Is Islam a Religion of Peace?

[Thumpalumpacus]

A religion cannot be peaceful, or warlike. To think otherwise is to make a category error. A religion is only a set of words, and because words must be interpreted, the qualities aroused have a source in the human as well as the text.

I agree and disagree. Some religions certainly have a more violent history than others. And their inception can include violence as well (Muhammad was a general). Still, it's difficult to label any one religion as violent or peaceful alone because most religions are so broad.

It's true that reliogions have histories, and that that history can be affected by the preachments of the religion in question.  I don't see that Islam is any more violent than Christianity, religiously.

Personally, I think that the terrorism and such is a result of a religion which encourages martyrdom coupled with (in large part) a tribal culture which encourages in-group identity along with out-group grudges.  At least, that's what I saw when I lived there.

[LegendarySandwich]

It is people who act.  A religion cannot be violent, or peaceful.  Only people, in this context, can act; holy books cannot.  Given that, interpretation is vital.

Ideologies cannot in and of themselves be peaceful or violent, yes; however, if they influence a significant amount of their followers to act in a certain way, then those ideologies are effectively what they influence their followers to be.

More clearly, there are perhaps one milion or so jihadis, out of 1.5 billion, with a B, Muslims.  Please explain how you can say this is not a peaceful religion, when well over 99% of its practitioners are not involved in religious violence.

It's not relatively peaceful, when you compare it to other major world religions.

Also, does your definition of "peaceful" include abstinating from barbaric and primitive acts, such as forcing women to wear burkas and punishing them if they don't?

[JoeBobSmith]

[Thumpalumpacus]

It is people who act.  A religion cannot be violent, or peaceful.  Only people, in this context, can act; holy books cannot.  Given that, interpretation is vital.

Ideologies cannot in and of themselves be peaceful or violent, yes; however, if they influence a significant amount of their followers to act in a certain way, then those ideologies are effectively what they influence their followers to be.

More clearly, there are perhaps one milion or so jihadis, out of 1.5 billion, with a B, Muslims.  Please explain how you can say this is not a peaceful religion, when well over 99% of its practitioners are not involved in religious violence.

It's not relatively peaceful, when you compare it to other major world religions.

According to what metrics?

Also, does your definition of "peaceful" include abstinating from barbaric and primitive acts, such as forcing women to wear burkas and punishing them if they don't?

http://www.google.com/search?q=define+p ... =firefox-a

Works for me.

[LegendarySandwich]

It is people who act.  A religion cannot be violent, or peaceful.  Only people, in this context, can act; holy books cannot.  Given that, interpretation is vital.

Ideologies cannot in and of themselves be peaceful or violent, yes; however, if they influence a significant amount of their followers to act in a certain way, then those ideologies are effectively what they influence their followers to be.

More clearly, there are perhaps one milion or so jihadis, out of 1.5 billion, with a B, Muslims.  Please explain how you can say this is not a peaceful religion, when well over 99% of its practitioners are not involved in religious violence.

It's not relatively peaceful, when you compare it to other major world religions.

According to what metrics?

I don't have any, so I can't continue to argue this. But do you have any metrics?

http://www.google.com/search?q=define+p ... =firefox-a

Works for me.

Then let me state it this way: how many Muslims are moderate, i.e. have moved on from blatantly misogynic and other barbaric practices?

[Thumpalumpacus]

It's not relatively peaceful, when you compare it to other major world religions.

According to what metrics?

I don't have any, so I can't continue to argue this. But do you have any metrics?

You make the assertion -- you provide the numbers.  Them's the rules.  You claim Islam is not "relatively peaceful" -- then please provide numbers to support this assertion.  

Then let me state it this way: how many Muslims are moderate, i.e. have moved on from blatantly misogynistic and other barbaric practices?

Guilty until proven innocent, anyone?  

Is Islam misogynistic?  Absolutely.  Is it more so than Christianity? Perhaps, in its fundamentalist iteration.  But not only is Christianity also misogynistic, biology itself means that women will have a different role in life no matter what you, I, or anyone else thinks, which means that women will have different roles in social life, typically.  

I'd answer your question more fully, but "other barbaric practices" is a vague denominator.  Might you be more specific?  Are you perhaps talking about male circumcision?  Well, most Christians do that, too.  Are you talking about slavery?  Well, Christians -- and others -- support sex slavery in Southeast Asia.  Piracy?  Again, not limited to Muslims.

Be specific.  What do you find particularly repulsive about the behavior of Muslims, moreso than believers of other faiths?  Bear in mind, if the behaviors you critique might be found in other faiths, labeling it "Muslim" isn't fair.