[samtheman]

You're missing the point. There are good and bad people in every religion, in every group, in every walk of life.

But the difference with Islam is in the doctrine itself.

It's in the Koran.

Kill those who refuse to convert.

It's in the Koran.

Beat women who don't cover their bodies.

It's in the Koran.

Stone women (not men) to death for adultery.

It's in the Koran.

Good people may come and go but an evil doctrine ends up subverting the minds of many.

[punster]

The point I am trying to make is: We cannot make a blanket judgement of Muslims, just like we cannot make a blanket judgement of Christians.

Some of the extremist Islamist religious leaders do not serve God, or Allah as they call him. They are only fanning the flames of hatred and intolerance to further their own power and wealth. I believe that religion must be able to reach an accomodation with increases in knowledge and wisdom. The more extremist elements will not do so, because that would endanger the power structure.

The common practice of the time, when the Koran was written, did include some of the actions you have condemned. Behavior such as killing of women who had been raped (honor killings), treating women as second class citizens (beatings and killings), were common practice at that time in the middle east.

I will not defend the Muslim leadership in those countries, because they are unwilling to work for change to make things better for women. Furthermore, those leaders are bigots, because they will not acknowledge that others have virtues. But, I can also level the same criticism at the more rabid among the Christian Fundamentalists. Neither do they have a monopoly on truth.

[Commie Basher]

There are good and bad people in every religion, in every group, in every walk of life. But the difference with Islam is in the doctrine itself.

You can find bad doctrine in the Bible too. Read Exodus ("Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live." or "If a child should curse his mother or his father, then that child shall surely die.") or Leviticus. Or the Hebrew attack on the innocent Canaanites, justified because God said so.

Most old religions have a violent past, in history and doctrine. Religion, like man, evolves.

[kittymyrib]

Yes, to understand the issue, a reporter should ask an immam whether he believes that Christians worship the true God. I'm fairly certain we would not hear the politically correct answer that the president gave.