Speaking of Xianity... The Bush administration loves to say that "Islam has been hijacked." That people who promote violence in the name of Allah are frauds. Bush himself also loves to promote himself as a man of God and America as an xian nation, yet I cannot see Christ being a capitalist conservative nor a military leader preemptively bombing Iraq with "shock and awe." If you ask me, the Bush admin has hijacked Christianity just as much as Mullah Omar has hijacked Islam. I'm not saying that Bush's actions are anywhere near as bad as the Taliban's or anything like that, but what I am saying as that Bush's version of America, economically and military, is a fry cry from what Jesus talked about. I don't know about Islam, so I cannot really comment on its popular practice vs. the Quaran, but I have no doubt in my mind that Jesus Christ was a socialist pacificst. How such a man could become the role model for modern day conservative republicans, a la Bush, is beyond me... For the record, I am no longer a Christian, although I have gone to Catholic school my whole life, so I do have a modicum of authority on the matter. If you axe me, Bush has hijacked Christianity.
You're damn right he has! As pretty much every leader "hijacks" -- twists to his advantage -- religion in rallying the troops. In Bush's case, given the outrage over the illegal actions the US is taking, it actually serves him quite well to be seen as a devoted Christian. I mean, there's no way Bush himself could the part of the real axis of evil, is there? The man's a Christian!
Bin Laden has NOT hijacked Islam! He is living his life as a bloodthirsty terrorist murderer, just as the prophet Mohammad led his own life. Bin Laden obeys his religion to the letter.
Jesus did not claim to be a socialist pacifist. He said that he is the way, the truth, and the life; that no one comes to the Father except through him; and that if you know him, you know his Father also. There were Roman soldiers, tax collectors, and successful business owners who became followers of the Messiah . The main issue was neither politics nor economics. It was about whether one established a relationship with the Father through His Son the Mashiach. In fact, shortly before his death, Jesus said "...let the one who has no sword sell his cloak and buy one." God is more complicated than most people make Him out to be.
Islam has not been hijacked by IS or any current Islamic leader or even recent Islamic leader. It started off as a highly confrontational and discriminatory religion and has only became more so over the centuries. It is locked in a spiral of exclusionism and extremely biased behaviours.
18 If someone has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, “This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard.” 21 Then all the men of his town are to stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid. Deuteronomy 21:18-21 Killing your own son by stoning, apparently fine. Hey, it's in the Old Testament, it doesn't count right, even when we're talking about how a religion "started off"? Do not desire another man's house; do not desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns. Exodus 20:17 Apparently having slaves is fine according to the 10 commandments, just so long as you don't desire another man's slaves! The Christian bible is chock full of appalling horrible terrible things. So cut the holier than thou crap and maybe take the words of Jesus in Matthew 23 to heart?
You're talking to the wrong person about Christianity and Matthew and righteousness, I don't believe in gods or bible verses. There isn't any objective way to compare the values or qualities or truths of two religions. One might depict a universe created by a single omnipotent male deity, another, large and even older, might say the world is overseen by more than 30 male and female deities. However, a pragmatic response to how to gauge the influences of two religions is to observe the way that cultures under these religions actually operate and deal with their own followers, with apostates, non-conformists, and the followers of other religions, and indeed with atheists. The majority of the cultures, societies and nation states which are religiously dominated and which are actively aggressive towards "others" are Islamic. We all can't help but see that fact. Regardless of the core teachings of a religion, if its adherents would like to kill and maim "others", I have to see it a tad negatively, don't you?
%% Good points expaited . Same pattern , as you noted, but more high velocity like a .30-06...... King David use a sling shot; [ a stone, a smooth stone/slingshot ]as a deadly weapon . [1st]First Samuel 17.King David is a man[Jewish king] after Gods own heart.