I listened to a discussion on the radio the other day, where an expert on Islam, was making the point that Islam is not and has never perported to be a 'peaceful religion'. It is militant and always has been. While Jesus preached about turning the other cheek, rather than fighting for the right, much to the frustrations of many of the Jews he was preaching to, Mohammed had a far more militant approach, and Islam, therefore reflects this.
HOWEVER, the vast majority of Muslim people do feel that the violence, terrorism and torture we currently see is wrong, and certainly in Britain, they are far from silent about it. Maybe, in this country our generally more apathetic nature, is finally a good thing as it does allow Muslims who've been an intergral and accepted part of the British community for a long long time now, to be heard without fear of the consequences. It's impossible for me to say, though, since I've no experience of how Muslims fit into American society.
To extend your comparison with the Christianity of the 1500s, why do you think that that was allowed to continue. Why didn't the silent majority speak up? Well, because when people who are violent, torturous and unscrupulous are in charge, the peaceful majority are in considerable danger, as it is, without sticking their necks out even further.
Principles are all very well and good, but people with all the power, also have all the money, and the majority have to concentrate on feeding (not to mention protecting) their families, not changing the world.
Incidentally, though, you don't need to go as far as the 1500s to see Christians behaving in wholly un-Christian ways. In the UK we lived with the daily threat of horrendous terrorist attacks as a result of the conflict in Northern Ireland - Christians killing Christians for the sake of religion.
And what about the allegations of Allied troops abusing Iraqi soldiers in prison camps and on the streets? Not a very Christian way of behaving.
I'm afraid that religion will always lead SOME people to feel that they are right, and somehow better than other people....and this leads them to the misguided notion that it's right for them to harm people who do not share their religious views. Why this has to happen I don't know.
It's not Islam that I don't get, or Christianity, or even religion as a whole.....it's people.
