I'm talking about Christians who take their faith seriously- not exactly a whole lot of them left around. I highly doubt christians in the third world would act any differently. You merely presuppose all of this based on how "christians" act in modern secular western countries. Let us also not forget the wrongdoings of the Church in history in this respect.
Now you may argue that no christian LEADER calls a hit on some one if they publish anti-christianity material. But then again it is hard to attribute their actions to their christian faith, or the progressive western ethic against the use of violence. Some may argue that things would be a lot different, as they were in history, under dominant christian rule.
And also: It IS derogatory to make images of Muhammed FOR A MUSLIM. To take that as a peice of evidence agaisnt Islam as being a "violent religion" is very presumptuos.
TA asked pellius
So, would you want Muhammad on a stamp glorifying Islam?
I was simply pointing out to TA the fact that Muhammad will never be on a stamp because one, that does not glorify Islam but rather offends Muslims and two, Muslims most likely will put a bounty on the head of anyone who does that. These are simple facts.
I never said in this thread that this was evidence against Islam as being a "violent religion." You said that. I wasn't putting down Islam or trying to start a Christianity vs Islam argument. You did.
By the way, you got your Christians reversed. The "Christians who take their faith seriously" are the ones who not only would not strike you if you do or say something derogatory toward Christianity or toward Jesus Christ Himself, but they are the ones who also would not strike back even if you strike them first. Christians who take their faith seriously are the ones who forgive their enemies and do not harm those who hate them. And there are a whole lot of them left around. They have been around for thousands of years. This is what Jesus Christ taught by word and by example. This is what his apostles taught by word and by example. This is what Christians who take their faith seriously do or at least try very hard to do. It has always been that way.
Pliny the Younger Letter to Trajan (c.111-117 C.E.)"...they maintained that their fault or error amounted to nothing more than this: they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before sunrise and reciting an antiphonal hymn to Christ as God, and binding themselves with an oath not to commit any crime, but to abstain from all acts of theft, robbery and adultery, from breaches of faith, from repudiating a trust when called upon to honour it."
Pliny, Epistles x.96, from Bruce, p.26.