Amsterdam is the Gay-bashing Capital of Europe

[Jay]

I believe denominations play an important role in shaping an Islam country. Islam has a lot of branches (and also sub branches) within it. It's pretty much like how Christians has Catholic, Protestant etc. Each branch has its own way of teaching and administrating Islam.

Thanks for taking the time to explain Jay...it helps alot. I have a terrible time understanding any religion really but I rarely hear anything from Muslim individuals or groups that helps me personally come to terms with Islam...what I usually hear is that it is the religion of peace and for the life of me I cannot reconcile that at all...until maybe now with your statement above..

...I know a wonderful Muslim lady here in the US from message boards who is very liberal and I have had a hard time understanding how this can be...which is why I thank you for explaining this because now it makes alot more sense.

I personally think that Islam is not a religion of peace as the religion contains a lot of violence. I mean just look at the laws and types of punishments inside the religion. Stoning to death, chopping hands, whipping and more are all inside the holy book (I revised the book from A to Z twice when I was a teenager).

What makes one Muslim more liberal than another is himself/herself. A liberal and modern Muslim uses common sense to judge and to decide.

Islam wants its followers to obey its laws and rules without being questioned. So when a liberal Muslim favors for homosexuality rights, he/she is no longer a real/pure Muslim as Islam disapproves homosexuality. There's a special term for these kind of Muslims but I forget what it is.

According to Islam, these types of Muslims might as well just forget being Muslims as they will end up in hell anyway (for disobeying the foundation of Islam and favoring the sinners).

From my observation, the current and new generations of Muslims in my country are separated into four.

• Group 1 still favors and obeys Islam completely. They live for Islam in a quite extreme way. Some of them spend their lives living in a small wooden-ready to-crumble shack. Their objective is only learn about Islam and more Islam. Group 1 is minor in my country.
  
• Group 2 still favors and obeys Islam completely. They live for Islam but not to the extreme level. They live modernly but to an extent. They oppose homosexuality and other types of sins. Nonetheless they are also corrupted by the modern world and have been westernized. Example: My own big sister, she is a really religious girl but fanatic with Korean boy bands. I consider her to be a hypocrite but she doesn't see it. Islam does not allow modern entertainment as it can distract its followers from the religion. The only entertainment that Islam actually allows is anything that relates to Islam like meditating, singing about the prophets and God etc. Group 2 conquers most part of my country.
  
• Group 3 - They practice and obey Islam completely but they are also modern and tolerant. They can accept say, homosexuality. "Your business is your business and I can respect that." Group 3 is not in big percentage but they can be found in the urban sides of the country.
  
• Group 4. Modern Muslims who no longer practice what's being taught by Islam. They have been influenced the urban/modern world that they are living in. Most of them use common sense to decide what's good and what's bad for them. They don't need the religion to decide it for them. There are also modern Muslims that have stopped practicing Islam because they think Islam is not cool and hip - "I drink alcohol beverage because it's cool". Bigger scale than Group 3 and rising.