[CaptainHaplo]

My how the subject has changed.... Still, a couple of notes...

First of all - yes, Christianity is a religion. If it wasn't, please tell all the Christian churches to give up their tax free status because they are religious entities....

Second, what is so often lost when it comes to issues of faith is that there is a huge difference between a religious belief system defined (and redefined) by men and a spiritual communion with Deity.

The thing is, Islamic "extremists" are those that take their belief system as literally as possible and do their very best to hold to it. The religious system itself is being followed by the extremists. Compare that to Christianity, where the "extremists" are those who choose simply do not choose to recognize or accept "sinful acts" of others, such as homosexuality. While both religious structures hold the acts as abominations, Islam calls for the execution of the homosexual, while Christianity has moderated from stoning the person to hating the action while loving the person. Where Islam calls for the killing of those who leave Islam, Christianity moved away from calling for death to the apostate. It is an interesting case study that "extremists" in one religion are the moderates in another, is it not?

As for asking how God could "allow" this or that, there are so many numerous theories on the why it would take months to discuss them all. Personally, I am at peace with the actions of God, and thus am not driven to question them beyond what I have already done. Still, I understand and respect that not everyone can have - or accept - the answer I have. Others will have different answers, and some will have no answer at all.