If you'll note, I used aka twice. AKA means: Also Known As. Jesus was also known as the son of God, the prince of peace etc. So, the Mahdi is just another name for the twelfth Imam, a direct descendant of the prophet Mohammed.

As for the antichrist, the trumpets and various animals that have several heads on other animals bodies, I make no mention of that. So, as Bill O'Reilly would say, stay off the Kool-Aid.

Islam recognizes Jesus as a very influential prophet of his day. They also recognize many other biblical figures starting with Abraham or Avraham.

I think we're having a failure to communicate. Mahdi is the Islamic Messiah, and Jesus is the Christian Messiah, correct? They're two seperate people, correct? So what I'm asking is where in the Book of Revelations is this Islamic Messiah mentioned? Or do the Muslims beleive in the same type of end times that they do in the Judaeo-Christian tradition? I know that Muslims believe that Jesus was a profit not unlike Mohammed, and not the son of God. And a son of Abraham started the Islamic faith. I just don't know what you're talking about with this Mahdi fellow. I'm just going to look it up on Wikipedia.

even when we learn about other cultures, we tend to "westernize" them, to make them non-threatening.
Our ignorance of Christianity doesn't really hurt anything.
Our ignorance of Islam is quite dangerous.
They are, as you wrote, truly serious...
For us to be tolerant is simply foolish.

there are many web sites that are chilling in their truth about the real danger of radical Islam.
http://www.apostatesofislam.com/

Revelations is in the New Testiment, but I was refering to what the Jews believe as the 1st coming of the Messiah which is during the end times that is described in Revelations.

I think we're just on totally different wave lengths.

You're right imdstuff, organized religion has caused more death and destruction than any other single entity in the world's history. And, I don't even like Bill Maher....

as a matter of historical record only, that may have some truth.
But to imply that an absence of religion would have resulted in some sort of Eden and less violent death is most probably false.
And, the wars were mostly over territory and power. Religion was just a convenient excuse.
I mean, Henry Ford didn't kill every person who ever died in a car wreck.

Christianity has grown and adapted, and led. It is quite philosophically rewarding and challenging.

ps... I don't like Bill Maher either...
did he say something critical of religion?
cause I remember him saying some things complimentary of the suicide murderers after 9-11...

Bill Maher has bluntly stated his disdain for organized religion. He apparently has no problem with a religion per se.

I hate to disagree with you mgroothand because so many of your points are very good but, organized religion can cause nothing in of itself. It is people who become a part of the organization who do the damage.

We see it in other organizations like the Republican Party. The Clinton's called it the ultra right winged fringe. Many like to say they were the conservative Christians but many were not.

Just like there are conservative Christians in the Republican Party there are extremely liberal Christians in the Democratic Party, they just don't get labeled that way. It appears to me that they are Democrats first and Christians second.

You see the same extreme in the Democratic Party and it appears to me that the ultra liberals are in control of that party. Look how they turned on one of their own Mr. Liberman because he was conservative by their own standard.

We even see Islam being hijacked by extremist but when it comes to Christians, they are all lumped up into one organized religion group who have supposedly caused more death and destruction more than any other organization. When you make that kind of statement do you consider all that the Muslims have done in the name of Allah?

Christianity when followed by the teachings of Bible produces a pure and undefiled religion. Unfortunately people get involved in the church with their own personal agenda added to their faith and the damage it causes is horrible.

The two main points I would like to communicate are: 1. Just because you claim you are a Christian and do things in the name of God, does not mean that you are really a Christian and you walk with God. 2. Every organization has people who used it for their own personal agenda, not the agenda of the organization and will try to take it over to gain legitimacy and move their idea’s forward.

Again, I'm glad all this stuff is in writing. I did not say that Christians and/or Christians alone are guilty of the world's bloodshed and wars. I did say that organized religion was mainly responsible for that. Muslims are also part of an organized religion, as are Buddhists, Taoists, Confucionists, Hinduists and the list goes on.... Each time someone claims to have a better mousetrap to the Kingdom, other organizers will help to justify it superior. This is especially true among the world's Protestants and more specifically here in America.

As for Joe Lieberman, the word anti-Semitism has not yet been uttered in that political debate. But it will.

well, to say that about Bush is a bit extreme, and irresponsible.
It isn't their god vs our god, it's Thomas Jefferson vs their god.

That would be cool; start a religion thats symbol is a syringe. Ride out deep on some "all days" with a blinged out syringe around my neck and some fly ladies on my arm. After all L. Ron Hubbard (founder of Scientology) said it best, "The way to make a million dollars is to start a religion." Now if I can only be "audited" to awaken my "Operating Thetan" and get this ball rolling.

weekapaug05, You really need to limit your intake of whatever it is you're smoking. Also, stay off the Kool-Aid

You're getting totally off the subject now. I don't even like kool-aid. And you need to read up on your scientology so that you can know the enemy. We need to stay on point here and figure out a way to get rid of these scientoloneofacist, and we need the Muslims help.

Do you have any idea how many "splinter" churches/beliefs there are just in this country alone? Other than a few H'wood people and very rich individuals, Scientology is no threat to anyone. Unless one is very well off financially the Scientology "friends" won't give you the time of day. As far as needing Muslim help, thanks, I'll pass.
Now, when it comes to Kool-Aid, try the strawberry flavor, chill it well and you can write a smileyface on the condensation. I know you'll just love it. What, no comment on the ganjiweed?

Well I'll put it this way ... I don't know any potheads that beat their wives, crash cars into rivers letting prostitutes drown, pass out on the sidewalk on Broad St., have hangovers, kill people driving, or died from using too much, however, I do know of some alcoholics that have. And I do know potheads that are teachers, accountants, brokers, contractors, musicians (damn Toby Keith for ratting out Willie on the Colbert Report), restaurant owners, and generally good people that do good things in the community and for society ... then again I do also know potheads that sit around and play Nintendo and munch on snacks all day too. No harm in a little Mario Brothers is there?

As for Scientology, most celebrities don't know a lot about what your typical Scientologist does. The "church" seperates them from the rest of their followers for the most part. And if Scientology makes you a happy better person then I'm all for that. Just some of the doctrines and beliefs are a little beyond me. Same thing goes for the Mormon Church (esp. the fundamentalists), but it seems that it makes them happy friendly people so it's good that it works for them.

What was this blog about agian? Oh yeah, crazy Jihadist Muslims. Really you've got to wonder what would Jesus do if there were nuclear warheads, suicide bombers, and dudes with AK-47's pointed at him? I would also like to point out that Ted Turner is Godless or rather he thinks that he is God, therefore the endtimes do not concern him. Kool-Aid ... endtimes, hmmm. I think John might have been dipping into the mushroom patch or had a peyote cocktail when he wrote Revelations. I think I saw a scare tactics anti-drug film in middle school with a kid that saw the same stuff on LSD.

Hmmmmm....

TouchÈ! Well thought out developed point! I can't help but agree.

Interesting comment imdstuf. WLYBB.

What is WLYBB?