Thanks for taking the time to express, with constructive criticism, your disagreement with a few of the statements I have made. I admire your willingness to discuss your conviction openly.

Here is my rebuttal:
I stated Ahmadinejad was “responsible for of thousands (if not millions) in the name of ‘Allah’, the god of Islam.” Although we most likely have not arrived at the estimation of ‘millions’ (hence the parenthesis), the death of thousands is certainly justifiable. It is an explicit nature of A-jad’s regime to silence opposition through the use of public stonings, hangings of political dissidents, and military crackdowns on peaceful protests and gatherings. His anti-semitic ideology and crude totalitarian views elicit violence and civil unrest not just among his countrymen, but among surrounding Islamic states as well. He has undeniably permitted the smuggling of weapons into Iraq, pro-longing the war and no doubt increasing the death toll on American military and newly constructed Iraqi government. Should he obtain nuclear weapons, we will soon arrive at a million+ death tally. To put it bluntly … an Iran with nuclear weapons is like one big-ass suicide bomber. He has repeatedly made it clear that, even at the expense of the lives of ALL Iranians, he is prepared to do the ‘will of Allah’. His view, I contend, is not a twisted or distorted understanding of Islam, but a very pure embrace of its distinct religious fundamentals.

In response to the excerpts you posted, I can only tell you this. Christianity (a word that has become heavily misused) is the belief in Christ and the words which he has spoken. He alone is the measure of all its validity. From your comments I cannot conclude that you were questioning this, but I can see that you perceive Christianity as having an influence over the ages on war criminals like Hitler. Again, when criticizing Islam, I look to its scriptures and founder, Muhammad. Should Hitler truly have been influenced by the likes of Martin Luther and Karl Lueger, I don’t think that provides valid conclusions about anything regarding the true nature of Christianity, nor does it provide any sort of analogy for what is going on in Ahmadinejad’s regime. We are arguing about true nature, correct? Nothing else is relevant. Even so, it is fallacious to say that because evildoers have once become under the influence of a particular ideology, that ideology is therefore a causative of their actions.

If you look at my first comment, in the first paragraph I stated that the belief that Al Quida, Hamas and Hezbollah were ‘fringe movements’ was false. So to say that I ‘brought them up’ as fringe movements is sort of an incorrect premise. You ask “Why do they call it RADICAL Islam my friend?” This is exactly my point. The western world does not seem to understand that groups such as Al Quida, Hamas and Hezbollah are only radical in the sense that they contrast greatly with our general perception, and not that they contrast greatly with the true nature of Islam. Most westerners are convicted that the beheading of a woman who has been raped (known as mercy killing), is morally wrong. Yet such things are encouraged in the doctrine of Islam. We can accurately call them ‘radicals’ or ‘extremists’ because their perception of morality vastly differs from that of our own.

In regard to your reference to ‘terrorist groups and militias around the world and right here in America which are steeped in Christian belief and symbolism’, I must again refer you to the basic Christian tenet that Christ is the measure of all things. Christianity holds that men are corrupt, the only exception is Christ who was God.

And finally, in response to your closing statement, that Christians should not ‘peddle fear’ to the masses, I have only this to say. In light of the wickedness of man, and the circumstance it has now created in the present day — many of us ought to be afraid. As the scriptures tell us, fear is the beginning of understanding.

Hitler may have been influenced by the writings of the ideologist and anti-Semite Lanz von Liebenfels and polemics from politicians such as Karl Lueger, founder of the CHRISTIAN SOCIAL PARTY and Mayor of Vienna.

Hitler may also have been influenced by Martin Luther’s “On the Jews and their Lies”.

In Mein Kampf, Hitler refers to Martin Luther as a great warrior, a true statesman, and a great reformer, alongside Wagner and Frederick the Great.

Wilhelm Röpke, writing after the Holocaust, concluded that “without any question, Lutheranism influenced the political, spiritual and social history of Germany in a way that, after careful consideration of everything, can be described only as fateful.”

I am not trying to be argumentative, but you also brought up ‘fringe movements’ like Al Quida, Hamas and Hezbollah. Why do they call it RADICAL Islam my friend? These groups are extreme! There are terrorist groups and militias around the world and right here in America who are steeped in Christian belief and symbolism… have you ever heard of the KKK?

Basically all I was saying is that as Christians ourselves we shouldn’t peddle fear or false statements to the masses. I may not have typed my original comment as eloquently as possible, and maybe the wording was confusing. Once again I admire this blog and I encourage you to keep up the great work and continue to tell the world the scripture. Biblical prophecy is coming to pass before our eyes… lets all be ready!

I have often heard the argument that Islam is a relatively peaceful religion, and that those responsible for terrorist attacks and government corruption in the Middle-East are just ‘fringe movements’. However, I think this is a false understanding — let me tell you why.

Keep in mind, we are talking about the religion itself and not its people. Yes, I’ll grant you that the majority of Muslims are peaceful, but where do the extremists and fringe groups like Al Quida, Hamas and Hezbollah take root? Where does this deranged obsession with the obliteration of the nation of Israel come from? History will tell us that the Jews, who have populated Jerusalem and surrounding areas for the better part of 3 millenniums, have more of a right to the slither of land which they possess than any other people group. And yet on the day it was declared Independent, the surrounding arab nations attempted invasion (another fulfillment of prophecy btw).

You will find, if you open the Qur’an, that these ‘fringe movements’ are not disobeying the will of Allah. In fact, the radicals and extremists are the most faithful to Allah; they are fulfilling the tenets of Islam which is to eradicate the unbelievers from the face of the earth. We need only look at the deeds of the father of Islam, Muhammad, to obtain a proper understanding of it. When I said Muhammad is responsible for the deaths of millions, I was speaking literally. Ignoring his conquest of Arabia and much of the known world, you can contribute a vast majority of Middle-Eastern conflicts from Islamic religious motives. And you say ‘but the Christians had the Crusades!’ But the Crusades was very much a necessary conflict NOT motivated by Christian scripture. Christ said “those who live by the sword, die by the sword”. There is absolutely no merit in the argument that the Crusades was propelled by true Christian doctrine or the teachings of Christ. I say a “necessary conflict” because it did stop the spread of Muslim conquerers in the 11th century.

I think you are in need of witnessing the Qur’an challenge:
http://www.cmscott.com/steven-crowders-the-quran-challenge/
Also, check out my “True Nature of Islam” post:
http://www.cmscott.com/the-true-nature-of-islam/

Most people who speak on behalf of the religion of Islam are not at all familiar with any of it’s fundamental teachings. The only way we can come to a verdict on the ‘peacefulness’ of such a religion is to study its doctrine and founder, the prophet Muhammad, and the fruit if its disciples. I am not willing to compromise that Islam is a peaceful religion — this stems from the biblically objective conclusion that Muhammad was in fact a false prophet. I believe that those peace loving Muslims that we see in the world are in fact backslidden, inconsistent Muslims.

You mentioned Hitler’s religion as an example of people, other than Muslims, who also use religion for terrible things. I am not sure what exactly you intended to imply. Did you intend to imply that Hitler was a Christian? If so, I will tell you clearly that he was not. During his regime, eugenicists who committed some of the most vile crimes in Nazi Germany, did so under the worldview of secular Darwinian Evolution. Hitler himself was an occultist who, inspired much by a popular novel he read while growing up in early 21st century anti-semitic Vienna, believed in a superior Aryan race which would dominate civilization. His life in Austria and early chancellorhood was influenced regularly by meetings with occulists, and at some point he even carried around with him a mandrake root. All of this is well documented. There isn’t a morsel of historical evidence that concludes Hitler was in any way inwardly or outwardly Christian.