I am sorry I missed your comment, but wanted to say congratulations on your baptism.

I can think of people who would actually tend to agree with you more than I might, because there is no doubt that the extremist language is there in Islamic texts.

What you are sensing from me is more about respecting individual space to find one’s faith. I believe in a God who is very, very personal, and who engages people right where they are as much as they want to engage Him. I believe He has given us this life to navigate these kinds of questions. I respect your right to choose where you draw your lines in the sand. I understand perhaps more than you think I do about why you do.

And yet, my line of thinking is different. I cannot speak for my church as a whole; I have no authority to do so. Don’t overgeneralize my thoughts in this post to my faith (although it looks like you already have gone in that direction without my help). That you seem to want to put us Mormons all in a box concerns me.

Suffice it to say, though, that I think it is violence of its own kind to judge and dismiss a whole group of people, no matter what basis one may think one has. History is replete with examples of terrible wrongs done with this kind of thinking.

And where much good can be done by people of many faiths joining together, I will rejoice in that.

Thank you for an accurate portrayal of what Mormons feel about Islam. Notice I said “feel”, not “think” about Islam. We humans are very susceptible to feelings. It is a bit tougher, often unpleasant, even painful to “think.”

It was helpful to hear that you separate out the “radical approaches to Islam.” By that statement you reveal that you have little understanding of orthodox Islam – Islam the way Muhammad practiced it; Islam the way the Islamic Trilogy documents it; Islam the way Muslims practiced it for centuries to justify their conquests; Islam the way most Islamic leaders today practice and promote it; and the Islam today that is best known for intolerance, terror, mistreatment of women and generally vile and satanic behavior.

Among the many Islamic doctrines that are opposite of Christian teaching is the doctrine of “taqiyya”: deception or lies to defend oneself or to defend and promote Islam. There have been many Muslims in the US that have been thought to be “moderate” who have turned out to be every bit as venomous as those we call “radicals.” Hopefully you recall the lives of the 9-11 Muslims prior to their deed. They blended in; they were your nice guys next door.

Those Muslims who you swear are as sweet as pie may or may not be who they appear to be. Deception is Islam’s best honed skill set. Islam teaches to feign friendship but to make no true friend of an infidel (you).

Studying Islam since 2001, I have gradually learned that there is no “moderate Islam.” None less than the Islamic Premier of Turkey confirmed this. Islam is Islam. There are those who appear to be a “moderate Muslim.” This “moderation may be due to their apostasy – Muslim in name only out of fear or convenience. Or “moderation” may be their practice of taqiyya to deceive to protect and defend themselves or the cause of Islam. Those Muslims we call “radicals” are in fact orthodox and devout Muslims. They practice the whole counsel of Allah and Muhammad.

Why are 98% of all vile terror attacks in the world today committed by declared Muslims killing others while shouting Allahu Akbar, in the name of Islam? Wouldn’t you say that there is something about Islam that attracts these people and condones and promotes this behavior? Indeed, hundreds of Islamic texts promote intolerance, violence against the Jew, the Christian, the “infidel”. Islam, bottom line, is a violent Fascist ideology.

I was a Mormon for several years until I realized the naive affinity Mormons have toward Islam. Mormons are generally blinded by the many similarities the two belief systems have: New revelation, prophets, persecution, and many more.

We can be nice to Muslims, but we should not be naive about their world view, belief system, and Islamic ideology.

I for one would not want to be associated with a belief system that is promoting the vast plague of psychotic behavior as Islam is in the world today. If I were a true “moderate Muslim” upset with the course that my religion has taken (actually, from its inception) then I would disavow that association. To be “moderate” in Islam, one would have to disavow half of the Qur’an and other holy books of Islam – the half that abrogate the peaceful versus. That would be like Mormons disavowing Joseph Smith.

I hope these comments elicit more “thinking” than “feeling.”

In writing this post, let us clarify that we separate out the radical approaches to Islam from the practice of individuals within and with the faith who are living good lives and doing good. Please do not misunderstand this post as validating or not being aware of radical Islamic beliefs that would include controlling or forcing anyone to choose to join or stay in the Muslim religion. Free will is a central part of our faith. Please also do not misunderstand it as believing in their faith per se. We do appreciate opportunities to look for commonalities with other religions and joining with people of good will everywhere to help care for those in need.