Why don't most Muslims engage in Jihad?

[Ranmoth]

To the best of my knowledge, it says in the Koran(or however you want to spell it) that infidels should be put to the sword. However, my knowledge of it ends just about there, so I'm just asking an honest question: Why don't most Muslims go around killing non-Muslims? Or, at the very least, those that refuse to convert once they're tought about it? After all, Muhammed himself waged holy wars.

[Nyril]

Christian missoinaries un-armed and peaceful have EVERYTHING to do with this topic.

Such as the ones that issue bibles to poverty struck citizens before issuing food? Such as the ones in indonesia left when the citizens didn't agree to convert at once, taking their supplies with them?

[AlAyeti]

Samaritans Purse is still in Indonesia.

Risking their lives to help others.

Proselytizing, the Christian type, does not kill anyone. Those that convert are taught to love their wives and take care of their children. Oh, and love your enemies and do good to those that persecute you. Like what the Muslim's do to Christian missionaries.

How many Indonesians would be Muslim if they had a choice?

Why is Islam so afraid of free speech? Is there a debate going on in Muslim countries? Don't bother a reply.

Without the sword of Jihad to terrorize the hearts, minds, and souls of those under its deadly shadow, Islam wouldn't have the numbers of adherants it currently has.

[AlAyeti]

Nyril: "Such as the ones that issue bibles to poverty struck citizens before issuing food?"

I'm sorry I almost couldn't form a reply to that one. Almost.

Did the Red Crescent fly over relief items to Florida's victims of hurricane damage?

Saudi Arabia could buy Florida.

But the operative words in your response in question was "issuing food." And bythe way, those that helped out in Indonesia were threatened with imprisonment or worse if they proselytized Muslim's. I've had Mormon's and Jehovah's Witnesses at my door dozens of times. I have ben challenged on the streets by atheist's.

Never harmed a one.

Since I have been to soup kitchens in America what you say is occasionally accurate. But when the hungry person tosses the Bible away and starts chowing down, they are not imprisoned or put to death for blasphemy.

Pretty pitiful comparison, when you think about the conditions of Muslims living in Muslim countries. They blame America and Christianty for their condition when the "religion of peace" is all around them.

Yeah, those Christian organizations are just monstrous.

[bernee51]

Proselytizing, the Christian type, does not kill anyone.

Christian prosletyzing in India has caused families to split, villages to be torn apart. One member of a family or one family in a village converts - often on the basis of charity offered - and that has caused and continues to cause familial and communal strife.

People have bene ostracized, victimized and killed due to religious conversion

A religion of conversion is a religion of violence.

[Arthra]

Several countries including Greece, China and Russia have laws against proselytizing ...on the other hand, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which most nations today at least ostensibly recognize permits an individual the right to change their religion...without coercion. Someday there may be cases brought before the International Court establishing precedent for international law in civil liberties just as there have today in legal traditions of some countries.

So ultimately at least in principle in the world today an individual should be able to change their beliefs without fear of reprisal....

Now historically, Christianity has levied heavy penalities on people who adopt beliefs that are contray to the church and this led to inquisitions, crusades and excommunications...excommunications are still exercised by some churches. Some well known writers have been excommunicated in the last century such as Kahlil Gibran and Nikos Kosantzakis and their books were banned in some areas... So Christianity is not over the whole extent of history been nonviolent about these things.

Also there is a principle in the Qur'an that says "Let their be no compulsion in religion" and a general understanding that Jihad is to struggle against unrighteousness.... this is I think is a correct path for Moslems and within their Islamic foundations.

We know that in Islamic history only a Caliph could really declare a formal Jihad... It's been some time since a Caliph has actually been in force as an institution... probably the last one to be recognized was effectively ended early in the twentieth century by the "young Turks". The Shiahs are governed by other practices that give high ranking Mullas the "right" to call for a Jihad...

You hear a lot today of Jihad and fatwas being issued but they do not have i believe ultimately any true force without a universally recognized Caliph or Imam.

So ultimately at least for today i do not see any call for Jihad in the sense of using violence as being legitimate even for Moslems. The US in it's cold war strategy of say twenty years ago though may have attempted to revive this in Afganistan which has had very sad consequences, namely through the erstwhile ally Osama bn Laden. ....

[AlAyeti]

Bernee,

Are the "converts" violent?

Are the converts ostracizing their families?

No.

The converts are the victims of violence and the victims of being outcasts and some are killed for converting. The violence is not coming from the converted but is meted out on them.

I can point you to websites and organizations that evangelize in India and have never once killed anyone for not converting. Yet, keep feeding the poor. No Christian called to evangelized can stop doing that. Kill them if you must, but they will not recant Christ.

May God Bless the defenseless martyr.

I am rather (somwhat) shocked by your intolerant view of people choosing to follow Christ anywhere. If they choose to see the beauty in those that put their actions where their mouth is and "feed and clothes those in need," I find it disconcerting that if the hungry, once fed, choose to become like their benefactor, you would see that as a violent act and not see persecuting and discrimination and literally killing of the new converet as worse.

Murder is true intolerance.

[AlAyeti]

Arthra,

Like in Muslim countries, the world will embrace total intolerance of Christian evangelism. In America, Christians are part of the "intolerant," that need Hate Crimes legislation to protect people from them.

In the International Court it will be worse. In some countries Christians are just rounded up and slaughtered. While the world screams and cries over a Koran thrown on the ground or two men stopped from getting married, not a word about milloins who go to their death for not being "like the world."

Everything else in the Bible is coming true, why would we not expect total "worldwide" Christian intolerance.

Look at the way Bernee, painted Christian conversion. It is an act of violence. Yet, the person becomes more loving and more caring of others. It is the missionary that is killed yet, while dying with unarmed hands, theh same ones thatbrought food to the hungry, some can see them as violent, somehow.

Catholics that levied the Inquisition on non-Catholics, were challeged out of the Bible to stop. Now, as you can see, even those that call themselves Christians are attacking those that want to follow the words of Christ as His apostles did.

Also predicted in the Bible.

But, if all of the bad things in the Bible are coming to the Five O'Clock News, all of the good things will too.

[Dilettante]

Catholics that levied the Inquisition on non-Catholics, were challeged out of the Bible to stop. Now, as you can see, even those that call themselves Christians are attacking those that want to follow the words of Christ as His apostles did.

What about Protestants who levied Inquisition on Catholics or on those who believed differently? Were they also "challenged out of the Bible to stop"?

Some well known writers have been excommunicated in the last century such as Kahlil Gibran and Nikos Kosantzakis and their books were banned in some areas...

Excommunication or book-banning are not quite on the same level as sentencing to death. I hear that the penalty for apostasy in Islam is death. I imagine that, luckily, this is not frequently enforced in most countries.

Jihad: Struggle against non-Muslims. Spiritual struggle against non-Muslims. Violently.

The term "jihad" seems to be a difficult one to define, especially since there is no universally accepted religious authority in Islam. It does mean "holy war" to certain Muslims, but not to all of them. That violent kind of jihad is refered to elsewhere as "Jihad Al-Akbar" (the great jihad?).

[bernee51]

Look at the way Bernee, painted Christian conversion.

My actual statement was "a religion of conversion is a religion of violence" - that applies to ALL religions of conversion.

You seem to have a persecution complex or rather want to wallow in one.

[bernee51]

Bernee,

Are the "converts" violent?

Are the converts ostracizing their families?

Just by being there they are inciting violence.

They are engouraging violence by encouraging people to renounce their beliefs and their culture. For what? A different fairy story to the one already believed.

All very futile.

If they want to feed the hungry and clothe the poor - let them do it, unconditionally, no strings attached. In many many instances in this country that is not the case. The 'charity' is conditional

I am rather (somwhat) shocked by your intolerant view of people choosing to follow Christ anywhere. If they choose to see the beauty in those that put their actions where their mouth is and "feed and clothes those in need," I find it disconcerting that if the hungry, once fed, choose to become like their benefactor, you would see that as a violent act and not see persecuting and discrimination and literally killing of the new converet as worse.

Spoken from your safe middle class elitist home in the good ol USofA.

You should get out more and get some real information rather that the propoganda you get on your christian radio, TV and web-sites.

Your opinons have shown you have no understanding of the word 'tolerance'.