[GT40FIED]

While it's certainly true that many muslim leaders are holding onto ideas of war against western culture, I think the idea of war against islam is still fairly well alive amongst some christians. When Bush starts saying things like god told him to attack Iraq, he sets a dangerous precident for christians everywhere. I mean...if you believe that god has personally told you to wage war you are clearly incompitent of leadership. So in some small, weird, demented way the idea of christians waring against muslims is as much alive today as it has been for years.

I think with islam you'll find just as many crazies as you will with christianity. By and large most followers of either religion are people who have their own minds and can respect diversity. However with muslims it seems a hell of a lot more prevelant that they'd commit an act of violence. Maybe it's because hostile forces occupy land they see as theirs (US vs. Iraq, Israel vs. Palestine, etc.) or maybe it's because they tend to live in hellholes and fire what have they got to lose. But christians play the god card, too. Every time an abortion clinic is bombed or a bill banning some sort of marriage is passed everyone loses...not just the people who were the targets. Violence in the name of your particular god is still violence.

And you're right...the world can be segmented into several bicameral categories like smokers and non-smokers, but that's hardly the issues of what that woman was implying. Many hardcore christians (especially evangelicals) harbor a superiority complex towards no-believers. They believe that they posssess a truth non-believers do not. Many would-be converters have talked down to me like I just didn't get it. No...I get it and I just don't agree. Talking to me like a 3 year old who isn't convinced Santa is real isn't helping. If many christians would stop talking like they have the ultimate answer and accept the possibility that I can not agree with them and still not be wrong then it would open a whole new door. Unfortunately i don't think that will ever happen.