Ibn Warraq quotes John Locke: "no man can, if he would, conform his faith to the dictates of another. All the life and power of true religion consists in the inward and full persuasion of the mind; and faith is not faith without believing."

The key there is "true religion." There are many who gladly settle for the outward religious form. In the words of John Milton, "A wealthy man, addicted to his pleasure and his profits, finds religion to be a traffic so entangled and of so many piddling accounts that of all mysteries he cannot skill to keep a stock going in that trade...he therefore resolves to give over toiling and to find himself some factor to whose care he may commit the whole managing of his religious affairs,..To him he adheres and resigns the whole warehouse of his religion with all the locks and keys into his custody...So a man may say his religion is now no more within himself, but is become a dividual movable...his religion frequents his house,...is liberally supped and sumptuously laid to sleep, rises is saluted and well breakfasted...his religion walks abroad at eight and leaves his kind entertainer to the shop trading all day without his religion."

In a sense, Islam�may be seen as�a protest against the intricacy and especially the moral demands of the more advanced religions, Judaism and Christianity, against which it was constructed. Many times, I have heard Muslims say, "Islam is easy."

Wonderful article, Mr. Warraq, and right to the point: "As we were saying yesterday," as we have always said,"Fe que no duda es fe muerta". I think that that is from la Agonia del Cristianismo by Unamuno, but I'll stand corrected if memory has failed me. However, it seems apposite here.

Thank-you for a succinct summation.

Oh, by the way, I laughed!