Dear Reason,

I don’t have a problem with anyone not believing in Islam. My best friends in Egypt where I grew up and in Sydney are a variety of beliefs.

On my team, I have 2 Vietnamese, 3 Hindus, 2 Roman Catholics, 1 agnostic, 1 hardcore atheist (sorry Rick!) and many unclassified.

Islam wise, God states in the Quran that the wisdom of being created different is to get to know each other ‘letaarafu’. I can dig enough material from my own faith to support my view but the thing is I believe people are really good or bad. Religion like anything else will bring what they have inside. I knew a young, beautiful, wealthy English doctor who left everything in England and moved to help children camps in Latin America (she is an atheist) and she has been there for the last 15 years. The relation between goodness of the heart and religion in my view sounds like relating a fish to a bicycle.

My perfect world is hot weather by the beach, wind-surfing, meditating, dolphins, friendly smiling faces of all colours, beliefs and languages, probably a Harley or a 65 White Mustang (I am 40 next week and my wife is wondering about my midlife adventure).

Merry Christmas and on topic to sti Boaz:

I was re-reading Jesus (PBUH) story in the Quran and it states he was born in a dates season (ie mostly October/ early November in Palestine/ Egypt) where did the 25th December come from?
Answers time BD:-)

Reason,

Thanks for your remarks. May I remind you and the other readers that we are at war with a reckless aggressor? Fighting back with pillows and velvet hammers is not ‘Reasonable’. Only the truth will set us (and them) free.

I do not owe an apology for calling it as it is. After all this is OLO. The Lord Jesus himself condemned the Religious law keepers and the Pharisees of his time. And Paul said: I am not ashamed of the gospel..."

You could be forgiven for mistaking “love” with “kindness”. God so loved the world that he gave his son to die for us – he was not being kind because he loved us so much.

You descrine yourself:“I am a non-practicing, Christian-raised person”. With all due respect what does that make you? An observer, a spectator? The voice of ‘Reason’? When it comes to the crunch where will you stand?

Stating facts is not being arrogant.

I stand by what I stated re: islam being completely alien to Christianity. There is no relation whatever... (unlike what they want you to believe). Don't shoot me, I am just the messenger. This is not my fault blame God.

God revealed himself to his people (the Israelites) in the Old Testament and had a covenant with them.
He made a new covenant to humanity at large in the New Testament in the person of His Son Jesus The Christ (whom we are celebrating his birthday soon). Making the old covenant obsolete.

When Jesus died on the cross at the end of his mission he said:"it is finished”. He did not say “to be continued…”

Where do you see that in islam? Sorry mate – you lose.

>>Sorry mate – you lose<<

Coach, I'm only surprised you didn't add "So Nyaaah!" Very childish.

>>May I remind you and the other readers that we are at war with a reckless aggressor?<<

Exactly who is this aggressor? I can only assume you mean the entire world of Islam, which is, in my view, a dangerous fantasy.

In the same way as were his soul brothers in the Europe of the 'thirties, John Stone is part of a team dedicated to focussing your hatred on a common "enemy", with arguments designed to tap into our deepest fears. There are many historical parallels, where intelligent people use their intellect to play upon our darkest nightmares, and paint a particular "other" as the demon to be fought, the devil incarnate, the devourer of children etc. etc. ad naus.

Much of this thread has been taken up with "Christians vs Muslims". The truth is, it doesn't really matter who "wins" the argument, only that hatred has been sufficiently stirred up for you to be manipulated and twisted by people with a vested interest in the conflict.

I've seen urban disorder - first hand - before, including Paris 1968 and Brixton 1981, and I recognize the tactics of the manipulators. But until and unless we wake up to the way in which we are being used by politicians and the media as dumb cannon-fodder, the problems underneath will remain unaddressed and unsolved.

the coaches of yesterday wrote "the protocols of the learned elders of zion". today they write the protocols of the learned mullahs of iran or iraq or afghanistan or wherever. not much has changed. paranoia is just as irrational as it was before.

What you say is part true, but it does not answer the question, why and who for what reason forced this predicament onto others. What is breaking out in Sydney is not aggression of others forced by politics, exact opposite. It is a concept learnt and the basic humane survival instinct, when our supposed political power elites and Looters have set the pace. People will clean up the mess. To engage a racial argument for the sake is not relevant at any point, it is the exact nature in the roll: is the reverse as you explain it Pericles. Australians are not the aggressors in this fraud; we are the victims of Occupation. But be sure the inevitable consequences will be dia for the aggressors and the politics that made this point in time possible.Have you served within the defence force Pericles? War is not nice, but dieing is worse.
On other threads, your Ideals are not the same: Turn Holy lands to glass?

Coach,

Can you tell the difference whether the following quotes are from the Bible or the Quran?:

"Say: 'We believe in God, and in what has been revealed to us... and what was revealed to Moses, Jesus, and the prophets, from their Lord: We make no distinction between one and another among them, and to God do we bow our will (in Islam)."' (3: 84).

"Behold! The angels said: 'O Mary! God giveth thee glad tidings of a Word from Him: his name will be Jesus Christ, the son of Mary, held in honor in this world and the hereafter and of (the company of) those Nearest to God."' (3:45)

"Behold! God said: 'O Jesus! I will take thee and raise thee to myself."' (3:55). Jesus did not die, but all apostles and prophets did."We gave him the Bible in which was guidance and light." (3:46)

"O Jesus the son of Mary! Recount my favor to thee and to thy mother. Behold! I strengthened thee with the Holy Spirit, so that thou didst speak to the people in childhood and in maturity. Behold! I taught thee the Book and Wisdom, the Law and the Gospel." (3:113)

Jesus says: "And He hath made me blessed wherever I be. The son of Mary, with no father, lived in chastity (Mary:30-31)

."We gave him the Bible in which was guidance and light." (3:46)

"We bestowed favor upon him, and we made him an example for the Children of Israel." (Zukhruf:59).

Jesus "Say: 'O men! I am sent unto you all, as the Apostle of God, to whom belongeth the dominion of the heavens and the earth: there is no god but He: it is He that giveth both life and death. So believe in God and His Apostle, the unlettered Prophet (MohamedPBUH), who believeth in God and His Words: Follow him that (so) ye may be guided."' (Alaraf:158).

Its the Quran. Do you still believe we are 'totally different'?

Peace brothers,