[jcb1379]

I've never said that Islam and Christianity have a similar worldview. In fact, if you look, I pointed out that for Muslims, all of reality is dependent upon the continual will of Allah, whereas for Christians, God created a rational, self-functioning Universe.

Now, socially, we are in total agreement, I think: this is a "Christian nation" for all intents and purposes. SOCIALLY. But LEGALLY, it is a country that protects the freedom of ALL religions, and all non-religions. Period. Christianity was not codified in the Constitution. Period.

Theology is not the issue here--citizenship is. You CAN be American and whatever religion you choose or don't choose. Maybe AdamSmithWasRight is not a "good" Muslim because he keeps his loyalty to his country, but that doesn't make him any less a citizen.

[fr_freak]

Theology is not the issue here--citizenship is. You CAN be American and whatever religion you choose or don't choose.

Yes, legally there is no question that, currently, Muslims, as well as all other religious practitioners, can be citizens of the United States. But I did not think we were arguing the letter of the law, but whether, from a practical and ideological sense, Muslims can be Americans in spirit and in practice. Citizenship these days is a mere piece of paper. The real question is whether an individual can be a functioning member of American society, upholding American ideological and cultural principles. I believe that Islam is incompatible with the American political system as it exists today. American political concepts such as freedom of speech, assembly, religion, etc. are antithetical to Islam, and Islam is antithetical to those concepts. There are other non-Christian religions which can blend in just fine - Buddhism for example. Islam cannot.