This is what we do:
I quote a verse from the Qur'an that mandates war against the non-Muslims. Then you come up with an alleged context for that verse that seems to render the verse harmless. You also give a personal interpretation that differs from the most straightforward interpretation of the text. Then I read commentaries on the verse written by the most renowned Islamic scholars of all time to see if the context and interpretation that you provided match the mainstream interpretation of that verse. Time and time again, the most renowned scholars of Islam do NOT agree with you. If it weren't for your objections, I would just quote the Qur'an without resorting to the writings of those scholars.
It is not my fault that you don't the point of those scholars. All you do is reading a text and that's it. I'm a Muslim living in a serious Muslims country (Saudi Arabia), specifically in Makkah where Islam was revealed, and I've bee thru many teachings, interpretations and clarifications about those points. I'm also a native of Makkah and my family and ancestors whom I learned from lived thru the teachings of Islam, and before schools they learned it from the Grand Mosque in Makkah. Simply put, you do not know the details of those interpretation. All you know is a fixed text, and I wish it was at least the original.
Why are turning an IS IS thread to a discussion about Islam any ways? You and I both agree that IS IS is evil. Isn't that what the thread is all about?
I don't have any preconceptions about Islam. I simply read the Islamic sacred texts and I take them at face value. I have a better understanding of Islam than Smart Guy, since all of the most renowned Islamic scholars agree with me and disagree with Smart Guy.
Crypto, I don't claim to know Islam perfectly, but further to what I said above and what you said in red, it does not make sense that you understand Islam better than me. Also, I happened to be the only Saudi Arabian Muslim, native to Makkah the center of Islam who knows English that I know of to participate with international people. Language barrier alone is what holding millions of Muslim with the same understanding of Islam as mine.
Who's Ibn Kathir?
Even I don't remember the last time I heard his name before this thread. He seems to be one of the interpreters of the Quran.