>>rather, the muslims straight up tell you about islam, and then let you use your own standards to judge it.

i guess that's the fundamental problem then, islam doesn't meet my standards. once you said "don't judge islamby muslims, judge muslims by islam." imagine what would happen if americans used a similar argument. "don't judge americans by your standards, judge americans by their own standards" when on does this (judge muslims by islam) a muslim can get away with anything!

much lilke a christian can easily convince him/herself of the actions they've comited throughout history. a religion based on "go ye therefore and teach all nations baptizing(imperialization) them in the name of the father, son, and holy spirit" will more likely allow for "imposing" than one that is more personal and intrinsic. the crusades speak of this, you saw how they were then...

to me the same hing goes for some ideas within islam. i.e.

>>and that is to relieve the burden (not in a negative sense) that Allah places on us-propagate...

Allah places burdens on you?!? nevermind

>>the teaching is ALWAYS applicable. hasnt it been for the last 1400 years? im not doing a whole lot diff than the first practitioners of islam in its final form.

RIGID, non-fluid compare to TAOISM which has remarkable track record...

>>but look within YOURSELF at why you adopted something that was "inherent" but "once foreign" to YOU.

my thinking is evolutionary and fluid, adaptive and changing...much like he universe itself (of course my own understanding)

but basically, i see why i can't compare islam to self, much like how i cannot compare the american way of life to mine or ask those within it to measure up to something they wouldn't attempt and couldn't accomplish.