What about all that New Age nonsense? It's a very new religion and I've never heard of such people killing anyone in the name of their religion, even though it is a bunch of loopy crap. What about Unitarian Universalism? When did that come around? How many militiant Unitarians have killed anyone?
Most new agers are too low dogma to go around killing people, but there are some notable exceptions (heaven's gate springs to mind). The Unitarians have been around since the 16th century or so, and merged with the Universalists in the early 1960's.. I have heard of no killings in the name of UU (once again, probably because of the whole low dogma thing). Radical fundementalist Christians (originating early 20th century) on the other hand, can often be a dangerous bunch.
I'm suprised nobody has mentioned Turkey yet in this discussion. The nation is overwhelmingly Islamic, and yet is a western style democracy (A republican parlamentary democracy according to
the CIA world factbook), complete with personal freedoms and membership in NATO. They do have their problems, and Amnesty International does have some complaints about their treatment of prisoners, but they are far from the 'death to the infidels' style commonly associated with Iran and other theocracies.
But of course, Turkey is a secular nation which has a primarily Muslim population, not a state run on the precepts of someone's interperetation of Islam. I think that is the real difference. I can think of only two nations which are dominated by a religion (other than Islam). Israel, though a Jewish state in name is still largely secular (and is embedded in it's own controversies), and Vatican City - which is really more of an oversized central church than a formal nation.
I don't think Christianity is a bunch of foolish superstion, even though I disagree with the beliefs of some Christians. But I think mixing government and religion is very dangerous. A mix of political/military power and absolute religious conviction of being in the right make for a truely dangerous concotion.
I think the real problem is not Islam, but Islamisism, which is a hybrid of religious fanatasism and ultra-nationalism - two things which are dangerous enough on their own, and a really bad idea put together. The Christian equivilent has some support, but exists within a sufficently free society that few are desperate enough to take extreme measures.
