Am I the only one who finds it harder and harder to defend Islam?

Question

I have many islamic friends and they tend to say stupid things like. "Islam means peace" and "Islamic terrorist is an oxymoron."

And while I don't think Islam on it's face is bad. The horrors that are carried out in the name of Allah go far beyond just a few people in the Islamic world.

Women (and by women I include little girls who should playing with their suzy bake ovens) fleeing a burning building are forced back inside for not wearing the proper, religious clothes. They of course died in the fire.

Women who commit the crime of adultry, are buried up to their necks and have stones thorwn at them until they die. while the people throwing shout "Allah Akbar" ie "God is Great"

A school teach names a teddy bear Mohammed at the request of at student and she is locked up in jail.

A danish artist draws a cartoon that has the image of Mohammed and the Islamic people riot.

I don't see how they can say Islam means peace mean while so many horrors are taken in Islam's name.

Does anyone know how they counter this?

Sorry I you can not compare Bush to islamic terror. While he may be a jerk and may personally think he is doing gods work. The Soldiers are not saying "Praise Jesus!" as they bomb people. It is not a Christian evil it is a government evil.

Answer 1

They are amazingly silent on the subject.

Answer 2

And Christianity has people like Ted Haggard, Pat Buchanan, Eric Rudolph, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols.


I see Islam as no worse today than Christianity was in the middle ages, or even a couple of hundred years ago. Their problem is that the West move forward and grew up, the cultures of the Middle East did not.

This is not an Islamic problem. There are verses in the Torah, the OT, the NT and the Koran at say:
Be nice to everyone.

And there are other verses that clearly say:
Kill the unbelievers.

Islam is no different than any of the Abrahamic religions in this respect.

The problem is that the people living in feudal societies that are being 'threatened' by the influences of Western society (i.e. the current leaders - political and religious - are afraid that they are going to lose the power that they have) so they get whipped up into ridiculous frenzies like this one.

Answer 3

They don't at this point their religion is seen in the West as barbaric...I submit though that Christian rules had been just as barbaric in the past. I don't believe in Jesus so I am going to burn in the town square. They just failed to abandon the past and move into the present where VERBAL discourse can alleviate argument...folks agree to disagree than the issue(s) are/may be resolved. In other words they still live like Christians did in the Middle Ages. That's the mentality some Islamics embrace. Their religion hasn't adapted to the modern era...I submit that religion in general (Jews accepted...the Jewish Religious Law...Talmud is under review constantly) is outdated, out modded and unnecessary. PEACE!

Answer 4

No religion is truly peaceful, nor is any government. World peace will never happen. The more rules we make, the more there are to break. What it all boils down to is that religion divides and spirituality unites, though the world will never agree on the possibility that there is no one true religion and no true government that is the right one. It is easy for us all to bash a religion or government, but I think we can all agree that it is really hard to defend one or it's actions.

Answer 5

I have many Muslim friends, I've even been a Muslim myself and I've done my best not to turn into an Islam-basher once I left it, but it's becoming harder and harder. I just don't understand it how can any of these be ''logically'' justified (as they like to stress that Islam is all about logics.)

I don't know, but either my heart is indeed blackened or I fail to see the love and compassion in Islam.

EDIT: They still haven't spoken about the teddy bear affair on R&S. I don't know what they're waiting for really. I need SOME response!

Answer 6

Great question and one I have asked many times myself. It seems as time goes on Islam proves more and more a religion of ignorance, hate, and violence. I'm sure there are rational muslims out there I just don't know of any. I have always considered myself a tolerant individual but each day I become more leery of muslims and their religion. I don't think I am alone with this.

Answer 7

I am a Christian. I won't pretend to have a deep grasp on Islam. I don't think that it was ever meant to be a violent religion. I am in a quandary not wanting to judge or condemn or have prejudices, but being shocked at some of the cruelty.

Answer 8

It relies upon what left you communicate approximately. The reasonable left believes that the Jews are making the placement worse with the aid of going into Palestinian land and starting to be colonies. they suspect that the invasion in Iraq is incorrect with the aid of fact of obtrusive motives. The some distance left... they are basically stupid and should die.

Answer 9

Religion is the most dangerous thing in the world today. Islam shows that. but I do include all religions in this statement. But Islam is the #1 terrorist, evil, unjust so called religion today. Go ahead Muslims.....put a fatwa out on me...go ahead I dare you! oooooo i'm so scared!!

Answer 10

You're picking out specific, horrible incidents to paint a broad picture of Islam. Most importantly, you are not distinguishing between extreme reactionary Muslims (who get a lot of media press, for obvious reasons) and ordinary, moderate Muslims who live their lives quietly and humbly.

Tariq Ramadan is a good example of a Muslim who combines his faith with progressive, Westernized views. He's very well-educated and very articulate about how to popularize a more moderate Islam. You can read my source to find out more about him.

By the way, I am not Muslim. I am Catholic. Please be careful to distinguish between different "degrees" of faith. The more extreme forms of religion will always get a lot of attention. Just look at Christian radicals who have bombed abortion clinics or sent death threats to abortion doctors.

Answer 11

This is why you might hear atheists saying

"repent you fools, leave your crazy backward ideologies and come into the light - ALL OF YOU - before we all perish from your stupidity"

I mean you think it's bad from a christian point of view. Imagine how bad the whole mess looks from here!