[5.3] Forbidden to you is that which dies of itself, and blood, and flesh of swine, and that on which any other name than that of Allah has been invoked, and the strangled (animal) and that beaten to death, and that killed by a fall and that killed by being smitten with the horn, and that which wild beasts have eaten, except what you slaughter, and what is sacrificed on stones set up (for idols) and that you divide by the arrows; that is a transgression. This day have those who disbelieve despaired of your religion, so fear them not, and fear Me. This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion; but whoever is compelled by hunger, not inclining willfully to sin, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.

The latter part of this is really disturbing, Islam tells you that you have been chosen for it and it has been perfected for you! This is surely Cult tactics, like something the church of scientology would tell you.

I've read also this line a number of times "hereafter he shall be one of the losers." Now Islam is a bully! seems funny to me that a little over 500 years ago the "Loser" insult was being used to put people down.

[5.18] And the Jews and the Christians say: We are the sons of Allah and His beloved ones. Say: Why does He then chastise you for your faults? Nay, you are mortals from among those whom He has created, He forgives whom He pleases and chastises whom He pleases; and Allah's is the kingdom of the heavens and the earth and what is between them, and to Him is the eventual coming.

What's this about? Why should the Jews and the Christians be persecuted in Allahs eyes? Certainly it seems that the Jews have always been persecuted by someone, religion's whipping boys? It is a cunning trick actually; to include in your religion a synopsis of others and point out their weaknesses, reminds me of American adverts where one company says they are so much better than their competitors and explicitly names them. Doesn't really seem fair.

This is worrying; having started out with an impartial view of the Quran, i see myself turning against it and disliking what i read. The only other time this has happened to me is with Christianity.

[5.20] And when Musa said to his people: O my people! remember the favor of Allah upon you when He raised prophets among you and made you kings and gave you what He had not given to any other among the nations.
[5.21] O my people! enter the holy land which Allah has prescribed for you and turn not on your backs for then you will turn back losers.
[5.22] They said: O Musa! surely there is a strong race in it, and we will on no account enter it until they go out from it, so if they go out from it, then surely we will enter.
[5.23] Two men of those who feared, upon both of whom Allah had bestowed a favor, said: Enter upon them by the gate, for when you have entered it you shall surely be victorious, and on Allah should you rely if you are believers.
[5.24] They said: O Musa! we shall never enter it so long as they are in it; go therefore you and your Lord, then fight you both surely we will here sit down.

(My translation) They said: no way, we are not going to risk ourselves fighing that lot. You go and fight and we'll sit here and wait for you.

[5.25] He said: My Lord! Surely I have no control (upon any) but my own self and my brother; therefore make a separation between us and the nation of transgressors.

(my translation) he said: but i can not control the other people, can't you just keep us apart?

[5.26] He said: So it shall surely be forbidden to them for forty years, they shall wander about in the land, therefore do not grieve for the nation of transgressors.
[5.27] And relate to them the story of the two sons of Adam with truth when they both offered an offering, but it was accepted from one of them and was not accepted from the other. He said: I I will most certainly slay you. (The other) said: Allah only accepts from those who guard (against evil).

(My translation) in the future tell the story of two men who were both given a mission from Allah, one of them accepted and the other didn't. The one who accepted wanted to kill his brother because his brother would not accept this mission, he saw it was evil and Allah was testing them.

[5.28] If you will stretch forth your hand towards me to slay me, I am not one to stretch forth my hand towards you to slay you surely I fear Allah, the Lord of the worlds:

(My translation) You can kill me and i do not fear it, i only fear Allah.

[5.29] Surely I wish that you should bear the sin committed against me and your own sin, and so you would be of the inmates of the fire, and this is the recompense of the unjust.
[5.30] Then his mind facilitated to him the slaying of his brother so he slew him; then he became one of the losers
[5.31] Then Allah sent a crow digging up the earth so that he might show him how he should cover the dead body of his brother. He said: Woe me! do I lack the strength that I should be like this crow and cover the dead body of my brother? So he became of those who regret.
[5.32] For this reason did We prescribe to the children of Israel that whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men; and whoever keeps it alive, it is as though he kept alive all men; and certainly Our apostles came to them with clear arguments, but even after that many of them certainly act extravagantly in the land.
[5.33] The punishment of those who wage war against Allah and His apostle and strive to make mischief in the land is only this, that they should be murdered or crucified or their hands and their feet should be cut off on opposite sides or they should be imprisoned; this shall be as a disgrace for them in this world, and in the hereafter they shall have a grievous chastisement,

Not sure i understand this at all! my attempt to explain it may well pervert the original meaning. however i'm not sure what that is. It could be that Allah wants us to fight the transgressors and those that do not fight will be subject to grievous chastisement.

therefore fear not the people and fear Me

Thee is something wrong the logic of becomming free from fear and greif and yet still fearing, yes it's the almighty, but fear is an off/on kind of deal rather than a grey area with a bit of fear here and not any over there.

[5.51] O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people.

I really don't remember ever being taught to hate other religions by my Christian upbringing, why are muslims taught this? Actually i'm surprised to not see the hindus and the buddhists here as well.

[5.57] O you who believe! do not take for guardians those who take your religion for a mockery and a joke, from among those who were given the Book before you and the unbelievers; and be careful of (your duty to) Allah if you are believers.
[5.58] And when you call to prayer they make it a mockery and a joke; this is because they are a people who do not understand.

I'm beginning to get a sense of faith in muslims that most westerners do not have, not because they are christian or jewish, but because they are neither any more. If there is ever a holy war, those with no faith will thrashed by the muslims because of their strength of belief. I can see why Godless America is hated.

[5.64] And the Jews say: The hand of Allah is tied up! Their hands shall be shackled and they shall be cursed for what they say. Nay, both His hands are spread out, He expends as He pleases; and what has been revealed to you from your Lord will certainly make many of them increase in inordinacy and unbelief; and We have put enmity and hatred among them till the day of resurrection; whenever they kindle a fire for war Allah puts it out, and they strive to make mischief in the land; and Allah does not love the mischief-makers.
[5.65] And if the followers of the Book had believed and guarded (against evil) We would certainly have covered their evil deeds and We would certainly have made them enter gardens of bliss

So i'm thinking of the situation in Iraq, was Muslim lead Iraq under Saddam a Goddly country. It seems to me that it wasn't and Islam was used incorrectly by the leaders. So given Allahs ruling Saddam would be brought to justice by Allah, which could be seen to have happened. The people rejoiced and all was well, but one godless leader was replaced with another and this one was not a muslim and barely a christian, he/they were godless invaders, and again by the ruling of Allah they also must be brought to justice for their crimes, not against man, but against Allah.

[5.90] O you who believe! intoxicants and games of chance and (sacrificing to) stones set up and (dividing by) arrows are only an uncleanness, the Shaitan's work; shun it therefore that you may be successful.
[5.91] The Shaitan only desires to cause enmity and hatred to spring in your midst by means of intoxicants and games of chance, and to keep you off from the remembrance of Allah and from prayer. Will you then desist?

It's funny to me that this universal hatred of drink and drugs in religion as in government and law actually harbours the spark that is needed to be able to see the truth of things. It seems that religions and governments do not want people to see the truth and demonise altered states of consciousness as evil, and yet these same altered states are exactly those that their own apostles spoke about and wnated people to experience.

[5.94] O you who believe! Allah will certainly try you in respect of some game which your hands and your lances can reach, that Allah might know who fears Him in secret; but whoever exceeds the limit after this, he shall have a painful punishment.
[5.95] O you who believe! do not kill game while you are on pilgrimage, and whoever among you shall kill it intentionally, the compensation (of it) is the like of what he killed, from the cattle, as two just persons among you shall judge, as an offering to be brought to the Kaaba or the expiation (of it) is the feeding of the poor or the equivalent of it in fasting, that he may taste the unwholesome result of his deed; Allah has pardoned what is gone by; and whoever returns (to it), Allah will inflict retribution on him; and Allah is Mighty, Lord of Retribution.

What is it with all too familiar human traits of selfishness and greed that prevent men from telling the whole truth, why must it always be skewed in their favour?

[5.97] Allah has made the Kaaba, the sacred house, a maintenance for the people, and the sacred month and the offerings and the sacrificial animals with garlands; this is that you may know that Allah knows whatever is in the heavens and whatever is in the earth, and that Allah is the Knower of all things.

I hate all this sacrifice stuff, the only sacrifice that one must make to T6yr4 is the sacrifice of his mind.

[5.101] O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you, and if you question about them when the Quran is being revealed, they shall be declared to you; Allah pardons this, and Allah is Forgiving, Forbearing.

But like the man says, maybe i should read it all before judging.

The Quran