Up until now we don't know if 99+% of Muslims are "moderate", and the less than 1% of Muslims who actually engage with the terrorists are the only "radicals" in Islam.
Or is it that many many Muslims are radical, and only a precious few are moderate? Until now we simply didn't know.

But fortunately, now, we have a fool-proof way of determining whether a person, of ANY religion, etc., is "moderate" or not.

Here is is:
If they can simply answer "no" to the following very clear-cut question, then they are moderate (otherwise they are a stark-raving fanatic if they can't answer "no"!):
IS IT MORAL FOR A 56 YEAR-OLD TO HAVE SEX WITH A 9 YEAR-OLD?

Simple and clear-cut, you have to agree! No "well, uh, it depends on..." PC-garbage type of answers, since sex with kids is illegal and highly immoral...right up there with armed robbery, in terms of prison time, no?

No "moderate", of course, would EVER agree that pedophilia is fine and dandy....hopefully that's so obvious that your comments will be like "this is so OBVIOUS, FreedomSeeker, that it insults my intelligence!"

(One teeeeeny little tip is that you juuuuust might want to check out Bukhari before answering....I'm just sayin'.)

There are many cultures where women marry when they reach child bearing age. It's about propagation and efficiency.It's a cultural norm that varies from society to society. In the west, we have bypassed the need to perpetuate our society through bearing children
At that, there are many cultures across the globe where men take more than one wife but the women hold the power. The headman in groups such as the Tiv can take about 5 wives. These women work in yam gardens, cook, and bear children. The men of the group build, maintain living structures, trade, and hunt. They also perform most ceremonies. However, the women hold power over the men. The primary wife will often choose other wives based not on beauty but on craftsmanship, productivity, and fertility. This ensures success in feeding others of the tribe, hence perpetuating the group and their culture.
What cold be wrong with this?

__________________
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

I forgot to add that 9 is before child bearing age and is unethical and all of this is frowned upon in the west.

__________________
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

Yes, SSS, NINE years old = pedophilia.

Thanks for your well thought-out reply, I learned a thing or 2 about that culture.

You're welcome; I think?

__________________
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

SSS, not only frowned upon in the WEST, but I would hope ALL civilized, non-barbaric, caring societies! Seriously!

Pedophilia (aka rape of an innocent child) obviously has no place in civilized society, as the psychological damage of having sex at that young of an age, MENTALLY speaking, is way too harsh to ever justify satisfying the purient desires of the perverted rapist...clearly. No sane person would agree with that.

Unless this adult somehow feels he is above morality, and also the child's mental welfare is brazenly ignored by the sick adult, in favor of simply satisfying his perverse sexual fantasies. A more selfish person would be hard to find.

CHILD ABUSE (or worse) has no place in a civilized society. Should these people be castrated, or get life in prison, or what?

Maybe it got a bit too confusing - There are no groups that support sex with women under child bearing age. It would be considered sex with a child. The norms associated with sex, however, are disputed. In the US, sex is illegal before age 18 (I think), whereas most indigenous cultures would consider a female child a woman once she has reached child bearing age.
My reference to the west not being cool with any of it was in regards to the idea of multiple wives and the marriage of women once they've reached child bearing age.
For the record, psychological damage is directly related to the environment which one occupies; completely unrelated though. I wasn't talking about children. I was talking about women of other cultures.

__________________
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

People who abuse children would be considered the outcasts of any society and should be dealt with according to their societies norms. In some places I'm sure men would be castrated for this behavior. In the US, men are sent to prison. It's all about locality.

__________________
Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.
-Dr. Carl Sagan

Age of consent in the US is different with every state. They vary from 16, 17 and 18.
Throughout the world consent laws vary from 12 to 18.

__________________
America's Enemies Are Not Mine

All wars represent a failure of diplomacy

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” - Stephen Roberts.