> When I made a commitment to live my life for Christ 24 years ago it was in an all black church in South Dallas
A texan huh? Holy George W! Only two things come from texas ...
No seriously - and to think I was a Cowboys and Rockets fan. Oh well. How are they doing nowadays anyway?
> I came to these forums really knowing little about Islam other than the atrocities committed here and around the world against innocent people in the name of Allah
That certainly shows Eileen. You have made that abundantly clear many times.
> I do not accuse or condemn anyone - just trying to get to truth and so far no one has really given an explanation for this contradiction in what is preached and what is practiced.
Ask Mo4 whether you come across as "trying to get at the truth" or whether you come across as judgemental and accusatory. Let her be the judge. If she says you are merely looking for truth then I will appologise and retract my statement.
Incidentally I may not agree with EB's views, but she *does* come across as some genuinely searching for the truth. Maybe thats just the vagaries of cyberspace, but it never ceases to amaze me how much of a person comes through this world of 0's and 1's.
Contradiction between what is preached and what is practiced is the difference between a religion (Islam or Christianity) and human beings. Human beings commit evil acts - there's no denying that. But religions (at least no religion I know of) do not command people to commit evil acts. If you don't understand the difference between the two then you don't understand much.
What about all the Christian Peadophile priests? Does Christianity command that? Of course not. Yet why is it Chrisitian priests and not some other religion who are always in the dock charged with these heinous crimes? If you are going to tar followers of other religions with the same brush, then you should be willing to do the same to your own. Unless of course you want to be a hypocrite.
> Young boys are in schools being trained to kill and die for their faith; videos posted on the internet of young children acting out beheadings
Do you know this for sure? Have you seen it with your own eyes? Or is it something you read on a fundamentalist website? Or a hate-filled tv network?
In a war-zone the first thing that stops is school and education. In the social vaccum that results, boys are often seconded into armies - this is not something unique to muslims - it is a sad reality of the world in which we live. A war-torn world where many children are denied basic human rights. But you are protected from that living in good ol Uncle Sam.
If your country was under occupation wouldn't you expect your men-folk to train to fight the occupier? Sadly in this world this is often left to children.
> I have not travelled much outside of the US and have led a pretty sheltered life, true!
Also find very easy to believe. Believe me it comes across in your writings. Why don't you travel abroad to a muslim country? I could suggest a few if you like. Or at least get in touch with Mo4 - put your "questions" to her face to face. Get to know the real person as you say (which you can never do from a computer screen). If you've never even been face to face with muslims you probably think they are some kind of alien from another planet. Thats certainly how it comes across in your words.
> it was an eye opening experience when I had the opportunity to attend a private presentation by Black Muslims in California concerning their agenda
These Black muslims you met, where they from "the nation of islam" or where they mainstream muslims? I only ask because the nation of islam is a racist black heretical sect which is a reactionary off-shoot of the black american experience. It bears
little resemblence to anything practiced by the world's 1 billion muslims. In particular they believe a black american man - called Elijah Mohammad - was God. They also believe that white people are inherently evil. Both of which fly directly in the face of orthodox muslim belief (1 God and brotherhood of man).
> I don't hate anyone...and have tried to build a relationship with Mo4 based on common ground that is outside the scope of our religious differences in an attempt to get to know the "person behind the post" which is something that I have never seen you do. I can honestly say that I respect her for her perserverence here and in her passion for her beliefs and would hope that she feels the same about me.
If you are saying that Mo4 is a better person than me, then I'm afraid I would have to agree!! All I can say in my defence is that she has a headstart on me - being a mother of 4. I imagine its difficult to be a mother of 4 without learning something about patience and perseverance. You got me there!
> You come to this forum ruthlesslessy attacking and blaming - but you never make any attempt to educate, explain or understand (except for the Unicef link-which I will investigate, thanks).
Actually no! I have been here many months without attacking or blaming anyone for anything! If you are interested in education then I can certainly help you in that regard. But you have to put aside your prejuidices. Thats pre-juidice. Thats when you pre judge something. Thats when you judge something/someone without being in receipt of all the facts. Facts, not opinions or hearsay or third party biased reporting. You see facts are difficult to get at - they require work on the part of the fact finder. Sitting at home won't do it. You gotta get out and be on the ground - where its at. Otherwise you are always seeing the world through someone else's filter - another persons lens - who may well have an agenda of their own - an agenda you never get to see because you are too busy looking through the lens. All the while you think you are looking at the world - but you are not - you only think you are.
>As far as my posts about Islamic persecution of Christians - this is a debate forum and I think it is appropriate to show another side to what is often presented here as a peaceful religion.
So basically you are saying that Mo4 is telling us a pack of lies about her faith? That her examplary behaviour is in fact a ruse? So on the one hand you are willing to judge an entire faith according to bad actions of people you don't know, yet you are not willing to judge that same faith by the good actions of people you do know? Hmmm something slightly unfair about that.
JV.