It is also interesting that socialism could be invented far after the Irish conflict, but later grafted in.

My point has been that the core of Christian teaching doesn’t really support those actions.

That is the modern view.

I'm not even sure what to make of the third statement. If you mean killing the girls into Islam is not a good recruitment technique, I would agree. If you meant something else you would have to explaining. (I don't think killing people into Christianity is a good recruitment technique either. if thats what you meant.)

The question might be how to encourage the growth of moderate Islam (hopefully already a good base).

I don't think "killing them into it" is a good way to go, for the reasons I've already stated.

If this is really what we have with in the Mid-east and around the world with the Islam religion. That a minor are misinterpreting the core teachings of Islam, then overall there shouldn't be a long term holy war. (at least not due to the religion itself). If the bulk of the Moslem's have a core value that its alright to kill infidels, then more than just a small number could "return" to these values.

Anderson stated that the Koran doesn't support the terrorists actions. That is along the line of my understanding of the Koran, (which I am no scholar or) but I would like hear other views from different view points. Moslems seem to weigh heavily the teachings of Mohammad as well. My understanding is that part of these contain the teachings concerning jihads and the right to kill infidels (non-moslems). I would be very interested in hearing more views on the teachings concerning this area.

how many centuries has it been since Christians have killed innocents in the name of their religion?

Jim Jones, 1978.

Three schoolgirls were beheaded by terrorists and a fourth is in critical condition in Indonesia because they were Christians. The girls were walking to school when they were attacked. This is the lowest of the low. I think the only...

You have a valid point, Anderson, but how many centuries has it been since Christians have killed innocents in the name of their religion?

Odo mentions Northern Ireland, which seems a pretty obvious example.

But I'm not quite sure what this argument proves. "Christians used to be murderous too, but fortunately there aren't many real Christians any more"?

Or "Christians used to be murderous too, but we've stopped, so everybody else needs to stop too"?

Or "happily, we in the West no longer take our religious beliefs seriously enough to kill people for them"?

Pick one or supply your own, & we can discuss.

Or we could save the effort and agree that the bastards who killed these little girls were no more "religiously" motivated than was Lynndie England (not a murderess, natch).

I was working with her as GWB started on the path that took us to Iraq II. She observed, and I had to agree, that we were heading toward the Israeli model.

If we get into a situation where we just stubbornly kill each other, there is not an easy exit. The situation can become stable.

I tried to explain this to some folks before the invasion and at least one person asnwered "so?"

He was so angry, post 9/11, so irrational, that he was willing to sign on to permanent war as a result.

These beheaders are very bad people. They should be caught, and tried, according to the law of that land. But again, when we spin it up and respond to it as religous war we sign on to an all to human cycle - you kill me, i kill you, repeat.

"Nothing a little more peace, love, and understanding wouldn't cure."

Second, I live in proximity to what I've heard is the largest arab, and presumably Moslem, population outside of the middle east. The people I've known and worked with from Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, and Iraq are every bit as peaceful as any Christian's I've known. But I do wonder where things will end if Moslems revert back to their core beliefs. If this results in "live peacefully with all" then we don't have a problem. If this result in "live peacefully with all, except you'll be rewarded for killing infidels (i.e. non-moslim)" then I see a problem.