http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1722469

I am not Islamic, and I feel insulted by the question. I am really sorry that there are so many insentitive and short sighted people... that you or anyone had to be exposed to them.

Would'nt give it a tought. one's ignorance does not justify my toughts of it.

well all one can say that it is sad that people can not have there beliefs and be then taunted by people, it is a harsh world that we live in and some people just can not except that people are entitled to what ever religion they desire as same as people who do not accept religion ,and i find it hard to believe people can have so much hate to write such stuff ,so all i can say to you just follow your faith and really that is what matters and the rest will take care of it,s self. good luck

For the same reason you write comments like this @Theby :http://www.answerbag.com/a_view/7849138 . This too is a useful link to read: http://www.slate.com/id/2202303

Buckle down and do whats right for you, your family and friends. You have your faith, some people are lost and don't have any spiritual or moral beliefs.

Inshallah. If Allah doesn't care, why should you?

I agree that it is pretty disgusting. I am not religious but take exception to people that write such rubbage. Of course Muslims insult Christians also. As a neutral observer, I see both sides as wrong. I hope you noticed that no one supported the question and the answers were insults to the questionnaire or reasoned discussions to show how wrong the question. There is enough stupidity about religion without adding insults to the subject.

Salaam Alaikum As a former Christian and now hijabi Muslimah I get what you mean. I just avoid that area because trying to clear anything up will lead to a mob attack. I try to deal with one at a time and let them come to me or clear up trash talkers who go over to the Islamic categories. There will always be ppl who just like to insult things they have no idea about because they are ignorant and too lazy to do any research on their own.

I probably would actually

Wa, wa, wa,...If you don't like it maybe you should look at why it's happening. Maybe it's because you belong to a religion that not only condones terrorizing people but actually encourages it? I'd say that was a valid reason for harassment, wouldn't you?

If I were Islamic I would be someone else so I have no idea how the someone else would feel. Having said that I see no reason to ever insult anyone - I often don't like their way of thinking, I sometimes don't care for the way they express themselves and finally I seldom take anything as an insult from people that I don't know or respect. If I feel slighted by those whos opinion I value I try to consider it in a constructive way. +5

Alkahf18:29 Say, (It is) the truth from the Lord of you (all).Then whosoever will, let him believe, and whosoever will, let him disbelieve.

I am not a religious man, and i don't believe in going around insulting people for the sake of it. However, i do think it is important to engage with people of other political/religious/cultural viewpoints to yourself. Often it may spill over into something that people can take offence too. Islam being as it is, is the type of subject that people (on both sides) are going to get very wound up over because there has been a lot of deaths and saddness (on both sides) connected with Islam. Theby, i think if people are being controversial in what they are saying - (once again this goes both ways) they are trying to give the other person food for thought. Whether it works or not is another issue. For instance, if i said to you, that as a Muslim woman you shouldn't really be on the internet, (which if the Taliban ruled the world you wouldn't be). Would you take offence to that? I'm not trying to offend you with that statement, but it is something that i believe to be true, and that you enjoy freedoms due to you living in the West, that you wouldn't enjoy if you lived in an Islamic state, and that say if Islam eventually rules the world, women like yourself, and any other woman and possibly men too wouldn't have the freedom, and the life choices that you and i currently enjoy.

Atheists, Christians and others insult each other all the time on Answerbag. So often it's boring. Get a thicker skin or go elsewhere.

In short words it shows the person's ignorance to insult a group of people like that no matter what their religion is. But remember if by seeing such hidebound remarks you come to the conclusion that all Christians are brain washed like that then you yourself are an ignorant person as well.

Would have liked to ask the questioner what he meant. Since we are all animals, there is a sense in which the questioner is correct. Another sense is that nearly all animals are like us mammalian, so we all breed like animals in that we give birth to live young. The breeding process is also similar in the method of conception. Perhaps the questioner was making a quip although admittedly in poor taste. If it had been applied to Christians would it have been as offensive? Maybe I'll find out because I have applied it to us all including christians and myself. It is possible the questioner was themselves Islamic and merely trying to incite trouble, that couldn't be ascertained without a discourse.

In some countries you get beheaded if you insult Islam. Or if you convert to Christianity. Or you get stoned to death for being an adulterer or gay. Islamic women suffer “honor killings” by their families - even in America. On AnswerBag you can exercise free speech. You can insult anyone or any religion providing you stay within the site guidelines. That is one reason why AnswerBag is so interesting. Even if you break the guidelines you will not be stoned to death. “People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.”

Don't be insulted by an idiotic question :)

It's that sort of question that makes me glad I'm not religious, I'd be ashamed to associate myself with such a person.

KABUL – A suicide car bomber detonated his vehicle outside the Indian Embassy in the bustling center of the Afghan capital Thursday, killing 17 people in the second major attack in the city in less than a month. The Afghan Foreign Ministry hinted at Pakistani involvement — a charge Pakistan denied. The blast occurred a day after the war entered its ninth year and as President Barack Obama was deliberating a request by the top commander Gen. Stanley McChrystal for up to 40,000 more troops. Opponents of a troop increase want to shift focus to missile strikes and special operations against al-Qaida-linked groups in Pakistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack — the second against the Indian Embassy in the past two years — and specified that the Indians were the target. In New Delhi, India's Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said the driver of the sport utility vehicle "came up to the outer perimeter wall of the embassy in a car loaded with explosives." Three Indian paramilitary guards were wounded by shrapnel, Rao said. Rao did not say who the Indians believed was responsible for the attack, which occurred about 8:30 a.m. along a commercial street that is also home to the Interior Ministry. However, the Afghan Foreign Ministry said the Thursday attack "was planned and implemented from outside of Afghan borders" by the same groups responsible for the July 2008 suicide bombing at the Indian Embassy that killed more than 60 people. The ministry statement made no mention of Pakistan. However, the Afghan government blamed Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence for the 2008 bombing at the Indian Embassy as well as involvement in a string of attacks in the country. U.S. officials suspected the 2008 embassy bombing and other high profile attacks were carried out by followers of Jalaluddin Haqqani, a longtime Afghan militant leader whose forces are battling U.S. forces in eastern Afghanistan from sanctuaries in the border area of Pakistan. At U.S. urging, the Pakistani military says it's planning an offensive against extremists in the border area. In Islamabad, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abdul Basit, condemned Thursday's bombing. "Whenever terrorist activity occurs it should strengthen our resolve to eradicate and eliminate this menace," he said. Basit called allegations of a Pakistani role in the Kabul bombing "preposterous." The Taliban did not say why it targeted the Indian Embassy. India and Pakistan, archrivals since the 1947 partition of the Indian subcontinent, are competing for influence in Afghanistan among rival ethnic groups. India maintains close ties with the Tajik community, and Pakistan with the Pashtuns, who form the majority of the Taliban. Thursday's blast was the deadliest attack in Kabul since Sept. 17, when a suicide bomber killed 16 people, including six Italian soldiers and 10 Afghan civilians, on a road in the center of the capital. The Interior Ministry said 15 civilians and two Afghan police officers were killed in Thursday's blast. At least 76 people were wounded, the ministry said. President Hamid Karzai, the U.S. Embassy and the United Nations mission all condemned the attack. After months of relative calm, the Afghan capital has been shaken recently by an increasing number of suicide attacks and roadside bombings that began in the run-up to the country's disputed Aug. 20 election. The attacks usually target international military forces or government installations, but Afghan businesses and civilians are also often killed or injured. Police sealed off the area after the blast. The Indian news channel CNN-IBN cited Jayant Prasad, India's ambassador in Kabul, as saying the blast caused "extensive damage to the chancery." He said the bomb was so powerful that it blew off some of the embassy's doors and windows. The explosion also damaged a line of shops between the embassy and the Interior Ministry, shattering glass and rattling buildings more than a mile (kilometer) away. A huge brown plume of smoke was visible in the air as ambulances raced to the scene and carried away the wounded. A European police officer assigned as an adviser to the Interior Ministry and an Afghan interpreter were slightly wounded by flying glass, training spokesman Andrea Angeli said. A 21-year-old Afghan man, who gave his name only as Najibullah, said he had just opened his shop when the explosion went off, knocking him unconscious. When he awoke, he said, he couldn't see anything because of dust and debris. "Dust was everywhere. People were shouting," Najibullah said. "You couldn't see their faces because there was so much dust." His white clothes were covered in blood after helping load four injured onto ambulances. AP Television News footage showed local residents and soldiers pulling a charred, severed leg out of a destroyed vehicle. Others carried an apparently lifeless body on a stretcher to an ambulance. On another stretcher, a man lay face down, one arm hanging downward, his left leg covered in blood. Two United Nations vehicles were near the blast and one was badly damaged, spokesman Dan McNorton confirmed. Both vehicles had only a driver inside, and neither was wounded. The U.N. typically uses armored vehicles in Kabul that are designed to withstand such attacks. One injured man said the force of the explosion threw him into the air. Mohammad Arif said he was leaving the embassy when the blast tossed him against a concrete barrier. The left side of his head was bleeding as he spoke. Separately Thursday, French Defense Minister Herve Morin announced the death of a French marine killed in an IED attack on Sept. 4.

Direct quotes from the Quran: ANNOUNCE PAINFUL PUNISHMENT TO THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE (9:3) O Prophet! urge the believers to war; if there are twenty patient ones of you they shall overcome two hundred... (8:65) Surely the vilest of animals in Allah's sight are those who disbelieve (8:55) And fight with them until there is no more persecution and religion should be only for Allah (8:39) When the sacred months have passed away, THEN SLAY THE IDOLATERS WHEREVER YOU FIND THEM, AND TAKE THEM CAPTIVES AND BESIEGE THEM AND LIE IN WAIT FOR THEM IN EVERY AMBUSH, then if they repent and keep up prayer [become believers] and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them (9:5) And if they intend to act unfaithfully towards you, so indeed they acted unfaithfully towards Allah before, but He GAVE YOU MASTERY OVER THEM (8:71) FIGHT THEM: ALLAH WILL PUNISH THEM BY YOUR HANDS AND BRING THEM TO DISGRACE, AND ASSIST YOU AGAINST THEM. (9:14) FIGHT THOSE WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN ALLAH, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Messenger have prohibited, NOR FOLLOW THE RELIGION OF TRUTH, OUT OF THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN GIVEN THE BOOK [Christians and Jews], until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and THEY ARE IN A STATE OF SUBJECTION. (9:29) O Prophet! strive hard against the unbelievers and the hypocrites and be unyielding to them; and their abode is hell, and evil is the destination. (9:73) O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil). (9:123) I WILL CAST TERROR INTO THE HEARTS OF THOSE WHO DISBELIEVE. THEREFORE STRIKE OFF THEIR HEADS AND STRIKE OFF EVERY FINGERTIP OF THEM. THIS IS BECAUSE THEY ACTED ADVERSELY TO ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER; AND WHOEVER ACTS ADVERSELY TO ALLAH AND HIS MESSENGER - THEN SURELY ALLAH IS SEVERE IN REQUITING (EVIL). THIS - TASTE IT, AND (KNOW) THAT FOR THE UNBELIEVERS IS THE PUNISHMENT OF FIRE. O you who believe! When you meet those who disbelieve marching for war, then turn not your backs to them. And whoever shall turn his back to them on that day - unless he turn aside for the sake of fighting or withdraws to a company - then he, indeed, becomes deserving of Allah's wrath, and his abode is hell; and an evil destination shall it be. So you did not slay them, but it was Allah Who slew them and you did not smite when you smote (the enemy) but it was Allah Who smote, and that He might confer upon the believers a good gift from Himself; (8:12-17) And that you should judge between them by what Allah has revealed, and do not follow their low desires, and be cautious of them, lest they seduce you from part of what Allah has revealed to you; but if they turn back, then know that Allah desires to afflict them on account of some of their faults; and most surely many of the people are transgressors. Is it then the judgment of the times of ignorance that they desire: and who is better than Allah to judge for a people who are sure? O YOU WHO BELIEVE! DO NOT TAKE THE JEWS AND THE CHRISTIANS FOR FRIENDS; THEY ARE FRIENDS OF EACH OTHER; AND WHOEVER AMONGST YOU TAKES THEM FOR A FRIEND, THEN SURELY HE IS ONE OF THEM; SURELY ALLAH DOES NOT GUIDE THE UNJUST PEOPLE. (5:49-51) The punishment of those who pit themselves against Allah and His Messenger and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement, except those who repent before you have them in your power (5:33-34) Believe therefore in Allah and His apostles, and say not, Three. Desist, it is better for you; Allah is only one god: far be it from his glory that He should have a son. (4:171) What is the matter with you, then, that you have become two parties about the hypocrites, while Allah has made them return (to unbelief) for what they have earned? Do you wish to guide him whom Allah has caused to err? And whomsoever Allah causes to err, you shall by no means find a way for him. THEY DESIRE THAT YOU SHOULD DISBELIEVE AS THEY HAVE DISBELIEVED, SO THAT YOU MIGHT BE ALL ALIKE; THEREFORE TAKE NOT FROM AMONG THEM FRIENDS UNTIL THEY FLY THEIR HOMES IN ALLAH'S WAY; BUT IF THEY TURN BACK, THEN SEIZE THEM AND KILL THEM WHEREVER YOU FIND THEM, AND TAKE NOT FROM AMONG THEM A FRIEND OR A HELPER. (4:89) As for those who disbelieve in Our communications, We shall make them enter fire; so oft as their skins are thoroughly burned, We will change them for other skins, that they may taste the punishment (4:56) Surely they who disbelieve in the communications of Allah - they shall have a severe punishment; and Allah is Mighty, the lord of retribution. (3:4) Allah 's Apostle said, " I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' and whoever says, None has the right to be worshipped but Allah,' his life and property will be saved by me except for Islamic law, and his accounts will be with Allah, (either to punish him or to forgive him.)" (Hadith 4:52:196) Allah's Apostles said, "When a slave (of Allah) commits illegal sexual intercourse, he is not a believer at the time of committing it; and if he steals, he is not a believer at the time of stealing; and if he drinks an alcoholic drink, when he is not a believer at the time of drinking it; and he is not a believer when he commits a murder," 'Ikrima said: I asked Ibn Abbas, "How is faith taken away from him?" He said, Like this," by clasping his hands and then separating them, and added, "But if he repents, faith returns to him like this, by clasping his hands again. (Hadith 8:82:800e:) [So, with the clap of a hand, they can do whatever they want?] The Prophet said, "The one who commits an illegal sexual intercourse is not a believer at the time of committing illegal sexual intercourse and a thief is not a believer at the time of committing theft and a drinker of alcoholic drink is not a believer at the time of drinking. Yet, (the gate of) repentance is open thereafter." (Hadith 8:82:801) (Isolated incident) ...then prostrated himself, and all who were with him prostrated too. But an old man took a handful of dust and touched his forehead with it saying, "This is sufficient for me." Later on I saw him killed as an infidel. (Hadith 5:59:311) [yes the Jews and Muslims are both descendents of Abraham, but here is the attitude towards descendants of Abraham through Isaac (the Jews]: "If they find you, they will be your enemies, and will stretch forth towards you their hands and their tongues with evil, and they ardently desire that you may disbelieve. Your relationship would not profit you, nor your children, on the day of resurrection; He will decide between you; and Allah sees what you do. Indeed, there is for you a good example in Abraham and those with him when they said to their people: Surely we are clear of you and of what you serve besides Allah; WE DECLARE OURSELVES TO BE CLEAR OF YOU, AND ENMITY AND HATRED HAVE APPEARED BETWEEN US AND YOU FOREVER UNTIL YOU BELIEVE IN ALLAH ALONE (60:2-4) Contrast that with what Jesus said: "But I say to you, love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. Be merciful as your Father is merciful. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." Jesus, SON of God See What about the Old Testament? and What about the Crusades? Again, Mohammad first went to the Jews as a prophet, writing of peace; was rejected. Mohammad then went to the Christians claiming to be a prophet and wrote peace; was rejected. Mohammad went back to his own people and was rejected until he (for a short time) said Allah allowed them to worship Allah's daughters. Mohammad then began to slaughter unbelievers and masterminded over 60 massacres, and the Quran changed dramatically to hate, that is why there are so many contradictions. That is also why there are so many familiar phrases and precepts between the religions. Mohammad appeared on the scene over 600 years after Jesus was resurrected, he tried to claim to be a prophet, though illiterate, he knew the scriptures of the Bible well. But "Allah" is certainly NOT the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The characters are exactly opposite! In fact the Hebrew phonetic word Allah (aw-law) means to lament, mourn and curse. (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance #421, 422, 423) Hate Muslims? NO! Jesus would never have advocated hating anybody! But should we insist our children "assume you are a Muslim soldier" about to conquer a nation? Should they memorize the tenants of Islam, repeat the words, pray to Allah, build Mosques, imagine they are Muslim and write what they like about it? NO!!! And at the same time, school textbooks claim that the Old Testament prophets could not tell the future (yes they could when God revealed it to them countless times!). Additionally, the textbooks actually teach that the Israelites only accepted what the prophets told them so they could explain away the disasters they went through! "Across the Centuries" and "Message of Ancient Days" claim the religion of Islam is truth, (beliefs are given as fact) and that Judeo-Christian beliefs are false. Public schools INSIST our children learn this. WHERE ARE OUR RELIGIOUS FREEDOMS??? Back to BlessedCause Home

At least Christians and Muslems believe in God. I would worry more about being insulted by a non-believer, an athiest or an agnostic.

There are insults both ways, between Christians and atheists, etc; it's just that the loudmouths get all the attention. It can get tiring and a little disheartening, but respond with love for hate - send prayers & blessings their way.

Listen, Islam is the most woman-hating religion on earth. In moslem countries, you force 16-year-old girls to marry 45-year-old men; you force women to cover their entire bodies or you punish them with beatings; rape is practically legal and you believe that men should have multiple wives and all that other kind of crap. Dude, I'm sorry, but I have no respect for your abusive and sadistic religion and I think that when it comes to insults, it's the least of what you deserve! I have 0 sympathy for you, when it comes to people criticizing you, YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU HAVE!!!

Its called free democratic choice and there are no sectarian categorys on Answerbag, so Abers of any religious persuasion and those who do not believe can reply and comment to air their views on the topic in question.

Why am I so rude about Islam? I thought I'd explain why I'm being so offensive about Islam. Here are my reasons: 1) I've read the Qur'an and many of the ahadith. And what I see is a viciously oppressive ideology that stifles progress and individual freedoms. It enables those that would abuse power to abuse absolutely and those that follow to follow without a shred of thought. The result is the horrific trampling of individual rights and liberties. The result is unthinking brutality. Now, the two main arguments people make against my understanding of Islamare these. First, because I have read a translation I have not read the Qur'an. I think that's bullshit. I've read quite a lot of books in multiple languages. I would absolutely agree that whilst the poetry of Shakespeare does not translate completely between English and Spanish that the meaning does. Similarly whilst some of the poetry of the Qur'an may not translate I'm damn sure that the meaning does. Arabic is not some secret code of hidden meanings absent from all other human thought. Perhaps the poetry of it makes it sound more beautiful and thus more effective as a brainwashing tool upon Arabic speakers, but the meaning of it shines through in English and those parts which come from later in Muhammad’s life are barbaric. I've shared a number of conversations with some friends of mine who have Arabic as their first language and they tend to agree that my understanding is pretty good. The meaning is not lost in translation. The second argument apologists use to attempt to undermine criticism is that I am not an Islamic scholar. This argument is also pure bullshit and to suggest it isn't is actually blasphemy on their part because the Qur'an describes itself as a clear and complete book. By its own definition it needs no explanation and no scholars. To say otherwise is to speak against the Qur'an. So having familiarised myself with Islamic ideology I can say that I am being offensive to it because I am offended by it. It's primitive, barbaric, stupid and unpleasant and the world would be a better place if people were better people by not drowning out the clarity of their own thoughts with this vile nonsense. 2) Muslims need to face criticism and insult to their faith. In the not so distant past saying something against the Church or Jesus could quite easily get you killed. Just saying "I don't believe" was enough to face torture and execution. Christians like to pretend that this was a dark error in the past but the fact is that all of the nastiness of Christian history wasn't an accident; it was actually based on the Bible itself and excerpts such as this: New Testament, Luke 19:27, Jesus says "But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me." Freedom to insult a religion goes hand in hand with freedom of religion and freedom to disagree and question. You can't just draw a line and say "You can't insult religion" because there is no line that determines when disagreeing with the scripture is insult or valid questioning of existing interpretation. If you remove the right to insult by trying to draw that line the line will tend to gravitate closer and closer to the line of the scripture. That means bloodshed and oppression, even in Christianity, because fundamentalist views come from far more barberous times than ours. If Islam is going to learn to modernise then it needs to be insulted and the faithful need to learn that they can't draw lines any more. This is a key principle of human freedom. 3) Why shouldn't I insult those that kill based on nothing at all? As far as I'm concerned anybody that believes that a bunch of ignorant peasants from many centuries ago have provided the ultimate truth of life, the universe and everything is certainly lacking critical facilities in their thinking. This ancient wisdom comes from people that didn't even know why there was night and day. They thought illnesses were caused by demonic possessions and that teh sun was dragged across the sky. There is something very wrong with modern people that believe these ignorant ancients knew the ultimate truth. They are simply mad. Maybe they are not mad in many other aspects of their life. Maybe they are quite capable in a number of skills, have average or high IQ's and could whip my arse in a number of intellectual challenges, but there is certainly something very wrong with their thinking if they accept faith as a justification to ignore fact. If they are prepared to elevate that faith as a reason to commit violence or oppress people then they are not just stupid they are criminally insane. And they are dangerous. To bow down to their oppression is unacceptable to me. Years ago, when I was at school we had some bullies and it was always my policy to never submit. I got punched quite a few times for that policy, but in the end that policy worked for me. The bullies learned that I'd never submit to them so they would have to fight and that even if they hit me then they were absolutely certainly going to get hit back, evenif I had to go and find them to return the punch the next day. Violence or the threat of violence will never equate to justification to change my thinking. My thinking is based on fact and understanding, not threats. So when a bunch of hot blooded jihadis start foaming at the mouth, killing and threatening to kill if we don't respect their madness and submit to it, my answer is clear, concise and immediate - fuck you! Bring it on. Even with the knife to my throat I will not respect them or their beliefs. And the stronger they get with their threats the stronger my resolve will be to stand against them. 4) Islamists have no sense of perspective. With them it's "our way or we'll cover the highway with your blood by cutting off your head". They are not reasonable. Their beliefs prevent reason. A good example of this is the Hamas covenant which states that dialogue cannot be accepted as a means to reach its objectives and that only violent Jihad is acceptable. So if constructive dialogue is useless and the inevitability even of trying to make peace with them is war then I don't see any reason to pretend to respect them - I don't. I don't respect their beliefs, I don't respect their methods and I don't respect their goals. 5) Islamists are deeply offensive Deadly so, in fact. But what about offending the moderate Muslims? Tough shit I'm afraid. That's what freedom means - people that don't share your beliefs don’t have to respect them so long as they obey the rest of the laws that govern their interactions with you.

I don't see any link. To me, avoiding insults is generally a good thing, but it's not the most important thing. There are occasions where an insult may be exactly what is needed, and I don't make a hard-and-fast rule about that. The problem with religion in general is that the discussion tolerates a low respect for truth. "Everybody is entitled to their beliefs" is a valid statement from a human rights standpoint, but there's not much point in discussing theology or philosophy unless the driving value is a quest for truth -- and truth is a somewhat unforgiving animal. It really doesn't care about anybody's feelings. So my point is... if you're going to get into a public conversation about religion, toughen up: chances are good that you believe some things that are just plain false, and if you can't face that you're better off staying out of the melee. The world is happy to let you mind your own business if that's what you really want to do. Out here on these streets, the cars do not have soft rubber bumpers.

I am an atheist and I never go to any category. I just answer questions as they come up to the best of my knowledge, opinion and humor, all of which fail me now and again. . When a question is labeled 'Christians only' I generally don't answer it. And yet sometimes I do - public forum and all. . If I were Islamic I would likely be offended. . Unless I was specifically Mullah Krekar of Scandinavia who was quoted as saying, "Just look at the development within Europe, where the number of Muslims is expanding like mosquitoes. Every western woman in the EU is producing an average of 1.4 children. Every Muslim woman in the same countries is producing 3.5 children." . 'Replacement rate' for a population is two children (actually two and a percentage to make up for people, including children, who die unusually early). Having less than two means that your population will shrink over time. Having more than two-point-whatever-it-was (2.3 maybe) means your population will grow. . His point was that Europe would eventually BE Muslim. Which was likely the point of the poster on the thread you linked to as well. . Did you ever respond to his question which is clearly, why do Muslim couples have so many kids?

Arwa Tiny Voices Defy Child Marriage in Yemen JIBLA, Yemen - Arwa Abdu Muhammad Ali walked out of her husband's house here and ran to a local hospital, where she complained that he had been beating and sexually abusing her for eight months. Arwa was 9 years old. 10-year-old named Nujood Ali had gone by herself to a courthouse to demand a divorce, generating a landmark legal case...The average age of marriage in Yemen's rural areas is 12 to 13, a recent study by Sana University researchers found. The country, at the southern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world... "Her father, Ali Muhammad al-Ahdal, said he had agreed to the marriage because two of Nujood's older sisters had been kidnapped and forcibly married, with one of them ending up in jail. Mr. Ahdal said he had feared the same thing would happen to Nujood, and early marriage had seemed a better alternative..." The New York Times (June 29, 2008) broke this sick story, and in its usual political correctness blamed it on poverty. They claim there are efforts to reform these practices, but there is little evidence of it. The problem being not poverty, because the same thing goes on in wealthy Saudi Arabia, but in Muslim culture and the reverence of Mohammed. The husband (who was 30) and the father of this child were supposed to be jailed. According to Muslim tradition: "The Prophet used to visit all his wives in a round, during the day and night and they were eleven in number." I asked Anas, "Had the Prophet the strength for it?" Anas replied, "We used to say that the Prophet was given the strength of thirty (men)." And Sa'id said on the authority of Qatada that Anas had told him about nine wives only (not eleven)." [Bukhari.1:268] When she was 6, Muhammad asked Abu Bakr, Aisha's father, for her hand. Abu Bakr thought it was improper, because, as he said "I am your brother"; Muhammad brushed aside Abu Bakr's reservation by saying that it was perfectly lawful for him to marry Aisha [ Ref: SAHIH BUKHAR I7:18].(He waited three years.) ...So, Aisha was betrothed to Muhammad, and 3 years later, (when Aisha was 9), the marriage was consummated. And Muhammad was 53 then [SAHIH BUKHARI 5:236,7:64,7:65,7:88] Aisha became Muhammad's favourite wife. Later, Aisha was to be called the "mother of believers."

Of course. No body wants to be insulted or judged negatively because of something they have no control over. Would Christians want to be insulted about the Spanish Inquisition? I don't think so, in fact I bet they'd get defensive.

Theby I'm sorry about all the insults to your religion, ( or anyone's religion here at Answerbag, ). Why people can't keep their ignorance under check here at this international public forum is totally beyond my understanding. Just keep in mind that most folks here are cool - and try to tune out the few ignorant idiots who just can't seem to behave themselves in public. Look at me - I'm an Atheist and I'm totally cool with whatever religious belief system you think that works for you...that's your business and not mine - still, if somebody asks me about religion - any religion - I will give my opinion on it. I do so not to hurt or anger anyone - but only as my honest opinion about what I think about the subject. Anyway - ignore the idiots who insult you because they know no better than to act foolish in public - and try to enjoy those who may have an opinion different then yours but still respect you opinions as well. Have a good one.

I am Christian, and I rarely go to the Islam category. I dont know that much about Islam to criticize or even discuss the religion. I certainly have my opinions, but they are media based and probably not true for all people.