The Wrong Question

Something that bugs me a bit in some news reporting I've read about Islam is the assertion that "the vast majority of Muslims are peaceful."

I have no argument with that assertion. In fact, I'm sure it's true. The problem is that it's just flat irrelevant.

I say this because the vast majority of any group is peaceful. Not everybody who subscribes to a doctrine acts upon it.

So whether the vast majority of some group is peaceful is simply not the question. The question is (or should be), "Does this philosophy or religion promote violence?"