[Jhoffa_]

I don't pretend to be a biblical scholar, but excerpted passages that I have seen from the Koran did explicitly state that religion should not be compulsory.

From this alone (admittedly) it would seem that the religious leaders are exploiting stupid followers.

Read the Old Testament lately? Imagine what you could do with that, given a simple enough audience..

[rmlew]

The Jewish Scrip;tures are particularist. The Israelites conquere one area. the Muslims are told to conquere everything.

[Mamzelle]

re:I don't pretend to be a biblical scholar, but excerpted passages that I have seen from the Koran did explicitly state that religion should not be compulsory. )))

From my own studies, I have observed that Mohammad had two faces--the early Mecca Mo who had no power and no army, who called for peace. The later Medina Mo was lopping off heads of Jews by the hundreds and running off with their women. He had an army and power.

It is a tenet of Shariya law that when you find contradictions in the Koran, you obey the latest edict.

"War is deception"----Mohammed

[Jael]

"Fight against such as those to whom the Scriptures were given [Jews and Christians]...until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued." (Surah 9:27-)

[Publius6961]

From this alone (admittedly) it would seem that the religious leaders are exploiting stupid followers.

Only if your knowledge of history is non-existent.

First of all... the "leaders" have been doing exactly that for 1400 years uninterrupted (except when they have been stomped).
And their original "leader" lived his entire life putting the lie to the "religion of peace" bit.

I judge them entirely by what they've done, not what they say.
All survivors do.

[Publius6961]

Read the Old Testament lately? Imagine what you could do with that, given a simple enough audience..

A pointless comparison.
Equivalency doesn't work here.

Haven't you noticed that no atrocities have been commited lately in the name of a Christian "God"?

[Axenolith]

I don't pretend to be a biblical scholar, but excerpted passages that I have seen from the Koran did explicitly state that religion should not be compulsory.

Abrogation is a key concept in the Quaran, if a concept spoken of earlier is contadicted by a later one the later one takes precedence. The "peaceful" passages were "revealed" during the early days of Mohammed at Mecca and after he gained strength and conquered during his exile at Medina were superceded by all the "kick ass and take names for Allah" passages...