If you believe that Muslim fidelity and obedience to the Koran comes down to one thing - “killing infidels,” then you are not very familiar with Moslems or the Koran.
The vast, vast majority of Moslems around the world live decent, modest lives, worship God, and try to do good (there are more exhortations in the Koran to help the poor and powerless than there are in the Bible!) That there are fanatical Islamists who interpret the Koran to do violence to foreigners and to fellow Moslems is unquestioned. But, those are a very small minority.
You ought to check the Catholic Catechism to see what the Church thinks of Moslems.
You are correct. Most Moslems are good people who love their children and want to have a pleasant, comfortable life. Just like everyone else.
They are prayerful and honest, adamantly opposed to abortion and affirming homosexual behavior. These are things we have in common with them.
However, the majority of the forms of Islam (it has never been a unified religion, not even as unified as Christianity is today.) permit conversion by coercion. While most might peaceable in themselves, there is a tolerance for violence against non-Moslems that is both morally justified in Islamic theology and unthinkable to Christians. Mohamed never said “love your enemies.”
The
sharia laws are very harsh, calling for death to any Moslem who converts to another religion, like Christianity.
There is no concept of freedom of conscience in the Moslem world. This is what the Holy Father is trying to get them to change. He wants Moslems in Moslems countries to show the same grant the same freedoms to Christians and other non-Moslems that Moslems enjoy in the West. For example, it is illegal for a traveler to bring a Bible into Saudi Arabia.
If Islam can change the attitude of hatred of non-Moslems (that is why they suppress them) to one of tolerance, the other problems, the violence, the harsh unbending laws where punishment is not in proportion to the crime, will be lessened and peaceful (at least physically) coexistence may one day be achieved.
It will not happen in our lifetimes, but we can pray that our wise and humble Holy Father, by confronting the issue head on, will begin the long-needed process of Moslem coexistence.
