“How can Islam achieve that potential if we aren’t willing to give the benefit of the doubt to the genuinely earnest, good ones?”
Ummm, it’s called 911, and it’s called the basic writings of the Quran.
How can a religion EVER be good if at it’s root it calls for the enslavement and killing of kafir?
If a religion called for peace (except perhaps when attacked), and some of it’s followers twisted it into a religion of war, then there would be hope.
But Islam is first and foremost a war religion, so you are caught in circular logic if you believe a religion of war can be twisted into a religion of peace without backsliding.
You still haven’t shown why calling me a bigot is any different than me calling you a moron. Especially since you are yourself bigoted against people who believe as I do.
“You still haven’t shown why calling me a bigot is any different than me calling you a moron.”
I never called you a bigot. I described what bigotry is; you have decided to apply the definition to yourself.
“Especially since you are yourself bigoted against people who believe as I do.”
As you are fond of saying, just because I don’t agree with you doesn’t mean I’m a bigot. Let’s be consistent, please.
“How can a religion EVER be good if at it’s root it calls for the enslavement and killing of kafir?”
I can ask the same question: how can a religion ever be good if it engages in burning at the stake, crusades, and torture in the name of God?
Yet these very acts let to the Reformation and Enlightenment. And it happened from within.
If we alienate the “good” Muslims, then this fight is lost. Our only hope at defeating the destructive ideologies that have twisted Islam is to embrace, support, and nurture those Muslims who call for moderation.
At the core, Muslims are just like Christians - they are human beings, and most of them just want to live a peaceful, happy life.