It would appear that the mythical “moderate Muslim” is easily identified. They have no vocal chords.
Except for when they cheer after a terrorist attack.
Being a moderate Muslim is like being just a little bit pregnant....no such thing.
Indeed, as while true Christians deplore and distance themselves from serious and often bloody aberrations of Christian faith, we see little voice from "moderate Islam" against the sppsdly aberrant bloody Islam. For the reality is that due to the many exhortations to religious violence and bloody Jihad, "radical Islam" can well defend itself as being "true Islam," esp. in the light of Muhammad's application, against its moderate counterpart, if such would even contend with them on this.
At best the lack of context in the Qur'an does not provide what is needed to relegate such to merely self-defense, such as protecting innocent life, while at worse it supports ISIS type conquests, which is more in line with post-Meccan Muhammad ("the more peaceful, tolerant verses in the Qur'an tend to be earlier, reflecting Muhammad's move from leader of a peaceful minority sect at Mecca to political supremacy and conquest at Medina."ThirdWay, Sep 2005, p.11) .
After his migration to Medina, Muhammad's attitude towards Christians and Jews changed. Norman Stillman states:[8]
During this fateful time, fraught with tension after the Hijra [migration to Medina], when Muhammad encountered contradiction, ridicule and rejection from the Jewish scholars in Medina, he came to adopt a radically more negative view of the people of the Book who had received earlier scriptures. -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammad_in_Medina
The Qur'an both contradicts the earlier revelation it claims to be an extension of, and also is in contrast with the Bible, as regards the latter's extensive historical narratives and detailed legislative promulgations, and theological teachings, which provide contexts for wars as well as a clear theology which clearly does not support either the church ruling over those without, or using the sword of men to silence its theological enemies, or to execute retaliation against its physical persecutors.
Yet the state can indirectly support religion, and in fact in the US esp. it cannot help but do so as its moral laws and ideology reflected both the religious beliefs of its Founders overall, and of the people.
But such cannot mandate belief, as per theocracies and especially based upon the premise that its leaders or supreme court cannot err, in cultic faiths and "political religion.
But as "our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people,"( John Adams) and is subject to interpretation by courts, then as the people largely forsake the God of the Bible and the Spirit of Christ, then they elect mislead and deceptive souls. who in turn appoint judges who do not interpret Constitution according to what the Founder's meant, but after their own heart.
Government by the people, for the devil. Let the righteous arise instead.
They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off. (Hosea 8:4)
I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing. (Hosea 8:12)