Oh good (sarcasm), another Islam thread.
As you can obviously see, @Afnan there are conflicting opinions on Islam. And, in fact, the same points have been made by the same people more than once because this is a controversial area.
Some observations:
As you can obviously see, @Afnan there are conflicting opinions on Islam. And, in fact, the same points have been made by the same people more than once because this is a controversial area.
Some observations:
- Cherry picking verses by anyone does not prove that Islam is peaceful or violent. I can prove both if I chose selectively.
- Translations are often unreliable. Some parts of the Quran have wildly different translations. Consult many if you're trying to read the Quran.
- Most Muslims also look to Hadith, the authenticated sayings of Muhammad, as very important albeit secondary to the Quran. But it's helpful to also include them in ones understanding of Islam.
- If you're interested in compare/contrast, look at the Jewish Torah and the many ways it's interpreted. The issue of "is Islam peaceful" to me is illuminated by seeing that literal readings of the Torah speak of God telling Israel to conquer and slay.
- Also the holy books of Hindus are full of war.
- And Buddhists are slaughtering Muslims on Myanmar. And Christians murdered many Jews in Eastern Europe. So there's a vast difference between what the holy books contain and how people behave.
- Be careful about what are cultural impacts of Muslims versus what the religion is about. Compare/contrast American Muslims to, for example, Saudi and Iranian Muslims.
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