What are the cultural & historical idiosyncracies between Christians & Muslims that define their reactions?

Question

Effectively, why the major difference in reactions to world politics, foreign policy, or even media events - i.e. Danish publication of Mohammed cartoons vs. Da Vinci Code book/movie; Iran nuclear intentions; Iraq sectarian strife; US foreign policy? Does it seem that Muslim extremists have the tendency to react to everything with violence? What can be said about the differences in the teachings of Islam vs. Christianity that explains the non-violent reactions of Christians versus the overtly violent reactions of Muslims? Or is it nothing to do with that - is it location and the instigation of the state that provokes such reactions? There weren't riots in the predominant Muslim neighborhoods in the US. Is there another agenda of some Muslim countries to promote such reactions?

Answer 1

A couple of interesting differences I have picked up from readings include the tendency of Christians (westerners) tend to allow leaders to be selected by some elite members. Muslims tend to expect them to emerge from the community should the need arise. Another related tendency is that Muslims to organize bottom up, where Chrisitians have this need to create institutions to deal with issues, making some specific office and staffing it with someone to deal with the situation as it arises. So if something happens, Christians, and even more, their secular offspring rely on someone else to take care of indiscretions. Muslims tend to be more involved with their social environment and are compelled to personally affect corrective change if an indiscretion is observed. This is relevant, in that it would seem that many things that I even am surprised we stomach in the western world, are seen as extraordinarily vile by some Muslims. So much so that many seem to question the morality of westerners who tolerate such behaviors. A lot of this western value of "tolerance" in my mind is really laziness or fear of taking a principalled position on an issue such as abortion, death penalty, adultery. While it is necessary to maintain a society of laws, the laws are increasingly hollow eplacements for what was once social norms.

I know that popular conception is that Muslims are fundamentally more violent, or more backward than what we expect in the more secular western society. While some might find truth to this, the ease with which this is accepted, and the proliferation of this idea should cause us to spend some time trying to give it serious examination over just relying what typical media feeds us, right or left.
While there may be a difference in perspectives on violence in general, this difference in social organizing would seem to explain much of the dissonance between the two cultures.

Answer 2

This question assumes that all members of either religion think alike. They do not. And nor do they all share the same culture or history. The question assumes that all Christians are the same and all Muslims are the same. And so it is not possible to answer such an overgeneralised understanding of the people who make up these two faiths. Furthermore, some of these people may react the same believe it or not. Not all Christians are peaceful and not all muslims are violent. This question is based on ignorant assumptions that slot whole populations of people as either pacifists or terrorists.

Answer 3

Simple, every Jehadi is made to feel by giving Quotes,(the meaning of which is distorted by the mentors of the Jehadis.)That if he kills infidels he will go to the Heavens and that 72 Hooris ARE WAITING FOR HIM IN THE HEAVENS.

Where as there is no such idiosyncracies in the Christians.Holy books.

Reactions are because of lack of full knowledge on the part of the Jehadis.May be you enlighten the Jehadis by dropping the pamphlets giving true position on there camps or through the Madrasas.