Only the past 50 years? That's a considerable exageration. Not considering Communist nations Christian?? That'd be simple intellectual honesty.
I'll grant that things have been done by pseudo-Christian nation states in the name of Christ that have no foundation in Christian scriptures. I don't ignore the evil done by people who have called themselves Christians. Then again those who have carried out such atrocities in Christ's name, contrary to popular Hollywood and Leftist myths, probably knew not one verse of Christian scripture. I don't think there's an ideological parallel between the abuses of "Christians" (even the European persecutions of Jews), and the ideological and spiritual foundation of Islam for the atrocities not being done in the name of Allah. As I said, Jihad is hardwired into Islam. Domination by the sword was part of Islam in year 1. There is no such record by Jesus, his Disciples, or followers at least through the 3rd century. The real corruption of Christianity began when Constantine declared Rome a "Christian" empire. From that point on, a political corrution crept in, where merely being Roman meant being "Christian", which by the way, was how Rome coopted other cultures for centuries. There is no such parallel in Christian thought for converting by the sword, for rape, enslavement, or plunder for the sake of "Christ". Did such things happen; certainly, but saying these were Christians committing such things and then drawing an equivalence between the "radical" Muslims today, with recruits trained in hate in the Quran in the Madrassas, it's just one heck of a stretch.
You're right that Islam is not religion of peace. It was a stupid thing for the President to say. On the other hand, it is no less a religion of peace than most branches of Christianity, Judaism, or any other religion that does not explicitly demand pacifism from its followers.
I take strong exception to this. You're saying that only religions which demand absolute pacifism are "religions of peace", which juxtaposed, means that any that do not are as bad as Islam?? That's moral relativism, and without justification. Christian moral and spiritual constructs exist would justify men under arms in police or military capacity, and these do not include justifying torture, beheading, rape, or other atrocities in the name of Christ. Muslims have no such qualms about what they do for Allah. Also, you're ignoring the vast history of Christianity which includes the first Universities, first hospitals, first universal education, systems of Law and Justice based upon Biblical principles, sufferage, and many other virtues which evolved in the Western world which had uniquely Christian roots. Christianity has been a force for good, a force of love in the world historically and today (witness: Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse"; and the selfless ministrys of Christian missionaries for centuries), that has no parallel in any part of Islam.
Islam is going through no worse a time of bigotry and intolerance than Christianity was half a millennium to a millennium ago.... which is interesting, considering Islam is little more than half a millennium older than Christianity.
That's fantasy, and belies your bias. If you take the Jewish viewpoint, Christianity predates Islam by 700 years. If you accept the Christian viewpoint, which is historically defensible, Christianity predates Islam by thousands of years. Islam is a cult which first appeared in the seventh century, an assertion which both accurate and historically defensible.
Pre-seventh century Islam is a myth.
Hopefully, the Muslim world will have its reformation and enlightenment -- it can't come too soon. It's not going to happen without strife, but there are people there who could make it happen. Maybe it will even be one of the doctors I work for, the friends I went to grad school with, or the father who helped coach my son's soccer team. And that, rather than large scale destruction is what we should be hoping for, praying for, and trying to encourage.
I take the Christian perspective, and without apology. I too hope for peace for Muslims. However, the atrocities of the 20th century were proceeded by Darwin's theory of evolution, which birthed secular humanism, by Nietzsche's assertion that "god is dead", and centuries before that Machiavelli's "end justifies the means". The men who committed atrocities in the 20th centuries, and now, were animated by deep thought. It's just that their thought was entirely corrupt. Merely "reforming" men's corrupt thoughts will not make them enlightened men of peace. A change must occur in their soul.
I don't think that corrupt men can reform themselves. Only God can change men's heart. The God of the Bible, the God of Jews and Christians is not the same god of Muslims. I don't believe democracy or "reform" will change the hearts of Muslims, but the God of the Bible can, and the vehicle he has chosen to reform men's hearts is redemption through Christ, and spiritual enlightment though the Holy Spirt.
You don't have to believe this, and you and I can live in peace. Muslims do not have to believe as I do, and we can live in peace. However, Muslims won't give me that option. If one of my children gives up their faith and becomes a Muslim, and then has a chance of heart, no Muslim on the face of the earth will allow them to peacefully leave the Muslim faith and return to Christianity. If my seventeen year old daughter is caught unescorted by a faithful Muslim male (and she's been to both Russian and Europe as a missionary), she could well be raped or much worse, in Allah's name.
I just don't seen the capibility of "Muslim reform"; it's not in their "genes". They'd have to toss the Quran. Therefore, I maintain that we need a good offense, as well as a defense. We need to take them at both their word and actions, and not offer "grace" to Muslims who swear allegience to Allah as represented in the Quran. If we do, they will convert us or kills us; they will not "reform".
SFS
I respect your steadfast refusal to be dismissed as a run-of-the-mill "bigot".
After having spent considerable time studying--and praying-- on the subject over the past five years, I must agree with your conclusion.
Unfortunately, the person with whom you've been debating seems disproportionately influenced by personal history than that of his ethnic heritage at large.
His family lore is inspiring. And it is true that there are millions of "nice" Muslims--ALL of them nominal in terms of their commitment to the teachings of the Qur'an, Hadith and the "perfect" example of Mohammad.
Perhaps he needs to talk to some other Jews whose family lore includes going-along-to-get-along in Germany or Poland during the middle of the last century, certain that, even though they were rounding up some of the undesirables, their friends and neighbors would not bother them and their family.