I need your opinion.
I need your opinion.
What if the Muslims who are peaceful are the ones who cherry-picked the Quran? Most of the peaceful verses come from the time when Muhammad was preaching in Mecca to a small number of followers and they were completely outnumbered by the Pagans. When he moved to Medina, he was able to gain a large following and he could finally wage war. When two commands in the Quran contradict one another, the command that was revealed later in time is the one that still applies, while the other is abrogated. It just so happens that these later verses were revealed when Muhammad was in a position of power.If you look at a lot of the extreme fundamentalists of Islam - ISIS, Taliban, Boko Haram you will find they have cherrypicked much of the Qur'an to suit their extreme views and also to make Shari'a law much more strict to attack those who they believe should be kept quiet.
What if the Muslims who are peaceful are the ones who cherry-picked the Quran? Most of the peaceful verses come from the time when Muhammad was preaching in Mecca to a small number of followers and they were completely outnumbered by the Pagans. When he moved to Medina, he was able to gain a large following and he could finally wage war. When two commands in the Quran contradict one another, the command that was revealed later in time is the one that still applies, while the other is abrogated. It just so happens that these later verses were revealed when Muhammad was in a position of power.
As I understand it, Muslims themselves disagree on who best represents the teachings of Islam, much in the way that a Catholic, a Presbyterian, and a Jehovah's Witness might disagree about who best represents the teachings of Jesus.Real pure Muslims are Salafis which make up the Jihadist Muslims.
Real pure Muslims are Salafis which make up the Jihadist Muslims.
Salafis follow the Quran in a strict textual interpretation and follow the Quran Hadith and sunnah of Mohammed and his companions down to the very letters. Which is why they are so violent and intolerant these are the same type of Muslims as Saudi Arabia and Isis.It seems to me that if there is a "real" follower of any religion then the reality and receptiveness of the god being worshiped is what makes it real.
You are Eastern Orthodox and their claim to authenticity is very similar of the Salafis. Both groups claim that any change from the earliest practices and beliefs must be heresy. Maybe the earliest form was not ideal, or maybe the ideal form changes with time, or maybe there are many acceptable forms of religions (many paths to God).