Important points raised by Khairan

[Khairan]

as salam alykombelieve it or not I signed on again, becoming islammessage holic huh

any way, I think in some cases I have a problem understanding your actual point.

let me see here, u say that many Muslims, ( i havent met any myself), disagree with the penalty for apostasy.

If this is the point then:

apostasy is a crime in Islam, a crime is usually associated with societal harmful effects.

Islam does not enforce a punishment over non Muslims living in a Muslim state (if there is any now).

A non Muslim may live and practice freely.

However, a Muslim who walks away is subjected to punishment of death.

Allah say in Quran what means the Deen accepted to Allah is Islam and that Allah does not accept for His servants kufr after being Muslims

Just look at the harmful effects of a parent who walks away on his children.

Just exactly as one who kills is punished by death murder. A killer has damaging influence on the society.

Just briefly.

Hope u r following the point.

And yet, the Qur'an says "Let there be no compulsion in religion." If you threaten to kill someone for leaving Islam, are you not compelling there religious beliefs? Further, such a person who stayed a Muslim even though they did not believe is a hypocrite (also condemned), as they are Muslim for show only and not because they actually believe so.

As for whether this is a point argued by Muslims, it most certainly is. I will refer you to the S.A. Rahman, a Chief of Justice in Pakistan, who did not support a death penalty for apostates and noted that in the 20 or so instances where apostasy is mentioned in the Qur'an, never once is death associated with it. So, there is absolutely NO scriptural basis for killing apostates and this penalty is based solely on oral tradition. Further, to my knowledge there is no historical record of the Prophet ever sentencing someone to death for apostasy.