Chloe: Jesus, if he existed (show me the bones; the teeth; SOMETHING), was closer in temperament and appearance, being from that part of the world, to the woman-disdaining Muslim clerics we fret so much about these days than the bearded, silken-haired dream-date that most Americans fantasize him as. He would have dressed, gestured, performed his ablutions, eaten and looked at you (or any woman) very much as they do. There are many passages in the Bible that confirm the default misogyny of the Nazarene's faith; if you don't know them, it's worth your while to look them up.

Islam, being the derivative Johnny-come-lately of the Oriental faiths, is far from the opposite of original (pre-homogenized) Christianity. The biggest difference I can detect between these two primitive tribes is that the Muslims are so primitive they actually still BELIEVE that stuff. The Christians (thank god) are largely hypocrites. The hypocrisy, ironically, is their saving grace.

How you magical-thinkers of the Christian faith think you can distance yourselves from Islam or even Voodoo, logically, is something that never ceases to amuse me. I'll say one thing: it was only, what, seven years ago that I thought that no single word had as many negative connotations as 'Christianity'. I must admit that Islam now takes the cake. And rarely if ever amuses me at all anymore.

Hello, LeCastor, nice to see you again in the letters section.

Thanks for the Old Testament quotes. I'm sure it was interesting to some people. Can you please point out where any of this is being put into practice currently?

Deuteronomy 12:32

"See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it."

...there was enough in the preceding pages (some of it still up) to prompt my remarks. But he certainly put an exclamation point on them!

Golden boy, this one is especially for you.

Christians, why do you always only focus on the New Testament? Yes, Jesus was a great guy, with a lot of wonderful ideas, but, don't forget, the old testament is part of your sacred scripture as well. So for all those who love to quote scary quotes from the Koran, i gotta tell you, the old testament, that little old ditty, has some great zingers, worthy of any al-qaid tract. Observe:

Deuteronomy 21:18 "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son who does not obey his father and mother and will not listen to them when they discipline him, 19 his father and mother shall take hold of him and bring him to the elders at the gate of his town. 20 They shall say to the elders, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a profligate and a drunkard." 21 Then all the men of his town shall stone him to death. You must purge the evil from among you. All Israel will hear of it and be afraid."

22:5 A woman must not wear men's clothing, nor a man wear women's clothing, for the LORD your God detests anyone who does this.

22:20 If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl's virginity can be found, 21 she shall be brought to the door of her father's house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father's house. You must purge the evil from among you.

22:22 If a man is found sleeping with another man's wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.

13:6 If your very own brother, or your son or daughter, or the wife you love, or your closest friend secretly entices you, saying, "Let us go and worship other gods" (gods that neither you nor your fathers have known, 7 gods of the peoples around you, whether near or far, from one end of the land to the other), 8 do not yield to him or listen to him. Show him no pity. Do not spare him or shield him. 9 You must certainly put him to death. Your hand must be the first in putting him to death, and then the hands of all the people. 10 Stone him to death, because he tried to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

And so on. What was that Jesus taught, something about being the first to cast a stone?

Just a few responses to your comments:

1) On anonymonity: I agree with you in general. However, I find it prudent to post under a pseudonym when writing about Islam. One only has to look at the murders committed both in the States and in Europe to understand why. I suppose I feel compelled to explain my atypical cowardice. :)

2) On the level of discourse: I think Salon in general allows posters to write freely. The worst filth (from ex-pot-farmer) has already been removed - I am assuming that his/her posts prompted this comment.

to be a secular humanist.

You flaunt a rather sad lack of knowledge about Christian scripture. However it has been interpreted or ignored by 'Christians' in the past (and present), Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments were to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself. I don't know if the idea of radical, unconditional love originates with Jesus, but it is certainly not something you find Muhammad talking much about.

There is a reason Jesus didn't bother to try conquering the physical world. Regardless of the actions of people who claim to be Christian, Jesus teaches us to put away the sword, turn the other cheek, give our coat to the man who takes our jacket. Christianity is a religion of throwing ourselves before our enemies and rejoicing in the part of them that is like God, because there is that part in everyone.

Christianity, at its best and more pure, is a religion inspired by a man with a vision of radical love. Islam is a religion inspired by a man who married many wives (including young girls), who conquered and converted, who seemed more interested in worldly gain through religious suppression than in salvation.

There are good and bad Christians, there are good and bad Muslims. But the point is not the followers, this entire argument is dealing with the progenitors themselves.