interesting stuff

glad you like it, for me I'm a Muslim 'Rationalist' meaning that I take an allegorical interpretation of the Koran, and when I read it I keep historical context in mind, and for me Reza Aslan is absolutely right that religion must adapt to the times and situation around them in order to survive, so the great religions of today need to constantly update to adapt to people's needs.

people tend not to stick to spiritual paths that don't work for them for very long, so "adapt or die" makes some sense. I have a great respect for people who think, soul-search, and make sure they know what they're talking about before they open their mouth about religious topics.

Then again, I'm an American. It's a rare trait here.

Yeah I totally agree with you, I converted to Islam five years ago, and I did do a great deal of thinking and soul-searching before making a decision, and I actually know what I'm talking about, to most my interpretations are liberal compared to many of my co-religionists but the Muslim world had a long history of intellectual pluralism in its golden age during the 13th century, they were 130+ schools of thought back then, and now they are only 5, so yeah things went downhill, but nowadays there's an Islamic reformation going on were the Koran is in intepreted in a new light for today's world, it'll be a tough fight but I'm sure the Reformers will beat the extremists.