Fellow_Human, ever seen a retailer running down the competition? The ones who focus on that and yet are unwilling to deal honestly with their own businesses failings will con some customers. I suspect that they put more customers off than they gain.

Some parts of christianity really hate competition. Keep up the polite posts, it brings a lot more credit to your beliefs.

R0bert

Thank Robert / Laurie.

Kalweb,
Islam: Arabic word for peace/ submission to the will of God.
Faith:
1- Believe in one God, have a direct relationship with no idols or intermediaries.
2- Believe in all his prophets and messengers and love them equally: there are 25 prophets in the Koran) and references to prophets that we were not told about. (Messengers are those with a message in Islam they are four: Moses, David, Jesus and Mohamed).
3- Belief in the last day (Judgement) and resurrection and that we shall all be judged for our deeds.
4- Pray 5 times a day, fast Ramadan and pay the almes (Poor tax).
5- Do the pilgrim once in a life time if you can afford it.
Values:
6- Avoid the major sins: idolatry, forgery, being ungrateful to your parents, gossip, adultery.
7- Repent and ask God for forgiveness when you commit a sin. Be good to your parents, family, neighbours, and help the poor and needy.
8- Resist temptations, defend your country, sponsor and defend the orphan and the widow.
9- Purify your heart for God judges your intent before your deeds. Do not harm yourself (alcohol, drugs, gambling) or others.
10- Be good to all creatures and animals for they are nations/ believers like us.

Muslims:
Those who follow above and worship God/ Allah.
(Allah is Arabic for God, some Muslims insist on using Allah because a) it is the only word that has no plural b) it is the only word that is neither male or female, there is no ‘it’ in semetic languages, Allah is God in the Arabic bible as well).
Scripture:
The Koran for all Muslims is the word of God. Additional man made references like narrated hadith (sayings of the prophet written by different sources), local fatwa (Imam’s opinion on modern day issues).
Reliance on man made reference varies upon the individuals and is discredited if contradicting the Koran. A lot of the Koran is metaphoric that is why it is important to read ‘meanings interpretation’. Pickthall is probably the closest translation to the real meanings.

AK

Fellow_Human

Thank you very much for your reply to my question above. I found your response very interesting and useful. I will have to read it many times before I can grasp it's meanings - especially in the context of terrorism.

I logged on to www.faithfreedom.org for clarification. I found the writings on that site just as scary as terrorism. Am I wrong or just plain naive?

Thanks also to you Laurie.

Ash/Fellow

I know the background to that Surah, and you claim it was a Time of War, but a reading of the history shows that they Jews were clearly in fear for their lives, and made alliances which are typical of any group in a tribal mix, simply to preserve their lives. Its incomprehensible to claim that it was a'time of war' THEREFORE the men and boys can be slaughtered systematically, when they did not even fight. They had surrendered.

Robert, are u following this, Laurie ?... Ash has justified the systematic beheading of POW's -the whole male population of a village by Mohammed because it 'was a time of war'.

Now, lets quickly zoom over to Bosnia. The Serbs went to Srebreniza, took the surrendered Muslim males and systematically executed them.
Was this 'ok' ? most people are calling it a war crime of holocaust magnitude.

If it was 'not' ok, why was MOhammeds act 'ok' ? Let me guess :) "He was defending the 'true religion of God' ? "Allah told him to" ... hmmmm....

Robert... still following ? Is this just 'my dogmatic opinion' ?

or is it a reasonable assessment of the facts as they stand.

Are you still looking fondly at how Ash's 'sugar coating' of Islam's prophet is 'giving his beliefs more credibility ?

Lets not be unfair, Ash's 'beliefs' -I applaud his sincere desire to know God, and defend what he believes is the 'final revelation' from God, but his sincerity is blinding him to the facts of his alleged prophet. (note "facts")

Rob, look at Christ, his apostles, see if you can find anything of a similar nature. Did Jesus use a sword ? Did he surround himself with women ? Did he claim "The world belongs to Allah and His Apostle" ? (which by the way includes YOUR property) If you think that is just a 'pretty word picture' and not a 'literal' statement, examine how Mohammed DID take 1/5 of war booty, for himself. (which he often used in benevolent ways, but it was still YOURS before he took it)

BOAZ_David, I don't really care a lot about the discussion over scriptures. Deliberately targetting innocents during a time of war is an abomination and anyone doing so or ordering that it be done deserves our utmost comdemnation. Agreed.

My point is that Fellow_Human and others have been consistant in the tone of their posts. That tone has been one which reflects well on themselves and their faith.

Your continued attacks on anything not christian and double standards when comparing christianity to other beliefs do not do you or your beliefs any credit. If anything they chase at least some of us further away.

Have a read of Joshua 6:21 (plenty of others if thats not enough) and tell me your criticisms of Islam are fair.

"21 They devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it—men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys."

R0bert

Boaz-David, I have certainly not defended Quranic scriptures, I am aware there is much that is violent and unpalatable contained within them. Equally, what little I know of Christian, and indeed Jewish and Hindu holy books suggest that if you go looking, there is much to disapprove of and dismiss as inhumane and disgraceful to human rights as we understand them today.

That there are unpalatable aspects to all major religions does not mean that the people who pick up on and preach and/or practice the truly GOOD aspects of that religion are misguided or delusional.

Equating violent scriptures with an expecation that all followers of that religion will act to echo these violent deeds is surely insulting to all followers of religion.