Beginning with its title, The Complete Infidel's Guide to the Koran
If you have read Spencer’s other books about Islam, The Complete Infidel's Guide... won’t provide you with any new information. This new book is best considered as a gift for any friends who are misinformed about the Muslim religion. Because of its easy-to-read format, it is also a helpful handbook for anyone who finds themselves caught up in religious and political arguments on a regular basis.
As its title suggests, the book is designed to be an easy read, with its helpful side bars and other “dummies/idiots” layout features. Sometimes, those breezy and irreverent sidebars are more jarring than informative, placed as they are amidst Spencer’s alarming exegesis.
Spencer, who has studied the Koran in depth for many years, offers ready answers for apologists who insist that Islam is a “peaceful religion” that has been “misunderstood” by a “tiny minority of extremists.”
Using actual quotations from the Koran itself, Spencer argues that this is simply not the case. He insists that anti-Semitism and anti-Christian feeling is rife throughout the Muslim holy book, not to mention all the verses advocating domestic violent.
Spencer also compares the New Testament’s famous teachings about loving your enemies with Koranic injunctions to kill them. Overall, the Koran is steeped in troubling stories of slavery, occupation and downright strangeness that will surprise readers expecting it to be a sort of “Arabian Nights” version of the Christian Gospel.
Spencer counters all the familiar protestations: that critics are “taking the Koran out of context” or that one can’t really understand the Koran anyway unless they read it in Arabic (which conveniently places many ignorant Westerners at a disadvantage.)
The Complete Infidel’s Guide to the Koran is the very best introduction around to what the Koran actually says, how political correctness has made it almost impossible to discuss the Koran and other sacred Muslim texts candidly, and how everyone from George Bush to Barack Obama have misinterpreted it – with grave implications for national security and foreign policy.
Comments
Near my home, there is a Church-0-Christ on a busy street. As is the wont of most Churches-0-Christ, there is a fluorescent backlit sign in front, preachin' its holier-than-thou message to all passers by, 24/7.
Recently the sign carried a telling message: "Sometimes you have to believe before you can see." In their worldview, that means after you 'cept Jesus as your special Friend, you'll see His works everywhere and understand Scripture to mean what they say it means.
And tithe, but I digress.
The lesson O' the sign is not lost on us non-Protestants. Once you make up your mind to something, everything you see is in support of your belief, others not apply.
So, you decide that them damn Muslins is hateful wretches that only want to kill ya, by golly there's evidence in abundance all around you.
Go in peace, to love and serve the Lord.
Peace be upon you.
To "Um, Kathy?" - when Church of Christ members regularly, systematically, and enthusiastically blow up non CoC members, wage war against other faiths and nations, and embrace a form of theological politics that stands in direct contradiction to free, democratic societies, then maybe your nonsensical argument will hold weight. I hear no CoC leaders extolling the virtues of homicide-bombing, no CoC leaders condemning un-modest women and comparing them to pieces of meat who *deserved* to be assaulted, no CoC leaders calling for the wholesale destruction of a nation recognized primarily by the faith of a majority of its citizens. Islam DOES that. Has done that. Will continue to do that until we're all dead or subjugated under shari'a. So nice try at comparing apples and kumquats, but those of us who can think and pay attention know that there's minimal therat from the CoC crowd, and lots of danger in the radical Islamists out there.
WRT the C-0-C's opinion and treatment of women, you have a bit to learn.
Having had a few hours to think over your comment I am struck by how widely you missed the thrust of mine, which is that if you make up your mind first, then mostly what you see is evidence to support your opinion.
God knows what confluence of beliefs you hold that led you to think that I was comparing the C-0-C to Islam, but allow me to say that the fact that you did further demonstrates my point that our experiences are governed by our expectations.
um, Kathy?
Skip the unicorn steaks & elves don't really exist.
Just read any news aggregate or read the Koran. Every Nation on the planet. From China to Africa is under assault from this group of Islamic purists.You don't have to take anything by faith. This book reeks of death with violence to all. In the end like Communism or Nazism or any totalitarian political movement, supplemented with religion. Its oppressive in the extreme to its adherence of sharia law, with lethality towards those who think different. I guess to people like you the Twin Towers was a fable. Women being stoned for being raped, or sexually mutilated, are just tales. Open your eyes !!!!
You're still missing my point, I will try again.
It doesn't matter which or how many news sources a person follows, if that person has made up its mind about a subject. In that case, all information, from whatever sources has to pass through that person's filter, that person's determination about a subject.
If that person believes that Islam is a religion of hate and all Muslims are evil, then that person will view all all incoming information in that light.
If that person believes that there is a variety of belief among adherents of Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism et al, then that person will view all incoming information in that light.
Clearly, to me at least, you have chosen a position and taken a stand. Not a problem with me, but don't expect me to take you seriously in these matters.
Um, you DO have a point. Now, apply that point to your own self.
We do apply it to you.
We see you are one of the Muslim appeasers, and you have made up your mind to see things as you want to believe they are.
Fine.
You just walk on your side of the street, over there. Keep that burhka handy, you will probably need it, over there on that side of the street. You can beg to schlarve the Muslim dode all you want but you are still a Protestant Infidel.
There are many opinions.
Many ways to look at things.
But there is one set of events. One set of facts.
And if you choose your opinion over fact, who are we to forbid you? Just don't endanger our children and families because of your asinine ignorant narrow-minded beliefs, ok UM?
bit.ly/SRw13
a good book . but a question cooming throgh ? the main discution in this book was that islam tell us that we must hate our enemy but christiniaty tell us that we must love our enemies . so the islam is worst . the question is that if we must love our enemies so why spencer and bush or other of spencer's way hate the muslim as enemy and tell us that ban the quran and muslim in his last section . the answer is ready becuase the beliefe that love your enemy is just a beutiful idealism and does not exist in any manner of life . and quran is the book of life not heavens. yes the spence view is true that islam tell us kill infidels . but in quran christian and jews is not infidel s and they are beliveras and infidels are those who kill muslim and deported them first from their teritory and yes islam tell that kill them . the way that christians and muslims and any other did in the history untill now.
This book and its content is nothing but a pure misleading quotations and interpretations that was taken out of context. Maybe this video will help u to understand what I'm saying http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7yaDlZfqrc
Can't wait to get a hold of this book!
@ Eoj: good comments.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!