In a largely christian country like the United States, the term "christian" itself can generally be used to describe "just" and "decent" behavior. When someone is "unchristian" that generally implies he/she was being cruel or unsympathetic to his/her fellow citizen. In an ideal world I would like to think of the term "islamic" as meaning something similar in other societies.
Islamic should mean "peaceful" perhaps also "just" maybe even "decent". So if in an islamic society ones behavior is "islamic" you could say that it is analagous to "christian" behavior in a christian society. I think that violence should be considered "unislamic" and "unchristian" in our respective societies.
There are examples of imposing religious thought using violent means in either religion's past. Mention "the inquisition" or a phrase like "the alcoran or the sword". Each faithful imagines one's own beliefs as right and blameless and others as wrong and punishable. Who is the infidel? Is it the protestant to a catholic? Is it the sunni to the shiite?
I propose everyone is faithful and an infidel at times. We have these great religions. Why do we not use them for good or abandon them entirely for something much more healthy for mankind than killing and fighting.
=sw
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