To add some perspective to the discussion around my last post about dealing with religious bigotry, I’d like to cite the example we see around Temple Square during recent General Conferences. There we have street preachers deliberately trying to provoke faith LDS people as they go to their religious service. One can encounter shouting, taunting, the occasional waving of LDS garments, and other forms of mockery. The response of most LDS people was exemplary: ignoring it, walking away, or polite discourse. Some gathered around to sing hymns to compensate for the unsettling hostility of the street preachers. But there were no riots and, as far as I know, no physical assaults on the agitators. I think that’s how most religious people are, including my Muslim friends who are pained by the mockery of their religion but appalled at the agitators who have stirred others up into committing hateful acts of their own.
I’m against hateful speech and hateful expressions meant to offend, but feel it is best to not overreact and not impose laws that could limit all unpopular discourse some day.
My thanks to the good example of LDS people who refuse to be riled by snarling buffoons claiming to be ministers of God. (Oops – better find me a lawyer quick.)
Here’s a relevant article from ReligionNewsBlog.com:
http://www.religionnewsblog.com/html/4805-.html
There was one “assault”, I seem to recall. One noble soul (Polynesian, I believe) attempted to remove the desecrated temple garment from ignorant gentleman who was making a fool of himself. A minor tussle ensued, and an assault charge was filed. I don’t recall what became of it. (Any judge worth $0.02 would have thrown it out…)
This is more or less on topic. Yesterday I received a link to a book about Muhammed, download at http://www.prophetofdoom.net. The author says all his information came directly from Quran.
It’s very hard to read; I managed parts of a couple of chapters. Some of it reminds me of some of the stuff about Prophet Joseph, except far worse. I’d like to hear opinions: if someone has read any of it, it would be interesting to hear your take on it.
It troubles me that it may be bogus. Then I think of “By their fruits…” and if it’s true, then the fruits of Muhammed are not fit for consumption. It’s actually somewhat interesting, but I’d hate to be deceived, one way or the other. I’ll read further whenever I can get the will to do so; it’s very painful. I hope I’m making some sort of sense here.
G.
Why identify?
Granny,
Give the Quran and Muslims the benefit of the doubt and get your information directly from the Quran, before reading a commentary on the Quran.
After all, we would like people to read the Book of Mormon for themselves, and not start out with anti-mormon commentaries on the Book of Mormon.
There is some violent-sounding stuff in the Quran, but some might say it’s not more violent than some of the Old Testament where Moses and Joshua told the Israelites to utterly wipe out (kill) the Canaanites, or the stuff in Kings and Chronicles where King David wiped out people.
As far as doctrine, I’ve been told by an LDS member who has taught Muslims and helped bring some of them unto Christ, that there is little to nothing in the Quran that a Muslim has to give up in order to be a believing member of our church.
Thanks, Books. I had already determined not to read any more of that awfulness because it does sound so much like the anti-stuff we all love. It caught me off-guard, for sure. I’ll be deleting all the files for the book, and I’m sure my computer will breathe a sigh of relief with me. Thanks for caring.
BTW, though off-topic and perhaps unimpressive to many of those who post here, I just finished posting my first blog page! Never thought I’d ever want to do it. What fun!