Thank you for this great article.  Everything you wrote sums up Islam and thus proves to many of us that we were correct all along.... Islam is a cult and those who join the cult comment heinous acts in the name of their belief, but no true religion would condone such acts or senseless behavior.

Islam isn't a religion, but the fact that people think it is has enabled it to survive and grow in the West. We didn't take in lots of Communists during the Cold War, because it was recognised that Communism was hostile. It will be some time before people see beyond the superficial trappings of religion and realise that Islam is a hostile ideology too.

It's surprise me to hear from someone who pretend that she studied Islam for years and at the end to come up with something that never existed in Islam.Our religion is more older than you.1400 years, not dated yesterday.One billion and a half  who adore this religion including me.We are not going to wait for someone who  has no knowledge whatsoever about our religion to come and teach us.Your husband doesn't know his left hand from his right and the as you  to tell us that islam is not a religion.Do a favor  for yourself and stop bothering yourself and sticking your nose in something that you will never understand.Have a peaceful night.

Dear Karim,

Whining and stamping one's feet do not an argument make. Please return when you have something to say.

Whether or not it is a religion, your points of what it contributes to society are undisputed.  These facts are the very reason why Islam can be touted in schools, built up by principalities, and honored by POTUS.  It is a dangerous web we weave.  Outstanding article!

Dear Karim,

One doesn't have to be a Muslim to understand the basic truths about Islam. Here they are:

1) Islam's founder, Muhammed, is considered "al-insan al-kamil" or "the perfect man", and is feted in the Koran as "an excellent model of conduct." 

The truth about Muhammed is that  he was actually one of the most vile, repugnant men in the pantheon of human history. Muhammed was a sadistic sociopath, a murderer, a decapitator, a mutilator, an amputator, a slaver, a sex slaver, a paedophile rapist,  a rapist, a looter & thief, a self admitted terrorist, a genocidist, motivated by lust, greed and power.

He is a man who's sense of justice is to amputate the hands and feet of camel thieves, burn their eyeballs out with hot iron pokers, then cast these men, still alive on scorching hot rocks under the searing Arabian sun to die agonizing deaths.

Can you defend these actions as "excellent models of conduct"? 

2) Islam divides the world into 2 parts, Dar al-Islam (house of Islam)  & Dar al-Harb (house of war, where non-Muslims live). Is this kind of apartheid an excellent model of conduct? 

3) The prime directive of Islam, as expressed in the infamous "Verse of the Sword" is to conquer Dar al-Harb, and forcibly convert, subjugate or kill all infidel/kafir non-Muslims, so religion will be one for Allah. 

Quite simply, Islam is a killing religion engaged in an unending ISLAMIC WORLD WAR.  

When Muslims kill they do so in accordance with the examples, teachings and mandates of Islam's "holy" prophet, Muhammed.

That cannot be said of any other religious faith that I know of.   

I challenge you to dispute any of these facts.

~ The Infidel Alliance    

Dear Rebecca,

Although basically agreeing with the article, there are assumptions

"Our culture, social affairs and politics are ultimately anchored in morality and morality is anchored in the basic world view derived from religion."   writes Bynum

Not my morality - that's based on my own ideas and experiences of  what wisdom and compassion mean. Morality and virtue existed before the advent of religion not the other way round.

The notion of what religion is clashes with her notions of what it should be.

The claims of any religion automatically cause trouble. For instance; inter-faith dialogue is a farce and a fraud when a true Christian is not in earnest in proselytising the faith  amongst the unbelievers around the table (food and drink laid on, expenses paid). If the stakes are so high  -heaven or eternal hell- how can he sit there having a nice conversation with a polytheist Hindu, or whoever. The muslim, similarly, must  convert the room to islam (or force them to pay the jizyah) What is more important than heaven and hell and God or Allah's commands?

In her list she says what religion should be or do.
The obligation to worship a god is missing:  which is seen by faith holders as virtuous. But it cannot be  when it is a duty first. Obedience in religion is more important than curiosity and criticism. I don't have much faith (!) in religion as a vanguard for virtue nor as a safeguard for free speech and other freedoms. They must open themselves up for examination of their claims and be able to endure ridicule.

Rebecca Bynum also says religions "...function is to show man a higher reality."  
That doesn't make sense. There can only be reality. What is. Perhaps she should have a look at that misconception -it is rather an old cliche.

Her views on islam are spot on. However  in correctly identifying a nasty business for what it is she still makes another glaring mistake when she writes this:

" Scientology........is not inherently seditious and a danger to the state and to our citizens the way Islam clearly is."  

Scientology and islam are both totalitarian systems of thought. The former has it's own form of stealth jihad which is only slowly being understood by the public. The fight against this cult is being hampered by interest and respect for it's celebrity members amongst other things. The fight to expose islam's true intentions is distracted by regard for people like Muhammed Ali and Cat Stevens and dhimmi apologists.
 

Both ideologies are based on political aspirations begun by the founders Mohammed and Hubbard, two high class criminals. Tyrannies can be compared in content very well, though the style be different.
 

And we suppose to follow you, our fearless and wise leader, and go kill all the Muslims in this country, and all over the universe.  Get a life.

The world of Islam can be tolerant and progressive.  It was in Muslim Spain that Rabbi maimonidies wrote his famous book, Guide for the Perplexed, and in Muslim Spain Jews were treated much better than they were after the Muslims were driven out of Spain when the Spanish Inquistion killed Jews and drove Jews out of Spain or into hiding.

What changed Islam?  Did the last five hundred years of colonialism when the world of Islam was overlapped by the world of colonialism do much ot advance Muslim militancy?  Have  we given any thought about how long the bitter taste of the colonial era willl remain in the Muslim mouth?

It helps to remember history a bit.

W.

General Public AYS says that I missed listing the worship of God as something religion should do in or for�society.

I think the idea of what constitutes worship is highly confused. In Islam worship is defined as obedience and what do Muslims obey but Islam? Therefore it is questionable whether they worship God or whether they actually worship Islam - the substitute God.

I also think that if we add worship of�a personal God�as a requirement, we leave out Buddhism, which I think should be included as a religion.

Someone else argued that communism could be considered a religion. While I think it is the case that some communists were fanatical to the poiint of using communism as if it were a religion, that in itself does not make communism a religion. And as I said, I think the dividing line between religion and ideology is the attitude toward higher value.

Yes, there is a higher reality than the material world - and that is what religion should be concerned with.

To Walter Siegal, I don't know what to say except the history of Islamic imperialism was not the subject of my talk. You might take a look at Andrew Bostom's Legacy of Jihad for a fairly comprehensive treatment.

Dear Rebecca,

I don't consider what a politician says poltically about the nature of religion because politics, philosophy and religion are all different fields with different purposes.

Please read this article about a nudist church called Ivor church in virginia:

"Some of the biggest moments in Jesus' life he was naked," Pastor Allen Parker said. "When he was born he was naked, when he was crucified he was naked and when he arose he left his clothes in the tomb and he was naked. If God made us that way, how can that be wrong?"

Isn't the pastor trying to support his church? the same way he's advocating his nudist church so is the same way you're indirectly supporting your own religion and publicizing non-existing negative points in Islam.

Islam is the religion that teaches true worship and submission  to God; belief in Him, His angels, Books and Prophets.Islam DOES NOT deny the the Holy Gospel revealed to Jesus(PBUH) but you deny and misunderstand the teachings and guidance of the Holy Qur'an revealed to Mohammad( PBUH).Both Jesus and Mohammad (P&BBUT) taught monetheism.Islam DENIES man-fabricated teachings of Jesus.Islam is the religion of peace, truth, morality, value,muslim brotherhood, etc, which you've ignorantly and mistakenly described in Islam.whomever God guides no one can misguide and whomever God misguides no one can guide.who can prove that you and those who say and write evil things about islam are in the group of the guided ones?Seek the the truth and be ware that ALLAH knows the deepest of secrets.