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GBO Possum
That same Qu'ran also says to respect the people of the Torah and Bible, and people in general. Again, like I said above, it came over a period of years and reflected as such. Qu'ran Arabic is also pretty effing hard to translate properly because its written in poetic prose. Meaning like poetry you have to decipher beyond the words at face value.
The source you quoted is also a very biased source since it keeps count of Islamic terror incidence and portrays Muslims as animals. The very infidels the Qu'ran speaks of is the Quraish and other tribes that happened to be idol worshipers that made it their mission to destroy the first Muslims because they hurt their trade industry using the idols as a basis for pilgrimage. Muhammad made it a point to not attack parties not affiliated with the tribes, even if they were idol worshippers. When I said know the history behind it, that's what I mean. It's frustrating to see people ignore the Prophet for saying things like even a smile is charity, and hitting a woman with only a feather, or even take a bath when you're angry because anger is the emotion of fire. Or that the ink of the scholar is worth more than the blood of the martyr?
This is the ignorance that people today have, even Muslims. Yes he went to war, but you would too if war was brought to you. But even during war he was benevolent to his conquered foes.
Why are you speaking as if the Qu'ran is making every Muslim out to get you? That's like me saying Uncle Sam is out to get me because of the Patriot Act.
The questions that you have as an atheist are all existentialist ones. Indeed why would a deity that is creator of all this need our worship? I don't know, and neither did any of the prophets from Adam to Muhammad. But it's a question that nobody will get. Is Atheism the answer? Perhaps. I do agree that people don't need religion to enforce morals. I also agree that Atheist have caused far less misery on the world than Muslims have recently.
But people need religion, imo, to identify something with. They also want comfort to know that their deeds will be answered in some form. That their life on this Earth is not the only journey we all go on. Maybe its all hogwash, maybe its all true. Humans are truly trivial creatures. We can create amazingly complex mathematical equations, like how the Greeks, Arabs, and many others did long ago. Or we can war and destroy each other like how we hear all so often now unfortunately. I'm trivial myself. I believe in Allah and his message, but I also believe in science. I believe that the Prophet is the most perfect of men, but I also know he has made his mistakes. I believe that the best of intentions can cause more harm than good, and I also believe those with the worst of intentions can ironically cause more good than harm.
All I know is that in my heart I'm a good Muslim that's willing to shake hands and joke with others than be as murderous as the source you posted says me and my people are. All Allah asks of me is to be a good person. Not to be a martyr on the evening news, or some freedom fighter fighting Uncle Sam because he is the supposed "Great Satan".
