We all have the capability of producing extremists of the most brutal kind, and Christianity, Judaism, and Islam have all been used as a justification for such brutality.
Exactly! It's amazing, isn't it, how we focus on the fanatical zealots of other religions while disregarding those of our own! Have Christians suddenly forgotten the heinous treatment meted out to millions of people worldwide in the name of Christianity over the centuries! Oh, but that was then, we're more civilised now! Absolute tosh!!
The Nazis who murdered 6 million Jews were largely made up of Roman Catholics and Protestants. Christians wiped out the aboriginees of Tasmania. Spanish Christians massacred the indigenous peoples of South America. Christians and Muslims kill each other in South East Asia.
People are people are people are people and there will always be some imbeciles who want to stir up trouble for their own ends. Is charity Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, etc? No, of course not. It's all charity. So why put a label on people? I can introduce you to wonderful, peaceful, law-abiding Muslims who detest the religious war-mongers of so-called Muslim countries and I can introduce you to Christians whom you'd rather stay away from for the rest of your life! Does that mean all Muslims are good and all Christians are bad? Of course it doesn't!
I've no doubt there are millions of Muslims who would love to have the freedoms we have in the west but they're too afraid to speak out - and can you blame them? Don't judge a people by its leaders, because not all leaders have been elected democratically and cannot be said to be a reflection of the masses.
Sheesh, did our time in the JWS not teach us anything? Do we not remember the total suppression we felt? Well, so do many Muslims. Don't forget, many Muslim counties don't want to be ruled by religious despots and elect secular leaders. Turkey, a Muslim country, wants to join the European Common Market and is an example of westernised Islam. Women there can speak out and don't have to wear those head to toe coverings. NOT ALL MUSLIMS ARE THE SAME JUST AS NOT ALL CHRISTIANS ARE THE SAME!
There'll always be some moron trying to stir up trouble and they'll frequently use religion as a reason. Perhaps Marx was right and religion is, indeed, the opium of the masses. But then again, those who have a religion can be said to respect truth. But that doesn't mean they have the TRUTH and so shouldn't foster it on the rest of us.
So, before we go and support nuking all Iranians or Arabs let us remember that there are millions amongst them that want peace as much as we do; who want to see their children grow into similar law-abiding and peace-loving people and who see all men and women as equals.
Ian