You really should send it. Send it every five minutes. We should all send it and flood them with email.
Islam is always imperialist. Some say Islam was concocted to divinely justify 7th century Arab imperialist conquest, though it's much beyond that these days
Though European Crusaders may have been sincere, they wandered off from the origins of Christianity when they slashed and burned and forced conversions. Jesus never used violence; neither did he call his disciples to use it. Given this historical fact, it is only natural that the New Testament would never endorse violence to spread the word of the true God. Textual reality matches historical reality in the time of Jesus.
In contrast, Muslims who slashed and burned and forced conversions did not wander off from the origins of Islam, but followed it closely. It is a plain and unpleasant historical fact that in the ten years that Muhammad lived in Medina (622-632), he either sent out or went out on seventy-four raids, expeditions, or full-scale wars, which range from small assassination hit squads to the Tabuk Crusade, described above (see 630). Sometimes the expeditions did not result in violence, but a Muslim army always lurked in the background. Muhammad could exact a terrible vengeance on an individual or tribe that double-crossed him. These ten years did not know long stretches of peace.
It is only natural that the Quran would be filled with references to jihad and qital, the latter word meaning only fighting, killing, warring, and slaughtering. Textual reality matches historical reality in the time of Muhammad. And after.
But this means that the Church had to fight back or be swallowed up by an aggressive religion over the centuries. Thus, the Church did not go out and conquer in a mindless, bloodthirsty, and irrational way—though the Christian Crusades were far from perfect.
Islam was the aggressor in its own Crusades, long before the Europeans responded with their own.
Muslim countries believe in something that is the polar opposite of Christianity. Example:
Muslim works to get to heaven vs Christian grace to get to heaven
Muslim conversion by man vs Christian conversion by spirit
Muslim "moon god" vs Christian "son god"
Muslim "allah's will" vs Christian "free choice"
Mohammed on the other hand - himself was a cruel man who committed numerous atrocities and created a religion based not on love, but cruelty to non-believers. And, that god will attract all that worship at the altar of depravity, cruelty, torture, and death to others.
Leaving aside the religious differences, Islam kills every society it comes in contact with. It instills fatalism, a virtual caste system because of its hereditary religious structure, and induces total paralysis because of its hatred of music, art and creativity.
ping for later read
I visited Toledo a long time ago, but I still remember the blend of Christian and Moorish style in the architecture of its cathedral. You could see where the Moors took power right in the design of the cathedral. Moorish influence was evident all over southern Spain (Granada, Sevilla) and probably in the faces of the people there, too. (The people were beautiful).
But, it's one thing to appreciate the results of history. It's quite another to relive it. And unfortunately, it looks like Europe is headed back in that direction again.
That's the usual line. Anything else is, you know, the result of imperialism, a necessary reaction to the awful deeds of the West.
Should be sent to the board of directors of the History Channel
Bookmark for later reading. Has a timeline in the link.
My reply usually like this: Using that logic, then, it's understandable what the West did. In the 11th-15th century, it was the West that was 'oppressed' by the Muslims. As the Muslims took "Christian lands" one by one, isn't it understandable that they later tried to take them back? Usually, the person whom I discussed with just stop saying anything.
marking for later...
bump for publicity