No Kindle? You lost me on that one, buddy. If Kindle was discussed I missed it. Anyway, the Kindle app is available for computers and phones as a free download. (Hey, Amazon.com, do I get points for free advertising? LOL)

Gets, One thing that I'm doing that you're probably not doing, at least to the extent that I am, is studying the object over the subject. What do I mean? I mean study the belief more than the believers. And when I study the belief, what is the best thing to study? The original sources.

Since most Muslims don't intently study the Quran and the Hadith, they get what they know from their imams. If the imam leans to the moderate side, then so will the congregation. Of course if specific members start studying the Quran and Hadith for themselves they may become fundamentalist/radicalized. New converts may take their religion more seriously than those "born into it." We've all heard stories about pastor's kids going wild, rejecting the beliefs and/or behaviors of their parents. Those born into it may take their beliefs for granted. They'll do the 5 pillars...maybe. They may become Muslims in name only. New converts will study the sources and try to follow them. They don't want to be Muslims in name only. So it's not just that the new converts are losers (although many are), it's that they are taking their newfound faith seriously.

African Americans involved in crime or in prison may be led to Islam because they are told that Christianity is the "White man's religion" and that Islam will give them purpose and order. They are not aware that Muhammad emphasized that he was a white man and had anti-black racist tendencies. That it was Islam that started the East African slave trade, which spread to West Africa. They aren't taught that the European Atlantic slave trade lasted for about 400 years, but the Muslim slave trade lasted for over 1000 years -- and still exists today. If they were aware of these things then maybe they would realize that Islam is more of a "White man's religion" than Christianity ever was. (If you want the sources, please feel free to ask.)

My point about colonization, at least British colonization, is that it wasn't 100% evil. Let's say it was 60% evil. It was less evil than Nazi Germany, what the Germans did to the Herrero and what King Leopold did to the Congo.

Once again comparing Islam, the Islamic conquests that started with Muhammad himself were acts of colonization. Islamic colonization started hundreds of years before the British. By the time the British invaded India, Muslims had already massacred tens of millions. Some estimate almost 300 million Indians lost their lives to Muslim colonizers. If true, then Islam has killed more people than the Communists, Nazis and Crusaders combined.