http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/the-meaning-of-the-koran/?ref=opinion
The article by Mr. Wright is a plea for interfaith piece based on solid principles of religious text and modern thinking. I appreciate his plea for peace, a goal we, liberals, strive for. However, I feel compelled by this article to read the Torah, Christian Bible, and Koran, and make my own judgements. Biased (as always), I know the foundation of the Abrahamic religions to be Judaism, my cultural identity and religion (if you must). The ideal end to Islam is heaven, but ultimately a Jihad in which all non-believers are massacred or converted. Even worse, the Christian ideal is of a second coming, where the apocalypse calls for the damned to be forever imprisoned in hell. This is, of course, proceeded by the non-believers being massacred. I don't believe converting is plan B for those who like their lives. Judaism, however, says the ideal end is when our spirits are brought from heaven to Earth. Where the nations aren't forced to convert or die, but instead see the Truth, and live harmoniously. Call me a hippie, but I'm all for the peace and love; Call me a Jew, because I think my religion has the better and more happy ending. [I'll get all the religious text-based quotes for you in a bit]. I like to look at the "end of it all, what is life worth" bit. The Koran is peaceful, at times, just like the Christian Bible and Torah. All the three texts, also, share bloodshed and dark passages, which, to say the least, are quite grim. But, again, I always liked a "happily ever after ending." Maybe this article shouldn't have focused so much on liberal-religious thought, and instead of been a more conservative piece, in which true understanding could derive.
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