Endo, Ive followed your 21 posts - and you strike me as a smart guy. I would disagree, a smart guy would have this sorted out and be doing more productive things So do you really need answerss to those questions? Your telling me that you have studied all this stuff about Islam, but you came accross those two (partial) ahadeeth and you got confused? Not just these, many. The whole way hadith seem to override reason and quran. You know that Islam allows christians and jews and sabians (and even the hindus in india) to practice their abomnable religions - so why ask such a question? you know the answer. Allows? How many churches in Saudi? How are the copts treated? Hindus during time of the reign Muslims? They survive, but they are exploited, harassed, and pushed to convert to islam. You also know that in an Islamic state - the non-muslims have restrictions placed on them and there is a double standard -its a theocracy, what do you expect - If I lived in a christian country, I wouldnt be upset if those christians limited some of my rights as long as I can practice my religion to the fullest - its a theocracy. But would you be able to? And if a religion is true, why violently force it down peoples throats and forbid them from leaving? I had a buddy, now a surgeon, who was COPT. The stories he used to tell do not lead me to believe that christians are free to to practice their religion You see a theocracy is built on a premiss that this world is temporary, and adhearance to a single religion is most important - thus, those citizens who do not adhear to said religion do not deserve the same privalges as a citizen who does adhere. And who determines this? The state and state supported scholars. MEN, not God You have been raised in a culture that constantly promotes this world - and constantly screams freedom, so its no wonder why you would scream of injustices of a theocracy. ...But, I got good news for you, there are no Islamic theocracies on earth today, so you dont have to worry about it. No countries with quran as the constitution, I can think of a few... P.S. - the second hadeeth which you may or may not have quioted without context does not say that a Muslim can kill kafirs willy nilly with no punishment - the Shari punishment for murder is death (or blood ransom, or forgiveness , its up to the victims fam) - so this hadeeth is saying that death is not an option when the victim is a kafir.