What happens at the beginning of a religion is important ot its later history. The path that the founder of a religion places it on is the path it will have a tendency to stick to–or return to–in at least a general way.
This is not to say that religions cannot become detached from their historical foundation. Much of modern Buddhism has very little relationship to the teachings of the historical Buddha (Siddhartha Gautama), and much of liberal Christianity has little relationship to the teachings of Jesus and the apostles.
But religions–or notable parts of them–tend to stay at least in the ballpark of what their founder intended.
This bodes ill for the future of Islam and its relationship to the rest of the world. If you want to explain much about the current state of the Muslim world, including its propensity toward jihadist violence, you need look no further than the fact that Muhammad was an Arabian warlord. The mindset of an Arabian warlord was stamped on Islam at its inception, and it has shaped the subsequent history of Islam in ways too numerous to count (at least in a blog post).
In an ideal future, a way will be found to wean Islam away from its violent impulses, but even if that proves to be possible, it will not be easy. The stamp of the Arabian warlord will be hard to erase, and not just regarding the use of violence, but in related areas, such as the way a warlord uses money.
HERE’S AN INTERESTING ARTICLE CONTRASTING MUHAMMAD AND JESUS ON THE USE OF MONEY, VIOLENCE, AND POWER.
(CHT: Southern Appeal.)
The prophet Mohammed makes the little baby Aisha cry.
:_(
OOoohhh, Jimmy… your not supposed to draw ANY sort of inference from the Muslim faith to the current “troubles”.
This fascism and hatred is an anomaly, the result of a few bad apples. ISLAM IS A RELIGION OF PEACE!!
They just want peace. The cause of all the trouble is our stubborn refusal to convert… I mean… respect their faith.
Now look… you have gone and bent the template that the MSM has helpfully issued for these stories. If you can’t use the template properly, you will lose your privileges (please return it in the postage-paid envelope).
Even the President follows the template. C’mon, man! Pay no attention to that Imam behind the curtain.
Muhammad’s fear of his encounters with “Allah’s messenger” and his suicidal behaviour in an attempt to escape any more encounters make me think of men’s encounters with Satan, not with God’s angelic messengers. His subsequent behavior leads me to think that perhaps he was possessed by or strongly influenced by an evil spirit.
How about contrasting Muhammad and Jesus on Women and young boys.
Jimmy:
Do you think Islam will change or will it have to undergo a severe traumatic event?
xavier
Thank you for a very interesting article! My ancestors lived and died as Christians in the Ottoman Empire and this one core belief that seperates the faiths deserves to be documented and people made aware of the fact.
Aside from the religious issue, the warlord gene factors into the current political problems that have become global in scope.
Why is it that mid-east scholars of Islam in the universities don’t teach that? At the university in my town, the nationally known scholar of Islam makes the rounds of churches teaching that Islam is peaceful, second class citizenship for non-Islams is a thing of the past, and we need to stop being intolerant towards Islam. And this is generally heard in the universities…I don’t get it.
Austin,
Surely you jest, right? You think the Church in the Islamic world has all the freedoms that Islamic sects are afforded?
Wasn’t a convert from Islam recently threatened with execution, and was only spared because He was judged incompetent thereby allowing for Afghan authorities to save facw?
There are very peaceful Muslims, very holy Muslims too, but in Muslim nations the “warlord gene” is very much a reality.
(Don’t tell me your names not Shirley)
I think Austin was being facetious.
PVO
Austin,
People hear what they want to hear. Of COURSE the universities want to believe the “Islam is peaceful” stuff. If you actually read the truth about Islam, you have to do the same with the Catholci Church. Too much work.
1. Islam is a RELIGION OF PEACE indeed. Period.
2. The act of a few non-Islamic muslims are not to be confused with Islam teaching. Islam is a challenge for non-muslims and unIslamic muslims to live in peace.
3. Dont forget also the atrocities inflicted by christians on muslims. Read some history. In this case, muslims do not equate christianity with the act of the followers, because in the Quran it is mentioned that ‘true’ cxhristians are muslims brothers.
4. I challenge non-muslims to study Quran and throw Quran teachings to the face of unIslamic muslims.