The point I was going to try and make in this post was the importance of knowing our history. Its easy for me, I love history and researching historical facts. If the American people understood their history,I believe we would not find ourselves in what may be the closing chapters of American history.
A concern of mine is that "Joe Average American" does not know history so doesn't see the certainty (in my view) of the end of America as we know it if he doesn't soon learn it. I don't hold out much hope of that happening though, after all we might miss who won on American Idol.
For this particular article I will focus on the history of Islam and America. Maybe more precisely, Thomas Jefferson and Islam, You know him, one of the people that helped to create this country, the one nation under Allah....opps, my bad, that's one nation under God, that being the God of the bible.
Rep. Keith Ellison Sworn In On Thomas Jefferson’s Koran
January 11, 2007.
No big deal right. I mean by law apparently, you can be sworn in on a copy of Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler if you want to , another great guy. (be tolerant now, he just had a different point of view.) I was stunned to learn that, but I suppose the Founders never foresaw that one coming either. The problem I had other than the obvious was the spin put on it.
Rep. Ellison says that Jefferson’s Koran is evidence that "religious tolerance" goes back to the time of our Founding Fathers. Tolerance I assure you had nothing whatsoever to do with Jefferson's copy of the Koran.
Jefferson was studying Islam because he was about to advocate the sending of the U.S. Marines to fight against the Barbary Coast Muslim pirates from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Tripoli. These Muslim pirates were cruising the African and Mediterranean coastlines pillaging villages and enslaving young women who were sold as concubines. In addition, boys were mutilated to become eunuchs who would bring higher prices in slave markets in the Middle East.
In 1786, when Jefferson was Ambassador to France, he met the ambassador from the Dey of Algiers, Sidi Haji Abdul Rahman Adja to Britain. Adja told Jefferson that Islam “was founded on the laws of their Prophet, that it was written in their Koran, that all nations who should not have acknowledged their authority were sinners, that it was their right and duty to make war upon them wherever they could be found, and to make slaves of all they could take as prisoners, and that every Musselman (Muslim) who should be slain in battle was sure to go to Paradise.†Gee, that all sounds strangely familiar, where have I heard that before, oh well it'll come to me.
This is not the first time in history that Islam has attempted a takeover of the world. I looked up Islamic history or "chronology" and listed there, some of the most prevalent words were, campaigns against, battle of, conquest of, capture of, death of....., This "religion of peace" seems to not be so peaceful sometimes.
I know, I'll save you the trouble....Crusades, Inquisition, witch burnings....yada yada. The God haters among you won't be convinced by facts so I'm not even going to try so please just don't make your comments to long. I probably know the history of those things better than you do. They are not representative of Christianity as a whole. While the jihadists probably, and I would even say most likely are not representative of Islam as a whole, Islam is responsible for so much death and suffering and attempts at world conquest as to render "Christian" atrocities negligible. In my opinion AND as historical fact. Furthermore, Christians are not involved in any world wars for global domination, that I know of anyway, if you know different tell me where so I can enlist. Here is a partial list of conflicts for domination Muslim's are currently involved in.
War in Somalia (2006–present)
Darfur conflict
Kashmir conflict
Iraq War
United States war in Afghanistan
Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Second Chechen War
Fatah-Hamas conflict
Islamic insurgency in the Philippines
2007 Ogaden conflict
South Thailand insurgency
Waziristan War
2007 Lebanon conflict
Insurgency in Saudi Arabia -
Sa'dah conflict
Kurdish insurgency in Turkey
Civil war in Iraq
Second Tuareg Rebellion
Before you start with the racist, hater crap, please believe me when I tell you that I don't hate Muslims. I may have started down that road at one time, they do scare me, at least the jihadists do, and fear can produce hatred and or prejudice but being a Christian, well I'm just not allowed go down that road just because they hate me or want me dead. I don't always like that rule but that's what Jesus says so I'm kinda obligated. There is a difference between hating someone and hating a system that glorify's death though, but that's probably to hard for some of you to understand. At least know these people are deadly serious in what they envision for me, my family, my country and yes probably even you dear reader.
What I've struggled to say is that Islam, when it decides to go dancing across the globe on Jihad, can be very effective and we would do well to learn about its history before it gets very much stronger. It is even possible that it's to late already. Can anyone say Ottoman Empire (1299–1922).
We ignore and excuse and placate them to our peril.

(woman being stoned under "Sharia or Islamic law)
I'll close for now with a quote from Thomas Jefferson on history, on the importance of knowing it.
But of all the views of this law none is more important, none more legitimate, than that of rendering the people the safe, as they are the ultimate, guardians of their own liberty. For this purpose the reading in the first stage, where they will receive their whole education, is proposed, as has been said, to be chiefly historical. History by apprising them of the past will enable them to judge of the future; it will avail them of the experience of other times and other nations; it will qualify them as judges of the actions and designs of men; it will enable them to know ambition under every disguise it may assume; and
knowing it, to defeat its views.
Thomas Jefferson, Notes on the State of Virginia, Query 14,1781
Just the facts, (and my opinion)
Bill
More history? It was inconceivable even after the Reformation to consider a secular Europe. The papacy had power over the civil rulers. There are still state churches in Europe -- a vestige of a time when religion and politics were intertwined.
There are many examples of secular Islamic countries. Like Turkey. And Singapore. And Malaysia. And Indonesia. Even Pakistan, with all its recent violence, leans to preference of secular leaders over avowedly religious ones.
If we adopt your "concern," we won't be allies with anyone. Congressman Ellison isn't calling for beheadings or anything of that sort. Maybe you should read his speeches and learn more about him before invoking such emotive rhetoric in relation to a post about his use of a Koran at his swearing in.
I would love to discuss the Founders' religious views with you. Some of them were Trinitarians. Most of them weren't. Their own writings prove as much. There are some people (David Barton), who glom onto "god talk" and allusions to Jesus and Christianity and deduce (stupidly) that men like Jefferson would feel right at home in the local Non-Denominational Holy Roller Tabernacle of God. No! They would send letters commending civic virtues stemming from religion and stay the hell away.
Finally, I'm not left wing. I'm libertarian. Big difference. Ask eky.