Poll: Less Americans See Islam as Inspiring Violence
The results of a US poll conducted by the Pew Research Center and taken after the recent London bombings says that the number of Americans who believe Islam inspires violence has dropped to 36 percent from 44 percent in July 2003.
The number of people with a positive view of Muslim-Americans is virtually the same as those having a positive view of evangelical Christians. Three quarters have similar feelings about Jews and Catholics.
Not necessarily true. Not all ppl who come under the Christian umbrella believe in killing doctors in abortion clinics. All religions have a spectrum of believers from the moderates to the extremists. If Saudi Arabia, for example, decided to stop public executions the bulk of the population would probably go along with it, just like the bulk of the population in all countries tend to go along with pretty much whatever their leadership says.
Still, it's Islamic schools in Pakistan, Indonesia, Saudia Arabia, and other countries that teach male students from an early age to hate America, hate Christians, and to believe in Jihad to cleanse the world of non believers. Christians have learned over the centuries to see that the Bible was written in an entirely different context than from what reality is today. Unfortunately, muslims seem to not have found the that things have changed over the past 1400 years. They're still living in the belief that the Koran and other islamic books are to be taken as literally as the Bible once was, but is no longer. No modern Christians believe in Old Testament style punishments any more, but Muslims, they can't seem to move along with the times at all, if you believe what they are teaching in the schools that I mentioned above. Talk about still living in the Dark Ages still. Taliban type muslims are becoming more and more numerous, and no one it seems, is taking them seriously. It's too bad it it'll take a bomb in your schoolyard, or your bus station or in your neighborhood church to wake so many people up. If Americans truly believe that Islam doesn't inspire violence, what news are they watching?
"hard to understand Still, it's Islamic schools in Pakistan, Indonesia, Saudia Arabia, and other countries that teach male students from an early age to hate America, hate Christians, and to believe in Jihad to cleanse the world of non believers."
this has nothing to do with america beign and have been occupying the middle east which be the majority is was even 20 years ago unwanted... america has a history of making things their business and americans have a tendancy to forget these things.
"Christians have learned over the centuries to see that the Bible was written in an entirely different context than from what reality is today. Unfortunately, muslims seem to not have found the that things have changed over the past 1400 years."
i beg to differ you are generalizing the average muslim with the muslim extremists... you are aware that particular areas have been more negatively affected by such action the US does... the areas most negatively affected by the US will always be more likely to hate americans... can you honestly say given the last 3 years alone what the US has done... of course alot of americans will mistake a heap of dung for a bouquet of roses if they are told in advance its roses.
as far as christians go you'd do well yo note you have no real shortage of nutjobs... like the parents the kill their children "because of certian passages" or "to send them to heaven" and then there are the christian that promote hate against muslims.
"They're still living in the belief that the Koran and other islamic books are to be taken as literally as the Bible once was, but is no longer. No modern Christians believe in Old Testament style punishments any more,"
thats because very few christians actually follow the bible, (matthew 5:17 "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets...", thats the new testament, and that state the old testament is still valid... both law and prophets) they follow the church for the most part... to a truely religeous and/or spiritual person the body is the only church/temple one will ever need.
"but Muslims, they can't seem to move along with the times at all,"
this is an ignorant genralization again as i poited out above also.
"if you believe what they are teaching in the schools that I mentioned above. Talk about still living in the Dark Ages still."
are you even aware of the current war? its basically a war of idealogy (and oil... if iraq's main export was rice would the US be there?...lol), and what is religion based on if not idealogy...
go to the forum and read the thread called "future?" i didn't write it, but its rather profound, i think, and i wasn't the only one.
Taliban type muslims are becoming more and more numerous, and no one it seems, is taking them seriously. It's too bad it it'll take a bomb in your schoolyard, or your bus station or in your neighborhood church to wake so many people up. If Americans truly believe that Islam doesn't inspire violence, what news are they watching? "
it wasn't quoted properly and i also for to reply to it...
"Taliban type muslims are becoming more and more numerous,"
ever ask yourself even if this is true, why?, such a simple question but alot of people wont ask it... nor will most groups that are asked it actually give a thought out reply... and instead blame it on their holy book... if this in the case, the rest of us (non-christians) can by the same logic blame the bible for the people that drown their kids, kill gays, kill people of other religions, beat children, have owned slave, beaten slaves and beaten children... ect
as all of those as i pointed out to homercles is permitted and actually furthermore endorsed by the bible.
"and no one it seems, is taking them seriously."
including the US government... most countries know you can't beat violence with violence... you cannot achieve real peace throguh war... violence breeds violence, war breeds war, amongst other negative things.
"It's too bad it it'll take a bomb in your schoolyard, or your bus station or in your neighborhood church to wake so many people up."
took 9/11 and america still hasn't waken up yet, they are do what got them attacked in the first place, outside of the conspiracy theories anyways.
"If Americans truly believe that Islam doesn't inspire violence, what news are they watching?"
though i'm not american which is one thing i am actually proud of about being a canadian (aside from better alcohol, esspecially beer), north american but not american... alot of canadian find that offensive when people bunch canada in with the US.
in that i'll say:
likewise, i'll say what news are you watching?
remember you said Islam... that means in general, not the minority that it really is.
Havoc you keep running away from the answers to your argument, so I will post them again:
The old bible describes a covenant. The covenant was fulfilled when a 'redeemer' got his ass struck on a cross. As such the 'rules' of that covenant are fullfilled. Now you keep referring to Mathew 5:17. That passage does not state a rule to enforce the old laws so stop referring to it.
Now we have a situation where the new book (new testament) is actually Peaceful, it asks people to choose the option of PEACE for the sake of PEACE.
You are comparing that book to another new book, the Koran, which only enforces the violence of its older predecessor, the old testament. In fact at no time will the koran ask you to take the option of peace unless victory is achieved first. Koran does not fit well with multi-culturalism, It fits great in a homogeneous society, in fact i believe islam will be a great religion if all of us were to submit to it with no dissenssion. unfortunately, as it stands, we are not a homogeneous society.
"most countries know you can't beat violence with violence" WHAT!!?? Those countries must be run by nuns. Most nations will try to keep a monopoly on violence, just in case they have to beat violence with violence.
"you cannot achieve real peace throguh war..." What do you mean by real peace? when you no longer have enemies? when all your enemies are dead? I do not think we are even close from achieving something similar as all parties have to be willing to bury hatchets.
"violence breeds violence, war breeds war, amongst other negative things." A very unfortunate reality, what's your point? What can we do about it? When a goon goes around beating people up, we should leave him be cuz we might make him more violent if we interfere? If a system breeds hate and fear, we should leave it be, cuz if we interfere, we might justify its hate and fear?
"remember you said Islam... that means in general, not the minority that it really is." The word 'average' and 'moderate' are not automatically the same thing. 300 years ago, the average christian was not moderate. Why do you assume that today, the average muslim is moderate?
"@Havoc Havoc you keep running away from the answers to your argument, so I will post them again:
The old bible describes a covenant. The covenant was fulfilled when a 'redeemer' got his ass struck on a cross. As such the 'rules' of that covenant are fullfilled. Now you keep referring to Mathew 5:17."
if you believe that, about "god" sending "jesus" so he can sacrifice his son to the sins of man and it was actually true and proven that would make "god" the ultimate sadist...
although the bible does mention "god" is vengeful and jealous already.
what i believe isn't anything close to the bible in terms of most things... and i don't subscribe to the story (myth, until proven more) of jesus.
this is why christian is the most divided religion... no-one agree how to interpret it... not to mention the fact of inheirent translation error.
"Now we have a situation where the new book (new testament) is actually Peaceful, it asks people to choose the option of PEACE for the sake of PEACE."
more peaceful you mean... religion throughout history tends not to inspire peace.
"You are comparing that book to another new book, the Koran, which only enforces the violence of its older predecessor, the old testament."
why because they believe "jesus" wasn't christ. christ is a title meaning messiah. i'm pretty sure they also see it as a sin (or the likes) to change "the law".
"In fact at no time will the koran ask you to take the option of peace unless victory is achieved first. Koran does not fit well with multi-culturalism, It fits great in a homogeneous society, in fact i believe islam will be a great religion if all of us were to submit to it with no dissenssion. unfortunately, as it stands, we are not a homogeneous society."
thats kind of stating the obvious, christianity wants a christian world... islam wants an islamic world...
this is evident on both sides... however in the muslims favor, i can honestly say i've never seen or heard of door-to-door muslims...lol
"Not all ppl who come under the Christian umbrella believe in killing doctors in abortion clinics." Stop comparing the nutjobs killing abortionists. From a theological stand: The person killing a doctor, know he is committing a sin, he is hoping that his sin will make up for the sins the doctor will commit, he can not justify a direct passage to heaven only hope for one. He is often under-educated and mildly retarded. When a suicide bomber kills a bunch of believers and infidels, he is actually absolving himself from all sin and garanteeing himself heaven. He is often well educated, well adjusted in his society with possible engineering degrees and such.
"just like the bulk of the population in all countries tend to go along with pretty much whatever their leadership says." Try this argument on someone else flashby. In Saudi, the leadership tried to get a woman into the senate and the population had an outrage and kicked her ass out. In pakistan, the leadership banned public gangbangs of an adulteress, yet every week a couple get banged and killed by 10 to 60 guys. That is 60 mofos and not a single one of them has a single bit of conscience to stop this travesty, arrests are very rare. In cairo, a group of christians made an application to build a church over a large farm (multiple acres) that belongs to a christian family, surrounded by christians land. An angry mob of 5000+ came over and destroyed all existing buildings, injured dozens, killed a couple and few christians were held on charges!! The leadership had to go in and save those few christians out of jail after they got the crap beaten out of them overnight.
if any church does not worship peacefully then they should ban public worship.if you can be peaceful and civil then lose your rights.as time goes on people and governments will come to the idea that if they cant be civil then stay home and worship...
You did not address the Mathew 5:17 quote. Are you still going to continue using half the sentence every now and then? makes you lose credibility.
"this is why christian is the most divided religion... no-one agree how to interpret it..." I prefer a divided religion. makes it harder for zealots, makes for more freedom.
"thats kind of stating the obvious, christianity wants a christian world... islam wants an islamic world..." Very hard to justify what Bush is doing using the new testament, that is why Bush is not quoting it all the time to inspire the troops. Muslim tyrants however, are quoting the koran everyday to justify atrocities.
Seems to me Havoc that you pile all philosophies and ideologies in the same basket under the same label. A wiser approach would be to learn each system and assess it on its own merits and flaws.
