The Pope of the Roman Catholics qoutes a 14th-century Byzantine emperor on Islam and it's violent beginnings and lo and behold, the Muslims are enraged. They are attacking churches and calling for the death of the Pope. Isn't it highly ironic that to prove that statements made about a group being "too violent" have to be answered not by references to historical research and academic responses, but by acts - and the notion - of violence? And on top of all that, they don't even realize that the less than half of the world's Christian population belongs to the Roman Catholic Church.

I am not trying to argue (or prove) the violent histories of middle-eastern religions. I mean, I do know about the crusades and the inquisitions. But the fact remains, that except for Muslims, most other religions have given up on their war-mongering nature. Why don't these people stop pledging and celebrating violence and death. Is properity in this "temporary" world such a bad thing to achieve?