...

 TR> In fact, it is easier to make the historical case that the
 TR> Bible was written by people who knew Jesus while the claim
 TR> that the Koran was written by anyone that knew the Prophet
 TR> Mohammad is nearly impossible to substantiate. Parts of

 The earliest known New Testament piece is a fragment written
 about 150 AD or CE whichever you prefer. That would be about 120
 years after his death, and resurection as Christians hold. It is
 certainly not original to anyone who knew Jesus, and it's
 actually impossible to know if it is a copy from someone who
 knew Jesus. This is especially true since there is no historical
 record that Jesus existed.

 In looking this up I was surprised to find that forgeries were
 already common by 160 AD/CE.

 That and all the ancient texts of that time were written in
 Greek, yet Jesus and all his apostles were Jews who spoke
 Aramaic or Hebrew, and were ruled by Rome where Latin was the
 language.

 Oh, and all the prominent early texts were found in Egypt.

 TR> the Bible have been determined as having been written
 TR> within the life times of people that would have known Jesus
 TR> personally.

 The are believed to have been so, but no texts from that time
 have been authenticated.

 TR> On the other
 TR> hand, there is no proof that the Koran was written any time
 TR> closer than 100 years after Mohammad's death, long after
 TR> anyone that might have known him would have been dead.

 Again, the oldest known Christian text is dated 120 years after
 the time Jesus would have died.

 OH, and that fragment contains only a few words in the same
 order as they would be in a portion of John.

 There is no "proof" of anything before that.

 While I do not know a lot about Islamic history I have been
 Studying Christianity for a long time.

 ...

 TR> Christian reforms have brought tolerance and peace between
 TR> factions of Christianity as well as between Christians and

 Not in Northern Ireland all that much. Not between many fundies
 and Catholics.

 TR> people of other beliefs while there has been no such
 TR> tolerance infused into Islam.

 Actually, Muslims tolerate each other about as well as
 Christians tolerate each other.

 Remember, the Muslims who were massacred in those internment
 camps were massacred by Christians, not Jews or other Muslims.

 TR> Do not make the mistake that this really isn't about
 TR> religion, though. It most certainly is. This incident
 TR> cannot be divorced from Islam as some sort of aberrant
 TR> behavior. Unfortunately, it is just one small incident of
 TR> thousands

 Since the only significant source ofanti-US terror identified as
 Islamic is actually Wahabi, that is what you have to consider.

BOB KLAHN bob.klahn@sev.org   http://home.toltbbs.com/bobklahn

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