Muslims have declared a Jihad to exterminate Christians.

[wil]

17th Angel: "As in you cannot love others until you can love yourself? (oooh easy! family show!)"

No. You love yourselves enough. It's exactly what is said: majority of Christians and Jews will never accept Muslims (for who they are) until they become either Jews or Christians. Simple as that. Even copying what you do is not enough (i.e. Mr. Obama who is convert Christian) until one becomes 100% Christian/or Jew if s/he can

Love the genaralities...

First off, I have yet to meet the Jew that insists on anyone's conversion. Second I find prosyletizing to be awfully arrogant and self serving.
Third, the only Muslims I have issues with are the ones that want to convert me. (note: I don't consider the suicide bombers or terrorists muslims, I don't believe they are acting according to their faith, they've stepped outside the bounds)

 

[bananabrain]

It's exactly what is said: majority of Christians and Jews will never accept Muslims (for who they are) until they become either Jews or Christians. Simple as that.

amica - this is simply not true. jews are not permitted to evangelise, nor is our relationship with muslims or christians conditional upon their openness to conversion. we do not expect anyone to become what they are, but we do expect them to let us be who we are. i think this statement of yours is certainly true of a large number of christians and muslims with regard to each other and jews, but the reverse is not.

b'shalom

bananabrain

 

[iBrian]

amica - this is simply not true. jews are not permitted to evangelise, nor is our relationship with muslims or christians conditional upon their openness to conversion. we do not expect anyone to become what they are, but we do expect them to let us be who we are. i think this statement of yours is certainly true of a large number of christians and muslims with regard to each other and jews, but the reverse is not.

b'shalom

bananabrain

Indeed, unlike Christianity and Islam which are exclusive - ie, you must follow or burn in hell - Judaism holds that it's own rules and standards apply only for the Jewish people as a testament to their relationship with God.

For everyone else, the following of the Noahide Laws is enough to demand respect. Or so I'm led to believe.

 

[Kasavubu]

The issue is too generalized. Religion in my opinion is a delusional system, which encourages grandiosity, bigotry, irrational thinking, and belief that God approves of their ideas.

The danger is that religious belief systems are associated with higher risks of mental illness. Delusional belief that is beneficial to some people may lead the mentally pre-psychotic to violence and murder in the name of their god.

Christianity and Islam span a wide spectrum of beliefs from healthy to psychotic.

Unitarians are at the healthiest end. Seventh Day Adventists are also healthy, as are Quakers, Mennonites, Liberal Anglicans, and Liberal Catholics. Roman Catholics, Mainline Christians and others are in the middle. Southern Baptists are edging toward extremism and bigotry. Christian Reconstruction, Dominionism, Theonomists, Christian Identity, Army of God, the Ku Klux Klan, American Nazis, and Aryan Nations are on the mentally unstable extreme. These are the killers of Abortion doctors, Homosexuals, "uppity blacks", Jews, Atheists, and Liberals.

I personally know Islamic doctors, dentists, nurses, and physical therapists who are great humanitarians, family people, and pro-democracy. They are on the good end of the Islamic spectrum. There are moderate Muslims whom I have met in North Africa despite living in dictatorships. On the crazy end are the Wahabis, Al Qaeda, Taliban, Hezbollah, Hamas, and Muslim Brotherhood.

One cannot group all people of Christian faith in one basket or all Muslims into one basket. The same can be said of those who lack belief such as Atheists. Some atheists are outreaching to believers, tolerant of all views, ranging to hostile atheists like Sam Harris or Richard Dawkins.

We need to recognize that there are bigots, extremists, racists, hate mongers, and psychopathic killers in all groups. One does not group all psychopathic killers into broad diverse groups like Christians, Muslims, and Atheists.

Kasavubu

 

[Sam Albion]

I've got a big oven, and there's room for everyone! Nah, I'm not coming in-- there has to be somebody to close the door!

Apparently you're all doomed. You're all gonna have to work together to get out of the oven. But you won't. Before I even turn on the gas, half of you will have killed the other half, and for what? Because of a couple of dusty ole books... That's sad.

 

[Quahom1]

Indeed, unlike Christianity and Islam which are exclusive - ie, you must follow or burn in hell - Judaism holds that it's own rules and standards apply only for the Jewish people as a testament to their relationship with God.

For everyone else, the following of the Noahide Laws is enough to demand respect. Or so I'm led to believe.

Brian, one does not burn in "hell" if one does not accept Christianity (not in mainstream Christianity anyway). One simply takes one's chances with the two books at judgement. There is the book of deeds (life's experiences), and the book of life (is one's name written in it or not).

With Christians, there is only one book to be concerned with...the book of deeds.

The reason is according to Christian philosophy, those that accept Christ have their name written into the book of life, guaranteed. Others have to go by their merit.

In Christianity, one who is not a professed "Christian" is not automatically "damned to hell". They just don't have a get out of jail free card...regardless of the outcome, concerning the book of deeds...

Now, heaven is not a democracy either...not everyone is equal in stature or rewards.

He who thinks he would be first is last, and he who thinks he should be last is put first. The Call is God's, not man's...

Ergo, the Bill Gates of the world donate billions of dollars as philanthropists, but the poor lady down the street puts her last two dollars in the poor box at church at the end of each week, and is grateful to be able to do so, because she thinks she can make a difference as well.

How do we judge that?

We can't...we aren't God...

 

[iBrian]

Brian, one does not burn in "hell" if one does not accept Christianity (not in mainstream Christianity anyway).

I know a lot of Christians try and be nice about it, but reading the New Testament, Jesus is pretty insistent on the idea that anyone who does not follow him is doomed to eternal fire, and there's no get out of free card away from that.

Years ago when researching Hell, I was very surprised to find most of the times it is mentioned in the NT is through the words attributed to Jesus. I think it was something like 28 out of 36 mentions across the entire Bible or something (translated as Hell from Hades, Gahenna, and Sheol).

Strangely enough, "hel" is just another word for grave, as is the Jewish Sheol, and to a certain extent, Hades. But Jesus uses the word Gahenna - the eternal fire burning the rubbish dumps outside of Jerusalem.