  Don sent an email his morning about his research into Islam. I’ll past it here and then offer some of my own thoughts. Don: Ok Todd did some research on "God's Religion". What is Gods religion? Islam, to submit unconditionally to Allah. Judaism named after some desert dwelling folk, Hinduism named after the Hindus people of India, Confucianism not really a religion but named after a traveling Chinaman (getting to my point), Zoroastrianism, some obscure religion in Persia named after another 30 year old hippy, and Christianity, named for Jesus Christ. What the Muslims believe is that Islam came from God not Muhammad. Otherwise it would be call Muhammadism. I think this is important because it stresses the divinity of the message. Which is live, like I tell ya and you will live in paradise, were you can have your 70 some virgins(who would want a virgin anyway).
Islam is God's final call to worship him the way he wants to be worshiped kind of pig headed of Him I think. As far as it Islam being a religion of peace and love it is if you are male and a Muslim. To them dressing their women in Charlie Brown ghost costumes is their way of warding off temptation. I can see their point, maybe. The Bible says in order to resist temptation we must stay away from it. Islam again "is the worship of Allah ALONE and the avoidance of worship directed to any person, place or thing other than Allah" I wonder why they hold sacred Jerusalem if they believe in the avoidance of worship directed to any place. Jihad to strive/make effort in the way of Allah. Holy war comes from the west. " So obey not the disbelievers, but make a great jihad(effort) against them (by preaching) with it(the Qur'aan)(Surah al Furqan 25:52) "He who kills himself with anything Allah will torment him with that in the fire of hell" Words of the Prophet.
However, in order to reach paradise a Muslim must be 51% righteous with no way to atone for ones sins, except to become a martyr, hmm curious. But then again all religions are a little nuts. They are permitted to fight for their religion.
there are three types of jihad, inner (self), words, and the sword. I would like to think my God doesn't carry a sword or any WMD. Anyway I am rambling I guess it took God 3 times to deliver His message. isn't that like making 2 previous mistakes. The point: all religions preach peace and love show me one that doesn't. The research I'm doing proves that in regards to Islam, I’ll try to site some next time. And because Muslims believe Islam is the final message from God they are pretty hardcore about it. Your right there are no Islamic amusement parks, no street side Qur'aan preaching holier-then-thous. But good news does not make good news. One more thing, terrorism in the Muslim world is a minority just like pedophilia is to Catholicism. End of email. Since the events of 9/11, I have spent some time myself looking at Islam. While me ‘research’ has not been exhaustive, I have learned a lot about the ‘Religion of Peace’.
But before I start, I should qualify what I say so as to not be misunderstood. I do not believe in organized religion in any fashion. While I am still open to the idea of a God in some form, I don’t believe that the various organized faiths have any legitimate claim as to being the One. Therefore, any perceived Islamic bashing should not be seen as an attempt to promote Christianity over Islam. The Christians have their own problems. The organized faiths are generally problematic to me for many reasons. One of the primary problems in modern Christianity is their willingness to mold and adapt themselves to today’s world.
From ‘cafeteria’ Catholicism who pick and choose which elements of their faith to hold sacred, and which to ignore such as abortion, to the ordainment of Gay priests and female priests, these faiths are evolving. However, if they profess to follow the word of God, then how can they justify changing God’s Will over time? A central tenant to all faiths is the perfection and timelessness of God, and to amend his rules seems counter to that concept. Unless you wish to concede that many of the Church rules are indeed imperfect rules of Man, and therefore subject to change.
If that is the case, where does God’s Will and Man’s Rules part ways? What is truly delivered by God, and therefore unchangeable? The Ten Commandments come to mind, but that makes an awfully thin Bible if the rest of it is just history up until the New Testament. In reality, the Muslim fanatic is probably the most sincere and consistent worshiper. They have the Shari’a, the Law of God, and they believe that no other laws can be made, even the laws of Man.
Therefore, things like the Constitution and our Justice System are heretical. While it limits their perspective, and mires them in the 12th century, it is indeed consistent with their faith. So, now that my perspective on religion is on the table, let’s look at Islam. Islam is and always has been a warrior faith. Muhammad was a conqueror, and his band of followers were on the run most of their lives. I think that shades the Koran and the entire background of the faith. It provides some perspective on what is written. While Don is right when he says Islam preaches love and peace, it must not be overlooked that love and peace are reserved for the Believers.
One of the worst sins of Islam is violence of harm on one Muslim from another. However, if you are not a Muslim, you are essentially not a human being in their eyes, and many of the prohibitions in the Koran do not apply to non-Muslims. [2.90] Evil is that for which they have sold their souls-- that they should deny what Allah has revealed, out of envy that Allah should send down of His grace on whomsoever of His servants He pleases; so they have made themselves deserving of wrath upon wrath, and there is a disgraceful punishment for the unbelievers. [2.191] And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from whence they drove you out, and persecution is severer than slaughter, and do not fight with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it, but if they do fight you, then slay them; such is the recompense of the unbelievers. [3.28] Let not the believers take the unbelievers for friends rather than believers; and whoever does this, he shall have nothing of (the guardianship of) Allah, but you should guard yourselves against them, guarding carefully; and Allah makes you cautious of (retribution from) Himself; and to Allah is the eventual coming. [4.18] And repentance is not for those who go on doing evil deeds, until when death comes to one of them, he says: Surely now I repent; nor (for) those who die while they are unbelievers. These are they for whom We have prepared a painful chastisement. [4.101] And when you journey in the earth, there is no blame on you if you shorten the prayer, if you fear that those who disbelieve will cause you distress, surely the unbelievers are your open enemy. [4.144] O you who believe! do not take the unbelievers for friends rather than the believers; do you desire that you should give to Allah a manifest proof against yourselves? [5.57] O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers. (I guess it was worth repeating! ) [7.37] Who is then more unjust than he who forges a lie against Allah or rejects His communications?
(As for) those, their portion of the Book shall reach them, until when Our messengers come to them causing them to die, they shall say: Where is that which you used to call upon besides Allah? They would say: They are gone away from us; and they shall bear witness against themselves that they were unbelievers [9.55] Let not then their property and their children excite your admiration; Allah only wishes to chastise them with these in this world's life and (that) their souls may depart while they are unbelievers. [9.123] O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).
[18.100] And We will bring forth hell, exposed to view, on that day before the unbelievers. [25.52] So do not follow the unbelievers, and strive against them a mighty striving with it. [30.45] That He may reward those who believe and do good out of His grace; surely He does not love the unbelievers. [39.71] And those who disbelieve shall be driven to hell in companies; until, when they come to it, its doors shall be opened, and the keepers of it shall say to them: Did not there come to you apostles from among you reciting to you the communications of your Lord and warning you of the meeting of this day of yours?
They shall say: Yea! But the sentence of punishment was due against the unbelievers. [60.13] O you who believe! do not make friends with a people with whom Allah is wroth; indeed they despair of the hereafter as the unbelievers despair of those in tombs. [74.10] For the unbelievers, anything but easy. [80.42] These are they who are unbelievers, the wicked.
Whew! And that was just a sample. Now, the argument can still be made that these passages are no more harmful than plenty of outlandish statements found in the Bible or Torah, but I find it a stretch. Islam is a fantastic religion when it comes to the self-promoting drive to spread itself. By fire, sickle and sword, to borrow a phrase. For me, the question still remains: where are the peaceful Muslims who have nothing but love for all men, regardless of faith?
Don is right, the Muslims take this Third Faith as the final chance to get it right, and they are hardcore about it. I see programs on CNN about Indonesia, and the depth of the Islamic hatred for the West. I see educated people, common people, going to work in a wealthy country, with pictures of Bin Laden in their wallets. It doesn’t take ‘nuance’ to see the events of 9/11 as evil. The educated Muslims of somewhat westernized states cannot claim ignorance or poverty as an excuse to endorse the murder of Israelis or the death of Cantor Fitzgerald workers on the 104th floor.
What is the answer? Christianity had the Treaty of Westphalia in 1648, extending religious tolerance to every major flavor of Christianity, bringing to a close some of the most barbaric years of western history. It was a moment where major faiths decided that conversion by the sword no longer made sense, and we should live and let live. Still, atrocity occurs all the time in the name of faith, but Islam still has a long way to go. What is the answer? What should we do? How will it end? And are we willing to do what must be done? Religious tolerance is so much a part of our culture; it has become an almost physical force in our lives. To condemn or chastise another faith runs counter to what we believe in. That makes the task at hand difficult. The problem: Islam. The answer: Islam. No one else can fix this. I look forward to other views. 
