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Islamophobia?
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<blockquote data-quote="colb" data-source="post: 2695276" data-attributes="member: 35308"><p>Honestly, it would help if you would provide an explanation of the word Jihad. From the context of your post, it sounds as if you do not quite understand the meaning. Before I go any further, I am not a Muslim. Never was. Never will be. I do not believe in Islam, and I don't agree with a lot of their beliefs. That being said, I also have my qualms with Christianity, but we'll save that for later. I have a unique interest in religion. Whether I believe or not is irrelevant. Nothing else in the world has had such an enormous impact on human history. When I attended Church regularly (non-denominational Christian) at a younger age, we had some outside studies on Islam. This was shortly after 9/11, and many in the Church were interested in spreading knowledge, as opposed to hatred and fear (considering our attackers were Muslim). That being said:</p><p></p><p>The word "Jihad" translates in English, as "To Struggle". It does not mean to blow people up, or murder someone, etc. There are 6 forms of Jihad: Heart/Soul, Tongue, Pen, and Sword. Each one is broken down in a simpler meaning:</p><p></p><p>- Heart/Soul: AKA The Greater Jihad. The struggle against one's inner evil and/or Satan. Allowing Islam to transform ones soul into achieving eternal peace.</p><p>- Tongue: Spreading knowledge of Islam, or defending Islam, through teachings by word of mouth.</p><p>- Pen: Further spreading of knowledge, or gain of knowledge, by research and writings.</p><p>- Hand: Reaching out and helping through the grace of God. Deeds such as giving to charity, helping the needy, saving a life, taking one in for shelter, etc.</p><p>- Sword: AKA The Lesser Jihad. Only to be used in self defense (you are attacked, your nation is attacked), or against unjust evil which one should stop. The Qur'an states that even during Jihad of the Sword, civilians, women, and children are not to be touched (regardless of their religious affiliation). Should an enemy ask for mercy, it MUST be granted, etc etc. </p><p></p><p></p><p>And that's just the basics. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Basically, the issue with Islam boils down to one thing: Context. There are plenty of offensive and horrendous verses that one could quote from The Holy Bible. A lot of Christians don't even realize they exist. Some are worse than what you may find in the Qur'an. But, anyone that's actually read the Bible will tell you "Read it in context, then get back to me". Ezekial 9:5 is a great example. At a quick glance:</p><p></p><p>But to the others He said in my hearing, "Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. 6"Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary." </p><p></p><p>Does that mean God is commanding us all to kill all who are not righteous? Context. Context. Context. So why do we see so many Islamic terror groups, yet not the same with Christianity? I don't think there is one single correct answer. I believe there are many contributing factors. For starters, Islam is confusing and cluttered. The Qur'an timeline is not easy to follow. When you combine that with the fact that the Qur'an is NOT the only Islamic holy scripture, it can be very difficult for the uneducated to understand. There are 6 other books, plus the Qur'an which are considered holy scripture. It doesn't come in a combo package, like The Bible. Not to mention, The Bible lays everything out in (mostly) Chronological order. In poorly developed countries, terror groups take advantage of this, and use Islam, patriotism, and selective scripture as their recruiting tool. </p><p></p><p></p><p>So where's the point, behind all of this non-sense? Pure Islam, as directed by all 7 holy books, is not an evil/violent religion. However, the fact that Islam can be so easily misinterpreted makes it a dangerous religion for the masses. Especially in cultures where war and killing have been the norm for centuries.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="colb, post: 2695276, member: 35308"] Honestly, it would help if you would provide an explanation of the word Jihad. From the context of your post, it sounds as if you do not quite understand the meaning. Before I go any further, I am not a Muslim. Never was. Never will be. I do not believe in Islam, and I don't agree with a lot of their beliefs. That being said, I also have my qualms with Christianity, but we'll save that for later. I have a unique interest in religion. Whether I believe or not is irrelevant. Nothing else in the world has had such an enormous impact on human history. When I attended Church regularly (non-denominational Christian) at a younger age, we had some outside studies on Islam. This was shortly after 9/11, and many in the Church were interested in spreading knowledge, as opposed to hatred and fear (considering our attackers were Muslim). That being said: The word "Jihad" translates in English, as "To Struggle". It does not mean to blow people up, or murder someone, etc. There are 6 forms of Jihad: Heart/Soul, Tongue, Pen, and Sword. Each one is broken down in a simpler meaning: - Heart/Soul: AKA The Greater Jihad. The struggle against one's inner evil and/or Satan. Allowing Islam to transform ones soul into achieving eternal peace. - Tongue: Spreading knowledge of Islam, or defending Islam, through teachings by word of mouth. - Pen: Further spreading of knowledge, or gain of knowledge, by research and writings. - Hand: Reaching out and helping through the grace of God. Deeds such as giving to charity, helping the needy, saving a life, taking one in for shelter, etc. - Sword: AKA The Lesser Jihad. Only to be used in self defense (you are attacked, your nation is attacked), or against unjust evil which one should stop. The Qur'an states that even during Jihad of the Sword, civilians, women, and children are not to be touched (regardless of their religious affiliation). Should an enemy ask for mercy, it MUST be granted, etc etc. And that's just the basics. Basically, the issue with Islam boils down to one thing: Context. There are plenty of offensive and horrendous verses that one could quote from The Holy Bible. A lot of Christians don't even realize they exist. Some are worse than what you may find in the Qur'an. But, anyone that's actually read the Bible will tell you "Read it in context, then get back to me". Ezekial 9:5 is a great example. At a quick glance: But to the others He said in my hearing, "Go through the city after him and strike; do not let your eye have pity and do not spare. 6"Utterly slay old men, young men, maidens, little children, and women, but do not touch any man on whom is the mark; and you shall start from My sanctuary." Does that mean God is commanding us all to kill all who are not righteous? Context. Context. Context. So why do we see so many Islamic terror groups, yet not the same with Christianity? I don't think there is one single correct answer. I believe there are many contributing factors. For starters, Islam is confusing and cluttered. The Qur'an timeline is not easy to follow. When you combine that with the fact that the Qur'an is NOT the only Islamic holy scripture, it can be very difficult for the uneducated to understand. There are 6 other books, plus the Qur'an which are considered holy scripture. It doesn't come in a combo package, like The Bible. Not to mention, The Bible lays everything out in (mostly) Chronological order. In poorly developed countries, terror groups take advantage of this, and use Islam, patriotism, and selective scripture as their recruiting tool. So where's the point, behind all of this non-sense? Pure Islam, as directed by all 7 holy books, is not an evil/violent religion. However, the fact that Islam can be so easily misinterpreted makes it a dangerous religion for the masses. Especially in cultures where war and killing have been the norm for centuries. [/QUOTE]
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