"Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:11 "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me."

Philo, I accept your point in relation to verbal harassment; however, the incitement of violence against innocent people is another matter. Under secular law it is illegal to assault people, maim people or blow them up in the name of religion or politics ( terrorism has no place anywhere).

Philo many of us do not subscribe to the Christian Religion; many in Australia are only nominal Christians; also, there are many athiests and agnostics. At present, I tend towards being agnostic. I'm sure that if a bikie gang began to harass your congregation then the Police would be called in to settle the ruckus.

We clearly should accept a wide range of ideas and literature. However, writings that incite hatred and ultimately fuels the resolve of terorists has no place in Australia.

Section 8 Racial and Religous Tolerance Act 2001

8. Religious vilification unlawful
(1) A person must not, on the ground of the religious
belief or activity of another person or class of
persons, engage in conduct that incites hatred
against, serious contempt for, or revulsion or
severe ridicule of, that other person or class of
persons.

QURAN
[5:72] Pagans indeed are those who say that GOD is the Messiah, son of Mary. The Messiah himself said, "O Children of Israel, you shall worship GOD; my Lord* and your Lord." Anyone who sets up any idol beside GOD, GOD has forbidden Paradise for him, and his destiny is Hell. The wicked have no helpers.

[5:73] Pagans indeed are those who say that GOD is a third of a trinity. There is no god except the one god. Unless they refrain from saying this, those who disbelieve among them will incur a painful retribution.
According to this, SPECIFICALLY the class of persons known as "Christians" (and Jews) are:
-Wicked
-Pagans (blasphemers)
-Idolaters.
-Will incur painful retribution.
-Destined for hell.

Questions.
1/ Does this incite 'serious contempt ' specifically for Christians ? (yes)
2/ Does it incite 'hate' ? (possibly)
3/ Does it incite 'revulsion for' ? (yes)
4/ Does it incite 'severe ridicule of' ? (yes)

Was this the 'motive' of the Quran ? (most likely not)
but, see section 9 of RRT

9. Motive and dominant ground irrelevant <= !

http://www.dms.dpc.vic.gov.au/Domino/Web_Notes/LDMS/PubStatbook.nsf/f932b66241ecf1b7ca256e92000e23be/cbe6eadba4439759ca256e5b00213f28/$FILE/01-047a.pdf

Is this grounds for banning the Quran ?
It should be noted, that nowhere in the Old or New Testaments, is the class of persons known as 'Muslims' mentioned even once. (Islam did not exist then)

I think that there have been more than enough excerpts from the Koran and the Bible published here by Bozo and others for them both to be banned as texts that incite hatred and vilification. If you want a text to interpret to your advantage, have a go at this:

'Ah! like gold fall the leaves in the wind,
long years numberless as the wings of trees!
The years have passed like swift draughts
of the sweet mead in lofty halls
beyond the West, beneath the blue vaults of Varda
wherein the stars tremble
in the song of her voice, holy and queenly.

Who now shall refill the cup for me?

For now the Kindler, Varda, the Queen of the Stars,
from Mount Everwhite has uplifted her hands like clouds,
and all paths are drowned deep in shadow;
and out of a grey country darkness lies
on the foaming waves between us,
and mist covers the jewels of Calacirya for ever.
Now lost, lost to those from the East is Valimar!

Farewell! Maybe thou shalt find Valimar.
Maybe even thou shalt find it. Farewell!'

At least as meaningful as the other two tomes, and nowhere near as divisive :)

Garra, see you and raise you:
riverrun, past Eve and Adam's, from swerve of shore to bend of bay, brings us by a commodious vicus of recirculation back to Howth Castle and Environs.
Sir Tristraim, violer d'amores, fr'over the short sea, had passencore rearrived from North Amorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe Minor to wielderfight his pensiolate war: not had topsawyer's rocks by the stream Oconee exaggerated themelse to Laurens County's gorgios while they went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire abellowsed mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick: noy yet, though venisoon after, had a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all's fair in vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone natandjoe.

ZENITH, n. The point in the heavens directly overhead to a man standing or a growing cabbage. A man in bed or a cabbage in the pot is not considered as having a zenith, though from this view of the matter there was once a considerably dissent among the learned, some holding that the posture of the body was immaterial. These were called Horizontalists, their opponents, Verticalists. The Horizontalist heresy was finally extinguished by Xanobus, the philosopher-king of Abara, a zealous Verticalist. Entering an assembly of philosophers who were debating the matter, he cast a severed human head at the feet of his opponents and asked them to determine its zenith, explaining that its body was hanging by the heels outside. Observing that it was the head of their leader, the Horizontalists hastened to profess themselves converted to whatever opinion the Crown might be pleased to hold, and Horizontalism took its place .. excerpt from the Devil's Dictionary.

BD,

The Koran ‘context differentiates faith and people.
- First, the translation of the meanings does not call the people of the book (Christian or Jews) ‘pagans’ but the reference in Arabic is ‘ungrateful’. Please refer to the “Pickthall meanings translation” and not a translation by a ‘passionate loving’ missionary.
- Second, the references to Christians and people of the book 2:62, 3:199 is that good believer among them having nothing to fear on judgement day.
- Again your ‘selective half truth’ beats your humanity: the verse you refer to are after Jesus conversation with God (4:109-120) when Jesus denies preaching anything but clear monotheism. The reference to those ‘ungrateful’ is that Jesus will ask God to forgive if their intent was good.
- In the Koran God blames some Christians and some Jews for not following their own messengers teachings and he refers to these people as ‘ungrateful’ similar to Muslims who don’t pay the alms for example. It is not that God ‘hates’ his own religions but he blames those who do not follow his teachings.
- Koran never talks about Muslims but always addresses ‘believers’ and the behaviour the word carries.

Boaz_D,

I understand you have thousands of postings on all the Islam bashing websites but at least attempt to be honest. No matter what you believe in you should at least be honest as people of your faith look up to you as a priest and missionary.
I also understand you are in the Muslims bashing book sales but no money in the world is worth the peace of mind.

BTW, I am still waiting on the answer to my question on David Palmer article...

Peace