Islam and Christianity

Okay, I am new to the whole blogging thing, so I am not sure who will even read this.  Here goes: First of all, there is a huge difference between Christianity and Islam.  I would have to say that even Christianity has had it's mistakes and violent past, which I am extremely saddened by.  However, you must look at the difference between the two founders of these religions.  Americans are being told a lie.  We are told that Islam is a religion of peace.  This is not true nor has it ever been true.  Mohammad, the founder of Islam, had some great dreams of uniting the Arab people.  He did this in a way that was very smart; he used religion.  The problem was that whoever refused to convert to Islam were often marginalized, if not killed, and were considered "infidels" or "unfaithful to Allah".  This was the founder of Islam.  Compare this to Jesus Christ, whom even Muslims consider to be a Prophet.  Jesus never forced people to follow him out of fear for their lives.  People were allowed to choose to follow him.  God is not into spiritual rape where He forces himself upon people.  He wants people to follow Him out of love, not out of fear!   Unfortunately, Americanized culture christianity has painted a very negative picture of what true Christianity is about and therefore there has been venomous responses to this cultural christianity.  Even Gandhi stated that he did not have a problem with Jesus Christ, only Christians.  If Islam is such a religion of peace, why are people all over the world being killed specifically in the name of Allah?  If it were a few radicals, why are Islamic terrorists killing people in Indonesia, India, London, Pakistan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, etc, etc.?  Yes, a few radical christians have blown up abortion clinics, but when has a large number of Christians internationally gone about and killed people in the name of Christ?  The crusades were an atrocity which every self-respecting and genuine Christian (and Muslim) needs to apologize about and seek forgiveness and reconciliation.  However, reconciliation does not mean that you must renounce your faith!   Also, Christianity existed some 600 years before Islam and Judaism existed several thousand years before both of these.  How can Christians (or Jews for that matter) be considered infidels?  Islam shares many of the same spiritual fathers as Judaism and Christianity.  (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob).   I renounce any christianity that espouses violence that is not for the protection of the weak.  Christians are called to lay down their lives at their own expense - not at the expense of others.  This is the difference between a martyr and a murderer.  A murderer is called to lay down his life and the life of others in cowardly homicidal bombings killing women and children.  Have christians been infidels?  Absolutely, but so have Jews, Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists... you name the "religion".  We have all been infidels when we follow the ways of mankind and not the ways of God.  Killing people is the way of humanity.  Giving life is the way of God and those who follow him.  Look at the people who have lived by the principle of peace.  It was humanity that killed them because they follow the ways of Satan, (which means accuser) not God.

Go back to the basics.  Look at the founders of the "religion".  Who advocated peace and who advocated violence?  Look beyond the "men of the religion" and look to the initiator of relationships.  Islam is not a religion of peace and America is being deceived into thinking otherwise.  The Muslims have a religiously sanctioned philosophy that advocates lying to infidels in order to further their cause.  Anything done to an infidel in the effort to advance Islam is allowable.  Americans are just as guilty for not living out authentic Christianity and not being educated in their own faith, let alone the faiths of other major world religions.  There is a huge difference between Christianity and churchianity.  Again, look at the founders.  If you believe Islam is a religion of peace, I can't wait to see some of the responses!