I don’t buy into the fact that holiness is the true nature of his character and that little else matters to him but God. That just seems bunk.

People with a minimial to no concept of grace and mercy are the worst of religious leaders and produce the most vile and murderous forms of humanity - in churches and in nations.

And people with to loose a concept of Grace and mercy are the most morally corruptive leaders and produce the most tolerant and mediocre forms of humanity - in churches and in nations.

what’s the balance?

I definitely want to get this book. I have been reading a great deal about the Islamic faith. I want to say a few things about which many are unaware.

First, the goal of the Muslims to rule the entire world began during the period just prior to the Crusades, thus the reason for the Crusades. Nothing has changed. The transfer of Palestinian land to the Israelis in 1948 only added fuel to the fire; the occupation of Saudi land in Desert Storm made things worse; the corruption of the West may be sparking more Muslims to jihad BUT none of these things in themselves have created the, what appears to be sudden, desire of the Muslims to dominate the West. The Qu’ran is quite clear - the world outside Islam must be brought into the Peaceful World of Islam by force or conversion. This is the OLD goal of Islam. And slowly but surely it is taking place. There are well over one billion Muslims in the world today, and they are spreading like wildfire through various means. In Cambodia many Arabic men move into the area, buy young girls, marry them, and produce Islamic children. In America, pregnant Saudi women fly in, have their babies in American hospitals and return home with American citizens for children. Disenfranchized New York young males are being converted in droves. These are the Islamist’s peaceful attempts at conversion. They also take up arms like in Somalia.

When I first started studying this issue, I was the politically correct “tolerant,” but now I’m VERY concerned. I still believe that we SHOULD NEVER target any individuals and feel hatred for them but love them completely. I also believe that Jesus Christ is the answer for those who embrace Islam as for all the world; HOWEVER, we must be aware of the situation; otherwise, we may one day be under the yoke of Islam when NO ONE will be allowed to worship the true God.

Finally, some great websites are as follows: The first one delineates WHY Thomas Jefferson had the Qu’ran in his library - the one on which Keith Ellison was sworn into office. And the second one will be an eye opener.

By the way per the Qu’ran and except for the Prophet Mohammed himself (whose favorite wife Aisha was only nine when they first had sex) , NO ISLAMIC MALE is allowed more than four wives, so so much for Bin Laden’s piety. And his “marriages” of a few hours do suggest a sexual issue.

http://www.wbt.com/katz/articledetail.cfm?ArticleID=5
jihadwatch.org

Another good read is Karmen Bin Laden’s autobiographical book on her marriage to Bin Laden’s brother.

introspection = weakness = France

Understanding these men and the evil deeds they performed might call for some introspection our part about things we, as in Americans, we a part of. Before anyone jumps off the handle, all I am trying to say is that if we understood some of the darker and less good moments in our own national history it might help to provide a better picture to other events.

I didn’t intend to sidetrack the main issue being discussed here, so I will try to be brief.

I believe the Bible to be the written word of God, inspired by His Spirit (literally “God-breathed”). While I believe the individuals writers wrote from different backgrounds, with different styles, I believe their writings were guided by the Holy Spirit.

Was everything Paul said in his life equally inspired? I would say no; Paul certainly had his own opinions on things, just like everyone else. In fact, in (at least) one specific instance, Paul seems to say that he is giving a personal opinion (1 Corinthians 7.10-12), but other than this, I think his writings came from God, and are binding on us.

Ultimately, this comes down to belief; I BELIEVE that the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible through dozens of different writers, rather than those men just writing what they thought was right. I wouldn’t want to base my lifestyle on just a bunch of opinions.

Just the facts.