Muslim-Free Zone?

[KingsGambit]

What would you call someone who claims to be a Christian, but only goes to church on Easter and Christmas, doesn't read Scripture otherwise, etc?

The terms "cafeteria Christian" and "cultural Christian" are used and I find them to be apt. Again, I am willing to differentiate between an academically sociologically definition of Christian and a theological view of the term. Since we are talking about a social issue in society at large rather than an in-house church issue, the former context seems more apropos.

[seer]

The owner seems relevant since that's what this thread was started about. I agree "secular" isn't the most useful word here. Either way I hope everybody agrees that there are varying levels of devotion among people who identify as any religion.

But this has nothing to do with my point, which is that no man should be forced to serve another under penalty of law.

Like this:

Klein and her husband, Aaron, have been at the forefront of the debate surrounding whether Christian business owners who provide wedding services should be forced to serve gay and lesbian clients.

Problems for the Klein family began in January 2013 when they declined to make a wedding cake for Rachel Cryer and Laurel Bowman, a lesbian couple who promptly responded by filing a civil rights complaint against Sweet Cakes by Melissa.

Officials in Oregon subsequently ruled that the bakery violated Cryer’s and Bowman’s civil rights.

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014...-has-embraced/

[Paprika]

The terms "cafeteria Christian" and "cultural Christian" are used and I find them to be apt. Again, I am willing to differentiate between an academically sociologically definition of Christian and a theological view of the term. Since we are talking about a social issue in society at large rather than an in-house church issue, the former context seems more apropos.

So my suggestion would be to use similar terms to describe the non-religious Muslims.

[Sparko]

I think one of the biggest differences in Christianity and Islam is what is considered the norm and what is an aberration.

In Christianity, the norm is to be loving, helpful, and not force anyone into converting with violence. The aberration would be hate groups like the KKK and Christian Identity that espouse violence, hatred and merely claim to be Christian.

In Islam, the norm, at least according to the Koran and history of it's beginnings, is that Islam is the only way and that any means necessary can be used to enforce Islam and make people convert. The aberration is the "moderate" muslims that espouse peace and getting along with other groups and religions and would never force anyone to convert.

[Paprika]

The question is whether truly moderate views exist within islam and it's increasingly difficult to support the contention that such views are held by some silent majority. It's not an assumption that all muslims are terrorists but a question of how reasonable it is to assume that islam has so many moderates.

Define 'moderate views' of Islam.

[fm93]

I can't believe that people are actually arguing about whether moderate Muslims exist. None of you have Muslim friends or acquaintances who clearly are religious and wouldn't blow up buildings or wish death upon all infidels?

[rogue06]

I can't believe that people are actually arguing about whether moderate Muslims exist. None of you have Muslim friends or acquaintances who clearly are religious and wouldn't blow up buildings or wish death upon all infidels?

What has been a real eye-opener has been just how many really don't see the problem with someone blowing up a school bus in Israel and the lengths that they'll go to rationalize it.

[fm93]

What has been a real eye-opener has been just how many really don't see the problem with someone blowing up a school bus in Israel and the lengths that they'll go to rationalize it.

But with over a billion people around the world who identify as Muslim, there are also many who do see the problem and condemn such actions. The hash tag #NotInMyName, in which Muslims denounced extremist groups like ISIS, recently trended worldwide on Twitter.

[seer]

The hash tag #NotInMyName, in which Muslims denounced extremist groups like ISIS, recently trended worldwide on Twitter.

What is that - about 20 Muslims?

[KingsGambit]

What is that - about 20 Muslims?

Uh, no. It went trending which means it had to be used very widely.

[seer]

Uh, no. It went trending which means it had to be used very widely.

I wonder what percentage of Muslims actually condemn what ISIS is doing.

[KingsGambit]

I wonder what percentage of Muslims actually condemn what ISIS is doing.

We're not talking about percentages, we're establishing whether moderate Muslims actually exist.

[Paprika]

We're not talking about percentages, we're establishing whether moderate Muslims actually exist.

For that, we need definitions.

[Cerebrum123]

Then how do we know they exist? I don't think we can assume that a significantly sized group exists based on this alone.

I only know of their existence because I know a few. My former neurologist being one. Seems they are in the vast minority though.

[seer]

I only know of their existence because I know a few. My former neurologist being one. Seems they are in the vast minority though.

Yes my old Dentist and my old GP were Muslim, and they seemed OK. But who knows what is in their hearts.