Need to get my thoughts out

Being here in the Middle East has made me vey curious. I walk around and see all the different cultures and dress and ways of life and I just wonder. It is so obvious that a person's belief play a HUGE role in how a person lives their day to day life. 

I am very curious about other religions and what they believe and where those beliefs stem from. 

I picked up a book in my house called Muslims,Christians,and Jesus by Carl Medearis. Carl has spent most of his life in the Middle East befriending muslims and learning about the way they live life and what they believe. He is a Jesus follower who choses to love, and share life with muslims just like Jesus commanded us to do with all people. 

In reading this book he keeps talking about all of the stereotyping that people, especially Americans do when it comes to the Islam faith. He talks about how most muslims are very hurt by terrorism and the violence that some people dish out.   It just makes me think about Jesus followers. We get the same reputation time after time, not for things that we do but rather for things that a few wackos do in an overly zealous manner.

Some people thought it would be fun to protest at solders funerals in "god's name", and some wanted to make a spectacle about burning the Qu'ran. 

Sometimes these people aren't even doing things in God's name but rather in the name of a church.

SO many people I meet have a huge problem with churches and "christians" because of the few zealots who do these things.

I have spent my life in church. 

I have been to more churches than I can count on my fingers, I have met so many  people from so many walks of life, and heard so many miracle stories from people from different parts of the word, and all of them love God with their entire being; not a single one of the hundreds of thousands of those people would ever dream of doing those things. 

If you sat down with these Jesus folowers I have met, you would more likely hear them talk about wanting to serve people, or hear them talk about beautiful things that God has done in their lives, or about how much unconditional love they have for people, or about how they want to be a better father or mother, or son or daughter. 

I have NEVER heard someone talk about doing something so ridiculous and disrespectful.

As American's so many of us think that we have become "tolerant" of other religions, but really we have just become liars. We have learned to curb our tongue and not demean people to their faces but we still think the thoughts and whisper behind peoples backs. 

 As people in general we need to not criticize  or belittle people. We also need to not talk bad about any group of people until we know enough about how they think and believe that we can actually look at thing accurately. We should then approach each other with respect and humility realizing that these people have just as much if not more reason to be respected than we ourselves do. 

I guess what I am really trying to say is that, yes I wholeheartedly believe in Jesus and God and the truth of the Bible, but no I don't think the world is going to end tomorrow and I don't think that people who follow islam are out to kill everyone, and I don't think solders are terrible or that the Qu-ran should be burned. I believe that everyone should be respected and loved no matter what they believe if for no other reason then that Jesus told us to, love others. I for one want to do what Jesus said because I am basing my forever on what He said.

I guess this is me apologizing for times I was really insensitive and mis-informed.