Well of Souls Forums

The only other religious riots in a western country that come to my mind, that don't have a muslim background were in North Ireland. There were protests against certain movies or books, but nothing on that level.

Nemo wrote:At this point its important to note there is no separation of Church and State in Islam. Islamic law IS the law. It must be made the law everywhere, to all of mankind. Believers and nonbelievers alike.

This is a very important point. Islam, IIRC, became a state religion very quickly and Muhammad actually personally led armies to conquest. Nothing like that happened in Christianity until well after the leaders were dead. Christianity became a state religion much later, but Jesus and his followers themselves never became conquerors.

Suederwind wrote:The only other religious riots in a western country that come to my mind, that don't have a muslim background were in North Ireland. There were protests against certain movies or books, but nothing on that level.

I would point out that there was the entirety of The Troubles, though how much of that is purely religious and how much is nationalistic is up for discussion.

fredgiblet wrote:

Nemo wrote:At this point its important to note there is no separation of Church and State in Islam. Islamic law IS the law. It must be made the law everywhere, to all of mankind. Believers and nonbelievers alike.

This is a very important point. Islam, IIRC, became a state religion very quickly and Muhammad actually personally led armies to conquest. Nothing like that happened in Christianity until well after the leaders were dead. Christianity became a state religion much later, but Jesus and his followers themselves never became conquerors.

Even more than that. Christianity did not make itself the state religion. The Roman state co-opted the religion for its own purposes. It took a long time, but because they were blatantly misapplying Christianity in direct contradiction to its teachings that eventually came to a close. The separation of church and state in the West owes a good deal to the idea that the state, and its absolute power over others, is the dangerous, seductive, and corruptive half of the partnership.

You would have to undo the works and life of the supposed prophet to have such a reformation happen within Islam. Not likely, to say the least. The Koran says to kill anyone who tries.