James Taranto of Best of the Web writes, "This must be the goal of the war on terror: to tame Islam, to force it to make its peace with civilization," at the end of a post about a new moderate Islamic party in Turkey.
Unfortunately, that is easier said than done.


Islam has no central authority. No one speaks for Islam as a whole. It doesn't have a priesthood or ordination, and, therefore, has no way to filter those who represent it to the world. One of its fundamental beliefs is that all (Muslim male) people are equal, and no Muslim is entitled to dominion over any other.


It seems also to be a fundamental part of the faith that it is wrong for any Muslim to criticize or attack any other, unless it's for apostasy. Then you stone him to death.


The biggest problem with Islam is that its adherents don't seem to be able to make a mental distinction between culture and religion. It is possible to be a good Christian or Jew and to be a patriotic American and practice American principles of tolerance and religious freedom. A Mormon hymn contains the line, "For this eternal truth is given/That God will force no man to heaven." This concept apparently doesn't exist in Islam. One of the pillars of Islam is jihad, which is far too widely interpreted as holy war, despite all claims of "moderate" Muslims to the contrary. The basic problem of Islam is that it has painted itself into a corner by teaching that Mohammed was God's final and greatest prophet. With him, God ceased to speak to mankind. So we are left with the Quran, and the various interpretations of it by men who have no more authority than anyone else to say what it means.


In most cases, if there were a dispute about the meaning of a person's writing or sayings, we would go back to the author for clarification, but with God, we always encounter the protest that God doesn't speak to mankind any more, leaving it up to the various sectarians to give their own interpretations and condemn any other. Forgive me for believing that a god like that is either illogical or malevolent. Either way such a god should not be worshipped.


I believe in God, but when I see a portrayal of a God who hates his own creations and enjoys seeing them suffer, I see the evidence of Satan in the world.