaceful but here you ask for proof that Islam is violent. To be fair, shouldn't you be interested in both? If not, you're no better than the teacher. It sounds like you already had your mind made up on the issue--before proof. Copper Scroll...thanks for staying true to your MO. Few people stick to a principles of their self-imposed rules of engagement. Perhaps I was not clear enough in my title or the body of my post. But, I was not looking for discussion or argument but information. I have read and studied enough in world history courses to firmly know it as a purely a false religion in theory and in practice. I know it as ignorance to protray Allah as being synonymous with Jehovah. And have read and conversed with muslims to know firsthand many things. I have even been a guest at a Mosque in Raleigh, NC. My post was a request overnight in a rush to find textual addresses for citing. My method of proof has always been to use the literature of the cult itself to undermine its professed truths, not what critics have determined. So in all fairness, I am already convinced of the deception and danger of Islam. And see the contemporary facade "of peaceful people" as a lie of the devil or political compromise. President Bush and our governement or either ignorant or posturing. I don't think it particularly matters whether you were looking for discussion or mere information. Clearly certain people disagree with your views on Islam and took it upon themselves to provide you with an alternative perspective, and why shouldn't they? Perhaps because you are 'already convinced of the deception and danger of Islam' i.e. inserting both fingers into your ears and singing LALALALA I AM NOT LISTENING LALALA very loudly? Whether you were looking for discussion or not it has found you. Therefore I would appreciate it if you would respond to my query: is 'the literature of the cult' really the best source of information? Perhaps (as I suggested) the views of actual Muslims would be a better place to start?

Deuteronomy 21 Marrying a Captive Woman (10) When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives, (11) if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife. 12 Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails (13) and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife. Obviously the actions described above would not be deemed acceptable by the majority of Christians living today, nor would the majority of this forum's users see this as acceptable behaviour. It is therefore the case that the opinions and standards of the Christian church have changed over time, and I wish to propose that the same has happened within the Islamic faith. Rather than seeing the renewed translations (which you describe above) as 'deceptive' euphemisms designed to mask the sinister intentions of bloodthirsty Muslims, it would surely make more sense to assume that the Arabic translators who 'have softened the Koran' did so in order to better reflect the views of today's Muslim community, who would genuinely prefer to 'put the unbeliever away' from themselves, rather than destroy him?