j. myrle wrote:
"One could say the same thing about Mormonism"
I wouldn't say that.
If one has a falling out as a Saint, one can end up disfellowshipped or excommunicated.
If a muslim goes against islam we all know what they do to apostates.
I've been reading a lot regarding Joseph Smith and the Saints lately (currently reading "Rough Stone Rolling").
Except for a period during which they were under intense attack from Missourians, the Saints didn't use violence against those who opposed them (and there were MANY who opposed them). They often were victims of horrible abuse, and chose to move on as a result.
It's true that some politics got mixed into their religion, however. One reason others feared the Saints is that they tended to vote as a block, according to Joseph's wishes. Smith even went to Washington to appeal to president Martin Van Buren for relief in Missouri. Van Buren gave Smith an audience but ultimately said that he "could do nothing for him". Later on, Smith went so far as to announce his own candidacy for the presidency, which of course went nowhere beyond his own people.
But to consign the Mormons to the same level of behaviour as the muslims?
That goes beyond stretching the bounds of reason...