The New testiment was written within a stable empire with a legal system, its mesasge is simple you disobey the "Laws" you get punished, you obey the laws you get rewarded. There's a carrot and there's a stick. Like most religions it reinforces the culture it involves in. The Sumerian and Babalyon religions are good examples of this.
The Quran was written in an unstable environment the was crying out for a uniting reason to go forth and conquer with. (Christianity had the Romans do the conquering and set up a legal system and framework for them).
You'll find the old Testment alot more conquest driven because it was written when the babylonians freed the jewish slave and they returned to their homelands to find them occupied.
The religions that are successful are the ones that can infect the best warriors of the time.
The world has alot to thank the Ancient Greek and Roman cultures for. The Roman Republic existed for 500 years and the western roman empire for another 500. Thankfully the Christian religion only influenced the last 150 years of it. One of the Romans strenghs was their secular view on society, acceptance of multiple belief systems and their use and development of technology/science.
Oh, this is just a cool map thingy from wikipedia
religious map
3. Suicide as a sex-substitute? Where are the exploding Catholic priests? Vans with gas cylinders driven by Carmelite nuns? Buddhist monks with box-cutters boarding airplanes?
1. Polygyny existed in Islam since the very beginning, ditto for the story of 72 virgins. So how come that the Islamic world survived until a decade or two ago without suicide bombers?
I think the point about the Old Testament perhaps misses the point slightly, because ultimately a christian tries to follow the example of christ, and a muslim tries to follow the example of Mohammed. and they are very different examples.
Jennifer
Christians most certainly don't always follow the example of Christ. However, the core of their belief is that they should follow his teachings, surely? For a christian to be peaceful, he has to follow Christ's example. For a Muslim to be peaceful, he must go against Mohammed's example. I see a clear differentiator there.
Idealistically, yes.
Realistically, just look around you. It's not how the faith is actually practiced.
Are we discussing intrinsic differences in Messiah figures, or are we discussing how the more prominent Christians actually practice and intellectualize their morality/faith?
I'm saying that Islam promotes violence. If you raise a child on the Quran I think he'd grow up to be a different person than if you raised the same child in the same situation on the Bible.
I'm saying that Islam promotes violence. If you raise a child on the Quran I think he'd grow up to be a different person than if you raised the same child in the same situation on the Bible.
Considering that Mohammed was a military leader who converted and subordinated tribes by force and imposed taxes and discriminatory laws against non-muslims and promoted the destruction or conversion of non-muslim societies, and that he is Gods foremost prophet on earth according to Muslims and one whose actions are beyond reproach, is it possible to be peaceful and tolerant and be a true muslim?
...For a Muslim to be peaceful, he must go against Mohammed's example. I see a clear differentiator there.
3. Suicide as a sex-substitute? Where are the exploding Catholic priests? Vans with gas cylinders driven by Carmelite nuns? Buddhist monks with box-cutters boarding airplanes?
Yes, it's possible, people have done it since Mohammed was alive.
Yes, it's possible, people have done it since Mohammed was alive.
The premise of the OP is utterly flawed. A cursory reading of the Bible or even a glimmer of knowledge of the history Christianity shows his assumptions of Christianity as inherently peaceful is simply off base.
And once again, if Victor repeats it enough times it must be true.