Just a couple of comments:

(1) Not all converts are "zealots". This I can say from the many acquaintances that I have made over the years across several states and Canadian provinces.

(2) The question on haste admissions of non-Muslims to Islam has been an issue often discussed between Muslims in the US. Many zealots become Muslims seeing in it a form of saying "no" to the injustices they see in modern Western society. Some are often poor, unhappy, or feel betrayed by society. Others, the majority of converts, are often attracted by the simple message of Islam. I have once met two at college who have very affluent backgrounds, but loved the simplicity of the message of Islam.

(3) Islam's message, in its simplicity (compared to the complicated and often strange tenets of other religions, such as "original sin"... etc) has always been the reason for conversion. Add to that the angry radicalism of extremist Muslims, it makes it very attractive to the radical in Western societies. Rednecks is one such audience I think.

Good observation BigSky. I am a revert (former member of the Church of Christ) who accepted the teachings of Islaam while studying religion in college at a Catholic university. Some of my professors were Fathers, one was a Fryer, a Nun and I also attended classes with Nuns that were students themselves.

Yes, I found the teachings ( of Islaam) to be most logical than those of the other beliefs that were being taught.

So you see, you can find Islaam in some very uncommon places.

To add, I'm intolerant of oppression (unjust wars, the taking of innocent lives, i.e. women and children, etc.) of any kind from anyone, whether Muslim or non-Muslim.

This is not the true teachings of Allaah (The One and Only True God). Although, Allaah is in no need of my defense. He Stands Alone in His Greatness.

For some reason, some non-Muslims, find it somehow difficult to believe that most Muslims do not subscribe to Bin Laden's version of Islam. Or do they believe it when we, quoting you, say:

"To add, I'm intolerant of oppression (unjust wars, the taking of innocent lives, i.e. women and children, etc.) of any kind from anyone, whether Muslim or non-Muslim."

I have only one question for you. How will you feel on that one day when you discover that there never way allah? It is written in the Bible:

"you shall have no other gods before me".

Allah is not a god, but rather a lunatics figment of his imagination used to frighten the weak minded into submission to do as directed without question. An ideology no different than Nazism or Communism which enforced the silent rule of "do as we say, or die".

Yet, here you are believing in a madmans ideology. What has allah ever done for you personally? One look at the nations who worship this.... allah, and you can clearly see the state of that nations morality. Hatred, intolerance, anger and death. These are the trademarks of allah. A "god" of hatred. You chose wrong the day you rejected the true God of the ages. A day you will regret. Sadly, there will be no second chance to revert. Yes, religion has played a major roll in the suffering of mankind throughout the ages, however, God is not a religion, he is a relationship. This is what seperates peace from intolerance. Hatred from love.

You have placed your misguided faith in islam, which is nothing more than a madmans dream which will soon end. History teaches us one lesson that we must not ignore, and that is whomever has attempted to rule the world has himself been erased from the pages of history. Hitler, Napoleon, Stalin, Ghengis Khan, are all gone. Allah will soon join them. What will you do then? Following a religion will only lead you into destruction. Following a relationship leads only to peace and satisfaction. You're preoccupied in believeing what somebody else has told you. Discover what God himself is saying not only about life, but allah and others like him while you still have time to do so.

Ever think that YOUR the misguided one? No, I didn't think so. That couldn't POSSIBLY be the case, huh?

it is interesting that one of the posters was a student at a catholic school and found islaam. They stated their dislike of innocent victims of war etc. So, how does that person feel about abortion? The Catholic Church has taken a strong stance against both abortion and the death penalty. Interesting that he/she doesn't mention that. Or could it be that he/she just wants to sin and doesn't like the word?

It is so easy for the ovepriviledged to muse about and subscribe to different and varying philosophies like the baby bear in goldilocks...this one is too hot..this one is too cold. Yet, they refuse to be grateful to a nation who has provided them with this sense of security and luxury. And they don't seem to develope a patriotic conscience.

It is one thing to be an intellectual/academic and research the philosophies of the world and even try their "clothes" on to understand their relation to us...but it is quite another to promote a view that encourages deparature from a faith-catholicism-with scanty and emotional logic. This person says he was taught by priests and nuns. Did he get taught about transubstantiation? Did he ever talk with a priest about islam and catholicism? Was he a Catholic to start with?

I guess I wonder how deep roots can go when you are departing from a faith that embraces life as the catholic church does to go to faith because of its dislike of war and desire for justice.

Just my 2 cents.

Oh, and original sin is not a difficult concept. Btw--to that poster, islam has as its father the same abraham that christianity does. So, I guess you reject both, huh?

I don't know how you know YOU are right and everyone else is wrong (including people who might be Jewish, Hindu, believers of Fau, Buddhists, Jains, Sikhs etc.). I hate saying this but you're racist, bigot and anti-Muslim without a reason whatsoever and may I add anti-any other religion that does not suit your ideology.

Do you think Allah is some sort of a mangod who has come down from somewhere and told people to follow Him/Her? As stated in the Koran, God does not care if not a single human being believed that He/She existed. So your argument that we're following some sort of madman, is redundant. It's out of one's own volition as stated in the Koran, 'there is no compulsion in religion'. Same for any religion: People believe in what is closest to their hearts. Therefore, unlike some fools who call themselves Muslims, I, and others like myself, do not believe in the made up belief that we've to force everyone to accept our beliefs as Muslims.

As a Muslim, I can tell you that I find Osama and his like despicable, his words despicable and all the people I know (a very big majority), do NOT consider him a Muslim because he goes against the basic tenets of Islam whereby you cannot torture, maim or kill others. Despite misleading quotes in Western publications, there are no verses in the Koran that tell us to blatantly start killing people. As for all converts being crazy, angry people and all Muslims being full of hate and resentment, now that's a generalization and seems just like racial profiling of the Jewish people by the Nazis and Hitler. There are more than a billion Muslims in this world. Do you really think that each and everyone of them is neurotic and just led by sheer hateful propaganda? We're not fools. I accept there are misguided Muslims, whom, like the media, make up things to justify their horrendous acts in the name of Islam and all Muslims get blamed. As a young Muslim, I denounce all these people who claim to be Muslims but kill others and that does not just include 'white people' (sic), it also includes Muslims being killed by these maniacs. Do you think any of us wants to lose our loved ones, friends, family members etc.? How do you know I donot have a white family member or friends from other regions? Would I want any hurt coming to them? By God, I would stand in the way of that hurt before I ever let anyone try to harm them in the name of any God or religion. Does anyone really think that all of us think we'll be granted martyrdom based on shedding innocent blood? Please be so kind as to use that brain that the God of Ages has given all of us, may His/Her name be Allah, Yahweh or God and don't make generalizations and superhateful comments. It only makes you look silly and arrogant. You don't have to believe in what I believe in but you don't have the right to mock my beliefs because some people have gone and made a fool of themselves.

And for everyone who thinks that Muslims are silent when these hellbound fools go and try blowing up innocents, you're wrong. We don't support them. We hate them. It's not just you who are getting hurt in the maelstrom, it's us as well. Please look no further than Iraq, where so called Muslims are killing 100s of innocent Muslims everyday. Please look no further than Pakistan (where I come from) where these so called Muslims blow a bomb everyday. Do you think I want that? Do you think anyone of us want that? We don't. We want to live our lives in peace. Like I said before, none of us want to lose our family members, loved ones or friends like this. Don't think that all of us are crazy misguided lunatics.

Umm... okay, your post was meant for someone else but since this is a public forum I couldn't help but asking, what has abortion got to do with Islam? Do you know Islam's stance on abortion? Muslim law states that a woman has the right to terminate or carry on with a pregnancy depending on its impact on her health etc. Kindly don't confuse the tenets of Catholicism with Islam. Moreover, Muslims not only believe in Abraham (may peace be upon him), they believe in Jesus (may peace be upon him), Ishmael, Israel (common biblical name: Isaac, peace be upon him), Joseph (peace be upon him). The only difference is that we (I'm a Muslim) don't believe in them the same way a Catholic might. That does not mean that our way is wrong. I won't say yours is wrong so please be so kind as to stop making judgments about our ways of life. To every person, their own beliefs as long as they don't hurt others. Also don't judge us on the basis of clearly manic person (Osama). We despise (worse than hatred) him and don't believe in him. He's nothing to us as Muslims.

My problem with Islam, and most all religions, in fact, is how close minded they are. Each claims they are the sole truth, everyone else is a false religion. The various Christian sects say this about each other, as do, I presume, Shites and Sunnies.

My point is, Muslims are told Jesus, Moses, etc. are prophets, but the are banned from stuying them. The Muslim teachers make up this nonsense about only their book being true, and others being corrupted. This is political B.S. fed to you by your leaders. So you are basically claiming God is a big screwup because he couldn't stop his holy books he gave to Jews and Christians from being so distorted as to being worthless? What nonsense.

I own a copy of the Koran and have read parts of it. Do you feel free to study the gospels without persecution? If so, I urge you to do so. Do not study the teachings of the Christian churches. Each one has its own interpretation, much of it false. Do not judge Christ by the teachings of the Christians churches. Most people who claim to be Christians, from Bush on down, do not follow Christ and are not true Christians. Just study on your own.

You will see Jesus is a much holier man the Mohammad. Jesus never killed anyone (yes, I know muslims like to claim Jesus said to pick up the sword, but in the two instances he referred to a sword, in one he said the sword would come against his followers for believing in him (true, they were persecuted by the Romans and Jews). The other was before his crucifixion, where he told his Apostles to bring swords, but them stopped them from using it, even healing the ear of one of the Roman Guards. He did this as an example, to show he could order his disciples to kill to defend them, but refused to do so.

Mohammad said to cut off the hand of someone who steals. Jesus said if someone sues for your coat, give him your cloak also. Mohammad said to stone prostitutes. Jesus forgave them. Mohammad robbed and killed traveling caravans. Jesus would never do such a thing, he never killed or stole. Mohammad married a child, a 12 year old. Jesus avoided carnal relations to devote himself to God.

I could go on and on. But you claim Mohammad is holier then Jesus, or better then Jesus? This is false. If I'm wrong, explain how.

Umm...Allah and the Judeo-Christian God are the same deity.

And the words "Allah" and "Islam" should always be capitalized. Have some respect.

People arguing over their opinions about their respective religions is as pathetic as it is futile. Nobody is going to solve today's real, political, international problems by professing their faith and putting down someone elses way of worship.

You folks are wasting your keystrokes if you think that a theological debate has any real bearing on terrorism.

Yea, well, I'm not arguing religion really. I'm arguing that Christ was a better man the Mohammad. And Christ's teachings are morally superior to Mohammad's. Even an atheist can study the teachings of both men and make a judgment on this. What, is everyone afraid to debate me on this? Small wonder.

I doubt it will convince any terrorists also. But maybe one moderate Muslim will study the teachings of Jesus on his own, and learn something. Muslims must suffer an awful lot of cognitive dissonance having Mohammed presented by their teachers as the perfect man. Did Mohammad ever make such a claim for himself? I doubt it. Muslims as well as Christians are fed a lot of political b.s. from their respective religious leaders and faiths, that isn't scriptual, but in fact made up by man.

Dear CJSM19 :

in Denmark last year they put some cartoons insult mohamed peac up on him , did you hear any time that we did the same for jesus peace up on him , never , Mariam & jesus story mentioned in Quran in one of the longest chapter , we know him , we respect him so much , we respect his teaching but limited to as a prophet not god & now the surprise which you don't know about us that we belive that close to teh end jesus is coming back to the ground and we will fight with him against the nonbeliever my frienfd any where in the world did you see us attacking any christian because he is christian never , all what is happening between terrorest and govenments and the sacrifice is innocent and human every where for clear political reasons which is goig by dirty under table games

Shouldn't that be the philisophical ideal of xtianity since no one individual described as the xtian demi-deity existed in the first place? Mohammed in the very least was a real person with real human faults. I think this is the problem xtinas have with their demit-diety and why its so "perfect", because it was made up by man.

OK, I'm glad you replied. Now, I agree with much of what you say about the U.S. Government attacking innocent people. Attacking Iraq was wrong, and I am totally against all the innocent Iraqi and Muslim blood shed in this so called war on terrorism.

Sure, the terrorists are evil, but much of what the U.S. Government has done and does in the world is evil. In my opinion, the leaders of the U.S. are war criminals, and should be put on trial. But I also think many Arabs, whether Shiite or Sunni, who are killing innocent people, each other in Iraq, or innocent Westerners, are war criminals, even if they claim the are doing it in the name of Islam. I am against people who kill innocent people who did no harm them, and then call it just.

Now, as far the theological side.is concerned. I don't care if you believe Jesus was a God-man, or just a man, or a prophet or what. In fact, what I'm telling you is to read the Gospels of Jesus and come to your own conclusions. Don't go by what your Islamic teachers tell you. Do not go by what the Christian churches or Christians tell you. Much of what they tell you is theories made up by man. Many of these theories may be true, but many are false. The problem is they present these false theories as fact and the word of God. Christianity and Islam suffers from the same problem, teachers presenting false theories as the word of God. That is why you have to read and studying for yourself.

One of the false teachings Islam has is the Jewish and Christian Scriptures are so distorted as to be worthless, and only the Koran is reliable. This is false, and political nonsense made up by teachers. Is God really that incompetent that he gave Jews dozens and dozens of scriptures that would end up being worthless? It seems to me that is what Islam is saying. Why did God even bother giving them then? God wants you to study these scriptures, or else he wouldn't have bothered giving them.

So my main point is, where I differ from you, is Muslims think Mohamed was the greatest prophet, and I think Jesus was. I think Mohamed was sent by God to point you to Jesus, and that you should study him. But your teachers are against it. Yes, Jesus and Moses were true prophets, but your teachers don't want you studying them. Thus your teachers keep you in ignorance of a wealth of scriptures.

I think of Mohamed as the Moses of the Arab people. Just as Jesus is a greater prophet then Moses, he is a greater prophet the Mohamed. But neither the Jews nor the Arabs will accept this. But I think if you studying the teachings of Jesus it is irrefutable.The moral laws and teachings Jesus gave to live by are greater then the moral laws Moses or Mohamed gave. It is self evident if you study them.

And yes, I know that many Muslims think Jesus will come back at the end.. I had a Muslim friend where I work tell me this. And when Jesus does come, watch out, cause he's going to blow this whole corrupt world wide open.. The truly righteous will be saved, and the evil doers, whether they call themselves Christians or Muslims or Buddhists or President or Prime Minister or Dictator or King or whatever, will be exposed for the corrupt criminals they are and thrown from power.