Because this is a politcal forum of the Latest World News. It's not a history forum.

Okay, but you don't see Poles out killing Mongols because of an invasion 800 years ago. You don't see French killing English for atrocities in the 100 years war.

Agreed. But whose extremism?

Oh wait. That's history. Can't have that.

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I'm a leftwing fascist, disease spreading, devil worshipper!

No, what is pathetic indeed is that the only way you can make your point valid is by stripping it of any context.

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I'm a leftwing fascist, disease spreading, devil worshipper!

There are a billion Muslims. Define "isolated."

In Lebanon there are Christian militias, and during the Lebanese civil war there were Christian-perpetrated massacres in Palestinian refugee camps. Were they representative of the faith?

Christians routinely fight with other sects in Nigeria, India, and elsewhere.

The Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda is another fine specimen of someone committing horrific violence in the name of Christianity (though to be fair, it's one of those pastiches of Christianity and animism).

"Those aren't true Christians!" you'll say. Or, "they're going against the teachings of Christianity!" Fine. So why don't you give Muslims the same slack when fundamentalist extremists from medieval cultures kill in their name?

Are American muslims calling for that? No. Are a majority even of Middle Eastern Muslims calling for that? No. Are Asian Muslims? No.

The fact is, Islamic militants come from regions where conservative tribal cultures, and usually medieval forms of justice, hold sway. That's the determining factor, not Islam.

Christianity was the driving force behind the Crusades. You can say that was a perversion of Christianity, but that didn't seem to get in the way of centuries of religious wars in the name of Christianity.

One can also point to the overt militarism of hymns like "Onward Christian Soldiers", "Soldiers of Christ Arise" and "Fight the Good Fight." Sure, you'll say those are metaphorical. But then, why can't Islamic texts be interpreted metaphorically? There's already such a move on with "jihad", moving it out of the realm of actual warfare and into the realm of intellectual combat. There is, for instance, a "jihad" underway in Rwanda to heal the damage caused by the genocide there.

There is a strain of militant Christianity that rejects the whole "turning the other cheek" business. They embrace Matthew 10:34 ("Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.") literally. They focus on the radical Jesus, revolutionary overturner of social orders, rather than the more commonly accepted "peace and love" hippy Jesus.

I'll grant you, mainstream Christian leaders don't say stuff like that. Still, is the problem you cite Islam, or is the problem either theocracy (in the case of Iran) or a government trying to bend religion to suit state purposes? Because for every Ayatollah Khomeini, I can find you a Muslim head of state or scholar who rejects such an interpretation.

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Man up.

What rot. As if the only way I can be "concerned for our nation" is if I view Islam as a murderous religion and all Muslims as probable terrorists.

I'm all for stopping terrorists. I just don't support smearing an entire religion because of the actions of a few adherents.

Follow the links I gave. It's all there.

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Man up.

History provides context. You can't discuss current events with any validity if you strip them of context. I am not discussing history. I'm simply stating that what we are seeing now is the culmination of a range of past events - and that there is no difference between Islam and a number of other religions when it comes to extremism. The only difference today is that most of Christianity lies under a secular system of law that maintains a seperation of church and state. Most of the areas that are giving rise to religious extremism do not have viable democracies, have a huge problem with corruption, lack of human rights, free speech etc. not to mention of a legacy of colonial exploitation and marginalization that has culminated into a hatred of the "west". Add to that those countries who's oil wealth have catapulted them in mere two generations from a medievil tribal mindset to the twentieth century. So - it's all "Islam". Sure. Ignore the complexities and it will never be resolved.

Look at the Balkans when the USSR fell. Most of those wars were ethnic simmering grudges over events occurred over 600 years ago. Look at the long religious war in Ireland.

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I'm a leftwing fascist, disease spreading, devil worshipper!

Please point to where Christianity is any part of the point of this thread. The point is, I would be just as rabid on this topic if it was Christians murdering in the name of Christianity, you all are just too dense to realize that.

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Cheney is the second executive officer to shoot someone in the face and chest. Clinton was the first.

I need help here raytri

I read the abortion doctor assaults, which are abhorrent and despicable, but I fail to see they were waged in the name of Christianity. The pro life movement has many religions, but none of them advocate in the name of their religion as the muslim terrorists

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abortio..._United_States

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Cheney is the second executive officer to shoot someone in the face and chest. Clinton was the first.

Christianity itself is irrelevant. If you are going to discuss the problem of Islam as a religion, rather than extremism then I fail to understand why you have a problem with other religions being brought into it to make a point. I'm pointing out that religious extremism is the problem - not a particular religion. I could as easily point to Hinduism and Judaism. In fact I did in another post. But Christianity is as world wide as Islam and has a long and sordid history that is familiar to most people here there fore it is a good example to use.

You seem to have an issue with Christianity being used as an example.

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I'm a leftwing fascist, disease spreading, devil worshipper!

The pro-life movement is largely Christian-based. But if you look up the individual killers, you'll find what you're looking for:

Michael Griffin, Paul Hill and James Kopp were all members of Army of God.

So was Clayton Waagner, who mailed fake anthrax to 170 abortion clinics.

Another group, Lambs of Christ, also advocates killing abortion doctors.

The inflammatory title of the article aside, here's a list of armed Christian groups:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christi..._organizations

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Man up.