Opinion Talk

By Reality Check

July 10, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this

Nice to know that the local Muslims are against these “honor killings” and that you call on them to preach against them on your Friday services. I do wonder where these same folks who claim to be against “honor killings” were when planes were slamming in to our buildings, when hostages were (and are still) being decapitated in the name of Islam, when embassies are being blown up, when their own children are strapped with explosive belts and being sent in to the crowded market places? Where is this outrage? Is it because the “infidels” (non Muslims) are on the receiving end that there is no outrage? Every religion has their extreme parts. But I dare say, in this current time, if widespread murder in the name of Christianity was being committed, you would have Christians from every walk of life against it. Peaceful religion…prove it!

By Fred

July 10, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this

I am not Muslim but it’s my understanding that honor killing is not a religious thing, it’s a cultural thing. The Egyptian dude in Texas that offed his 2 teenage daughters was Muslim but not really practicing. His brother made the point that Islam does not support this but it is a common problem in Egypt because of the culture. Of course, Islam seems to thrive in cultures that are extremely misogynistic and violent. Chicken or egg?

By Interfaith Outreach

July 10, 2008 11:27 AM | Link to this

You really make Christians look ignorant by continuing to state no Muslims condemn any terrorists acts that involve non-Muslims…which are not referred to as “infidels” by the majority of Muslims I know. At any interfaith event I’ve been to, the Atlanta Islamic community has been more than welcoming to people of all faiths.

If you search for condemnations of terrorism on the Internet, you will find a plethora of condemnations. Here is just one resource I found. Condemnations

By Denny

July 10, 2008 11:33 AM | Link to this

Ms. Robinson is taking an extremely cautious and therefore ineffective first step. Her group and others like it must be honest and brave enough to directly confront and condemn the segments of Islam that commit evil deeds in the name of Islam.

She could not even make the statements that she did make without pulling other religions in to share the guilt equally.

By *

July 10, 2008 11:35 AM | Link to this

My limited understanding of what is often percieved by the Western (i.e. Christian) world as radical Moslem sects often orginates with a small minority sect of ‘Wahabists’ which emerged from Saudi Arabia a fairly short time ago. It is their radical brand of extremism that makes news headlines while all forms of mainline Muslim religios doctrine is largely ignored. Just as Christian religions have Catholic, Methodists, etc., Muslim religions are also fractionated by sects of Sunni, Seikh, etc.

By *

July 10, 2008 11:36 AM | Link to this

My limited understanding of what is often percieved by the Western (i.e. Christian) world as radical Moslem sects often orginates with a small minority sect of ‘Wahabists’ which emerged from Saudi Arabia a fairly short time ago. It is their radical brand of extremism that makes news headlines while all forms of mainline Muslim religios doctrine is largely ignored. Just as Christian religions have Catholic, Methodists, etc., Muslim religions are also fractionated by sects of Sunni, Seikh, etc.

By illuminusluna

July 10, 2008 11:49 AM | Link to this

By* just a little friendly FYI…Seikh is a religeon in and of itself not a fraction of Islam—Good point though…

By James Winslo

July 10, 2008 11:56 AM | Link to this

Islam is not a religion. It is a complete system with religious, legal, political, economic and military components. We ignore that at our peril. The first step is a call for Sharia law and it’s happening in Europe right now. We and the U.S. Constitution are next. Islam in its “pure form” is a religion created and sustained by hate but to the extent that followers of Muhammad like Melissa Robinson choose not to fully embrace and practice it, they become less hateful. It has always amazed me that the mainstream news jumps on Southern Baptists and Catholics for not having women pastors and priests but they virtually ignore the horrible dehumanizing plight of Islamic women right here in the United States. Ms. Robinson is really stepping out on a limb for her statements. I wish her well - and unfortunately I have to also wish her safety.

By BoneHead

July 10, 2008 11:57 AM | Link to this

If any body believes that Islam is the religion of peace, then why does every armed conflict in the world involve Muslims?

By Rob

July 10, 2008 12:02 PM | Link to this

To Interfaith Outreach: One of the primary goals of Islam is to ensure that all the nations of the world are Islamic nations. Just look at the number of “mainstream” Imams here in the United Staes preaching that the flag of Islam will one day fly over D.C. Condemnations? Hardly. Nothing but a smokescreen as these Muslims use our freedoms to carry out their agenda of coverting the infidels.

By Copyleft

July 10, 2008 12:09 PM | Link to this

Riiight. Tell that to the IRA.

Islam, like all religions, has its fanatical zealots who are enemies of all human civilization. That doesn’t mean its ideals are worthless… just that a lot of PEOPLE are.

Kinda like the Religious Right here in America.

By Rob

July 10, 2008 12:30 PM | Link to this

To Copyleft, Islam just another religion? Hardly. Take a look at Europe if you believe that to be the case. It is only a matter of time until we see Democratic Europen nations capitulaing to Sharia law, and on the heels of that, the United States; that is unless we do away with politically correct cowardess and take a stand against Islam in this nation while there is still time.

By CommunistAJC

July 10, 2008 12:43 PM | Link to this

Copyleft, Whens the last time Jerry Falwell or James Dobson blew up an embassy, crashed 747s through a skyscraper or strapped a suicide bomb on their children? I always laugh when libs compare Christians to Muslims. Never ceases to amaze me. The very reason libs hate Christians is because Christians don’t bow to their way of thinking. Libs also hate personal responsibility, morals and any sort of worship to a higher being. By the way, you really need to study up on Islam. It is not a peaceful religion by any means. It is spread through the sword and always has been.

By Whoa

July 10, 2008 12:56 PM | Link to this

hey you dirty commie. 911 was an inside job. the arabs and the passengers are still alive.

the government intercepted the planes and used drones.

guess who was in charge of the airspace that day. dick effing cheney.

On the only day that dick effing cheney was in charge of the airspace everything went awry.

the tower came similar to a controlled demolition.

By Rob

July 10, 2008 1:16 PM | Link to this

Dear Whoa, Either you are insane or on drugs…Islamists are committing terrorist acts worldwide, yet you think they are innocent lambs while blaming governments for the attrocities….dude….wake up!!

By Dave

July 10, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this

The problem isn’t Islam, but religion in general. A Christian who asserts that Christians would never tolerate killings in the name of Christianity demonstrates a jaw-dropping ignorance of his own religion’s history. Modern witches and heretics owe their relative safety from the church’s executioners not to the church itself, but to the secular Enlightenment. When the Muslim world has its own Enlightenment, when Islamic scholars and scientists are both free and willing to demythologize the Qu’ran, when schoolchildren in Muslim countries are taught science and literature instead of religious myth as fact, then will the honor killings stop. And the suicide bomber, robbed of his short path to paradise, his certainties about postmortem “life” replaced by a sensible agnosticism, will find more constructive ways to address his frustrations.

By Rusty

July 10, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this

Whoa, thats a pretty wacky conspiracy theory you got working there.How bout any proof?

By rob

July 10, 2008 1:27 PM | Link to this

Dave, We aren’t talking about the 1500s….again, it is laughable when “Christian bashers” such as yourself compare 21st century Islam with Christianity of the 14th century. Dave, in the so-called “enlightened” modern age, it is Islam, and only Islam, that is committing these routine terroristic acts and desiring Sharia law over all nations. It is not agnosticism that is required, but a good dose of the only solution to life’s problems and salvation….belief in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

By Dave

July 10, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this

Have you ever read up on Calvin’s Geneva? Do you know what it was like to live there? The modern proponents of Sharia have nothing on Calvin. And he believed in his lord and savior Jesus Christ.

How about the Spanish Inquisition? Nearly 400 years of strappado-enforced belief in the lord and savior Jesus Christ.

No, it wasn’t “belief in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” that brought the church out of the murderous Middle Ages. It was the Enlightenment.

By Copyleft

July 10, 2008 1:45 PM | Link to this

How on earth can liberals “hate Christians,” when all true Christians ARE liberals?

By Dave

July 10, 2008 2:06 PM | Link to this

I’m not advocating the hatred of anyone. On the contrary, I mean to point out that thinkers such as Paine, Voltaire, Rousseau and Hume more or less freed us from having to hate anyone because of what they believe (or don’t believe) about the nature of ultimate reality. Nor do political affinities have anything to do with it. Insofar as the above-cited thinkers were “liberal,” theirs is the only liberalism that counts.

By James Winslo

July 10, 2008 2:55 PM | Link to this

To Dave:

Islam in its “pure form” is a religion created and sustained by hate but to the extent that followers of Muhammad choose not to fully embrace and practice it, they become less hateful. Christianity in its “pure form” is a relgion created and sustained by love and to the extent that followers of Christ choose to fully embrace and practice it, they become more loving.

One more thing to consider:

All of the world’s “religions” are man’s attempt to reach out to God. Christianity is God’s attempt to reach out to man. This is a PROFOUND difference I hope anyone who reads this can grasp intellectually and spiritually.

By Frederick Douglass

July 10, 2008 4:42 PM | Link to this

What people are really missing in all of this, is that the guy killed his own kid, is that not insanity personified? Further- more, it is also a cultural pratice to wed one’s own cousin, inbreeding facilitates this kind of insanity, cousins shouldn’t produce children together.