The Right Spin

Steal something from Dean's blog. I am completely devoid of any original ideas right now so, when I need something good, I can always depend on Dean.

So, he has this interesting post up on the whole Muslim "kill the infidel" thingy. I know that in the circles I travel that most people in them think the Koran pretty much states its okay to do this. 9/11 didn't do too much to change this perception. Likewise there were always Muslims who protested saying that the Koran doesn't say anything like that.

What's my opinion? I don't really have one. It's nigh impossible to find an English translation of the Koran and what is available I find suspect. A metric butt ton of textual criticism has been done to the Bible but the same simply cannot be said of the Koran. So, a lot of what I've seen thus far seems to be either overly hostile or overly favorable to the text. Heck, I don't like books that are overly favorable to the Bible to the point that they don't give differing views (like the JEPD/Mosaic authorship of the Torah) the serious time they deserve.

I do, however, trust Dean enough to believe him when he states he feels that the Koran doesn't endorse the killing of said infidels. But, as I said, I'll hold off my own verdict until I can get a reliable English copy of the Koran.

With all that said Dean has several links from a Koranic scholar that supports his view. Should be good reading. I also share the feelings Dean expressed with:

...I will take the word of practicing muslims about their faith over the word of members of competing faiths...

I share this feeling in regard to other faiths and my own. So, when some uppity know-it-all tries to throw Biblical verses at me to attack my position on an issue I take it with a boulder sized grain of salt. Who are they to tell me what my faith really means? So those of you why try that trick with me, consider yourself warned. Unless you're a practicing member of the faith don't pull that crap with me because it will only give me cause to suspect your opinions even further. Tell me what you believe, not what I should believe.

Here Dean seems to think I attacked him personally in regard to his feelings about Islam endorsing the killings of "infidels". I'm pretty damn sure I didn't but, I could be blind. I thought I was being quite fair overall but... hell if I know. I posted more of my feelings on Dean's blog because I consider Dean a friend and thought I'd spill more there.