Xavier Gomez
Coercion is a normative in Islam. though some may disagree and claim that it occours only in certain countries, the unwritten law and subliminal compulsion is fundamental. You will find Muslims quoting this verse to non-Muslims and potential converts: “there is no compulsion in Islam(Quran 2:256), but not the Meccan period verses like: “if anyone leaves Islam, kill him. (Quran 4:89)
Mike Ghouse
– Xavier, I was in your shoes, a Muslim atheist for a long time and did not want to have anything to do with Islam, then a verse changed my life – finding the truth is one’s own responsiblity. A lot of mistranslations are the basis for steretyping any one including Muslims.
My integrity and intellectual honesty demands that I verify the verse and translation and sure enough the way you have been given is wrong and misleading.
Take a reading of this4:89 (Asad)
They would love to see you deny the truth even as they have denied it, so that you should be like them. Do not, therefore, take them for your allies until they forsake the domain of evil [108] for the sake of God; and if they revert to [open] enmity, seize them and slay them wherever you may find them. And do not take any of them [109] for your ally or giver of succour.
Muslims are willing to take the next step, not all, but a few, that my faith is beautiful to me as yours is to you and further, I proclaim that my faith is not superior to any. That ends the arrogance part and bring in humility and I know the trend among intellectually honest spiritualists in every religion that is seeing the path.Thanks for giving me the opportunity to check on yet another mistranslation and mis- representation.
Mike Ghouse
http://www.mikeghouse.net/