...   
      
    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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