Hi farout,
Yes, I understand that and agree with your assessment. What I'm saying is that some practitioners of that faith, much like the christian faith aren't particularly knowledgeable in what their faith actually teaches.
I've watched several documentaries on how young brits and americans are seduced into the islamic faith and yes, at some level, there is a satisfaction of belonging to the group. Because it renounces worldliness and encourages a type of simple living that, just as when I was a kid and the hippy 'free love and peace' were what all the young and disenfranchised thought that they wanted, is what some of these youths are seeking. In my youth they joined communes and sat around thinking great philosophical thoughts about the world's problems and how to fix them.
So, while my explanation certainly doesn't cover all those who practice the faith, I think it covers a great deal of them who do claim to practice the faith, but don't really know enough about all that the faith teaches. They just like belonging to the group of people that seem to associate with them.
But yes, absolutely, I can't imagine anyone who has seen all the car bombings in Israel and the death and destruction perpetrated all over the globe by what the media wants to call the 'muslim extremists', that anyone would think that it isn't a violent faith practice. The problem is that in our effort to be appeasing to everyone we can't allow that it's actually the 'muslim extremists' who are really practicing the faith and not the side liners who are just like the pew sitters in christian fellowships.
Billy Graham and many others like him go out and teach and preach and walk and live the whole faith that the Scriptures instruct of us. So, Billy Graham is a 'christian extremist'. The good news is that becoming a 'christian extremist' means that you never kill anyone or hate anyone for that matter. You are always quick to forgive slights and hurts. You do this because that is the basic foundational message to born again believers in the christian faith as to how now shall we live.
On the other hand, if you're a 'muslim extremist' and practice everything that islam teaches that its followers should do in living out their lives, you need to carry a very big and very sharp sword because yes, you are commanded to kill those who don't believe. The 'christian extremist' prays for those who don't believe.
God bless you.
In Christ, Ted