Bible-A Closer Look!

[sereia 0]

IMO, religion is an interpertative matter to the individual. Some take it to the extreme and some do not in every religion. I don't believe there are any wrong or right answers here. A true spiritual relationship should be between the indiviual and God. It is my opinion that God will lead you to do what is right.

i totally agree with you. and you also said it beautifully, btw. it would be a beautiful world if everyone were left alone to chose what religion they felt was right for them.

[chasnik 0]

i'm not an easily insulted person in general...but i'm insulted when people call it "reverting". muslims may believe that all people were born muslim, but no one else does!

people are not allowed to leave islam. its punishable by death! that alone is a pretty good reason not to convert to islam. good thing these people live in america and have religious freedom! good luck trying to convert from islam to another religion if you lived in a muslim country.

happy independence day!

Since you are marrying a muslim and a muslim man's children are muslim, will you decide to become less ignorant of Islam prior to having children with him?

A muslim man's child must become muslim? Talk about ignorance.

Realistically everyone believes their children are born into their religion do they not? As a christian it is believed that until a child reaches a certain age they are pure and if they die before that time they are automatically taken home to be with God. After that if you havent been saved then you are a sinner and if you die you will go to hell. Nothing scary there huh? Missed God knocking on my hearts door last night and didnt go to the alter to be "Saved" got killed in a car wreck on the way home...uh oh hell...There are these things in every religion...revert bothers you...even when I was a fire and brimstone pentecostal christian saved bothered me. Mohammed is of the opinion that everyone tries their best to make islam and any religion realistically too complicated. It is all about worshiping God right?

[sereia 0]

yes, i know - which brings me back to my point - how is it ignorant? that was the comment made.

what i think lucky meant, (correct me if i'm wrong) is that she assumed our children would be muslim because my fiance happens to be muslim. she just said it to be rude anyway. i find that quite ignorant myself actually!

[doodlebug 3]

I have a question: Have you always worshiped in Islam, or did you revert? If you reverted, what was the ONE defining factor that guided your decision? If I were to come to you and ask about Islam, what would be the one thing that you would stress to me to guide me in MY decision to revert?

I reverted/converted. btw when I say revert I'm not intentionally trying to diss the Christians/Jews/Hindus, et al. It's just how I feel. What was described to me is that we were all one big oooze.......and we all beat as one while worshipping the Creator............THAT is Islam......total worship to HIM, in a nutshell. When I was born I was baptized as a Catholic and I was raised that Jesus = God. Therefore, given that belief, when I finally realized that being a Muslim ultimately fulfills what I need, I considered it to be reverting to the very beginning. That's my belief but in no way do I ever intend to diss anyone by saying that just as others who have their beliefs have the right to their opinion. I think people can get too sensitive over terminology sometimes.

The ONE defining factor was a culmination of events for me. My research re: the bible, the history of Islam, etc. Call it a "moment" of reliazation for me that when I prostrate to the Creator I feel the ultimate peace and surrender and I feel like less than a pebble in the sand and ...well I feel like I'm right where I should be. Like someone else here said I always focused on everything else BUT God. The afternoons on Saturdays I'd spend doing adoration while praying the rosary for hours on end........I get more fulfillment out of one prayer session now than I did all my life of praying the rosary.

I guess the one thing to stress to you would be to focus on the fact that there is ONE God. The rest will just fall into place if you ask for His help.

I'll admit in the beginning I was super afraid of doing anything wrong, but I think it's pretty scarey when people tend to take everything so literally. It's impossible to do everything perfectly so inevitably you're gonna mess things up since we're all human.

[jundp 191]

I have to admit my views of Christianity may be flawed, I believe in God, but I don't really follow one religion. I know that is not a good thing. I admit that I have not read the Qur'an. However, I had read about Islam online, and I am more and more inclined to think maybe this is the religion for me. I don't see the devoutness in Christianity, the closeness with God and and the respect for your fellow man, as I do in Islam. What confuses me is all the Hadiths, I am still not sure what they are for exactly. Also, do you HAVE to speak in Arabic during prayer time?

I'm not picking an argument here, Tammy, but I think it truly depends on the congregation or worship community. I am Catholic (a religion that gets mocked more than most, I'd say!) and my particular community is incredibly devout, loving, and God centered. It is in this community that I reached a point where I felt that I had a cconnection to God. We don't just pray on Wednesdays and Sundays....I'm sorry that you were in a community that made you feel that. We promote prayer any time of the day, both community and individual. I found that scripted or timed prayer seemed less genuine. Again, that was my experience, and I have no personal experience with Islam, though I have peripheral experience through Muslim friends. What I don't like is ANY religion saying "I'm right...you're wrong" because I believe in tolerance....

Why would anyone want to leave?

Jackie

Exactly!!!!!!!!!

If the punishment is death, who would? Good point

The bible tells of this same nonsense, Gupt, but just like most Christians, most muslims are familiar with the concepts of historical context and allegory.

The bible says a thief should be sold into slavery if he cannot repay what he has stolen. Why aren't we afraid of Christianity? Because everyone knows the idea is preposterous.

In Christianity, denying Jesus is damnation and hellfire, and this is different than death?

Where in the New Testament are these quotes?

No, sweet Jen, I only look for ignorant, retarded, misinformed, ill-conceived posts to respond to. It really isn't my fault that they often end up being yours.

It seems like someone who professes to be faithful and devout shouldn't be going around calling other people (or their words) "retarded," as that smacks of intolerance and judgment. Or is it ok to be judgmental and intolerant?

I don't want to fight with anyone here but leaving Islam is NOT punishable by death per the Islamic religion. People, often those who dislike the religion of Islam, often quote a passage in the Quran that states something along those lines but it's totally taken out of context. Back in the day of the Prophet, pbuh, there were tribes that were converting to Islam falsely so that they could be spies and use the information to attack him and his people. When they left Islam it triggered others to realize who the spy was, and it was wartime and so spies were put to death.

All things in the Quran should not be taken literally and out of context.

I agree with this, as all things in the Bible should as well. I think it's when people start second-guessing and putting their human interpretations or literal readings into it that we get into trouble. But, that's just MHO

[doodlebug 3]

No, sweet Jen, I only look for ignorant, retarded, misinformed, ill-conceived posts to respond to. It really isn't my fault that they often end up being yours.

It seems like someone who professes to be faithful and devout shouldn't be going around calling other people (or their words) "retarded," as that smacks of intolerance and judgment. Or is it ok to be judgmental and intolerant?

She doesn't profess to be faithful and devout. In fact I think she's professed to be agnostic if not atheistic in the past.

[jundp 191]

No, sweet Jen, I only look for ignorant, retarded, misinformed, ill-conceived posts to respond to. It really isn't my fault that they often end up being yours.

It seems like someone who professes to be faithful and devout shouldn't be going around calling other people (or their words) "retarded," as that smacks of intolerance and judgment. Or is it ok to be judgmental and intolerant?

She doesn't profess to be faithful and devout. In fact I think she's professed to be agnostic if not atheistic in the past.

Oh, well, then in that case, how about human decency?

[mybackpages 0]

its not just you. all muslims use the term "revert".

I don't. Neither does my husband.

[doodlebug 3]

No, sweet Jen, I only look for ignorant, retarded, misinformed, ill-conceived posts to respond to. It really isn't my fault that they often end up being yours.

It seems like someone who professes to be faithful and devout shouldn't be going around calling other people (or their words) "retarded," as that smacks of intolerance and judgment. Or is it ok to be judgmental and intolerant?

She doesn't profess to be faithful and devout. In fact I think she's professed to be agnostic if not atheistic in the past.

Oh, well, then in that case, how about human decency?

[Henia 11]

I have a question: Have you always worshiped in Islam, or did you revert? If you reverted, what was the ONE defining factor that guided your decision? If I were to come to you and ask about Islam, what would be the one thing that you would stress to me to guide me in MY decision to revert?

Who did you direct this question to?

Are people allowed to leave Islam?

Yes, of course. I am sure just like with any other religion the family would have something to say about it.

[peezey 0]

i'm not an easily insulted person in general...but i'm insulted when people call it "reverting". muslims may believe that all people were born muslim, but no one else does!

people are not allowed to leave islam. its punishable by death! that alone is a pretty good reason not to convert to islam. good thing these people live in america and have religious freedom! good luck trying to convert from islam to another religion if you lived in a muslim country.

happy independence day!

Since you are marrying a muslim and a muslim man's children are muslim, will you decide to become less ignorant of Islam prior to having children with him?

A muslim man's child must become muslim? Talk about ignorance.

"become"??

IMO, religion is an interpertative matter to the individual. Some take it to the extreme and some do not in every religion. I don't believe there are any wrong or right answers here. A true spiritual relationship should be between the indiviual and God. It is my opinion that God will lead you to do what is right.

I think in any of the three books (Torah, Bible, Qur'an) certain passages can be used to illustrate violence. Yet all three contain passages that honor God and speak about being good to fellow man. Again, it's all a matter of interpertation.

There are wrong answers when people are posting ignorant, wrong answers that are inaccurate and untrue.

[Henia 11]

I am loving this thread already. Few hours ago it was posted, now 4 pages later! Nice...real nice!

Many people do not use revert or convert. I think that is term used more widely by those who converted. Born Muslims in my experience would just call you Muslim. I see no difference btwn born-Muslim or converted Muslim, here on this Earth. Only the God in your judgement will say ... But all you unbelievers out there, watch out there may be a hidden Muslim in you yet! LOLOL!

[peezey 0]

yes, i know - which brings me back to my point - how is it ignorant? that was the comment made.

what i think lucky meant, (correct me if i'm wrong) is that she assumed our children would be muslim because my fiance happens to be muslim. she just said it to be rude anyway. i find that quite ignorant myself actually!

It's not an assumption, it is what is believed by muslims and is fart more a rule of Islam than any of this putting to death for leaving Islam that you seem to know so much about. Even when men marry women of the book, the children are muslim. There is none of this marital democracy in Islam about such things.

[peezey 0]

Why would anyone want to leave?

Jackie

Exactly!!!!!!!!!

If the punishment is death, who would? Good point

The bible tells of this same nonsense, Gupt, but just like most Christians, most muslims are familiar with the concepts of historical context and allegory.

The bible says a thief should be sold into slavery if he cannot repay what he has stolen. Why aren't we afraid of Christianity? Because everyone knows the idea is preposterous.

In Christianity, denying Jesus is damnation and hellfire, and this is different than death?

Where in the New Testament are these quotes?

No, sweet Jen, I only look for ignorant, retarded, misinformed, ill-conceived posts to respond to. It really isn't my fault that they often end up being yours.

It seems like someone who professes to be faithful and devout shouldn't be going around calling other people (or their words) "retarded," as that smacks of intolerance and judgment. Or is it ok to be judgmental and intolerant?

I wasn't talking about the New Testament. And I'm not devout, I'm atheist. We're allowed to say retarded in my religion.

[peezey 0]

No, sweet Jen, I only look for ignorant, retarded, misinformed, ill-conceived posts to respond to. It really isn't my fault that they often end up being yours.

It seems like someone who professes to be faithful and devout shouldn't be going around calling other people (or their words) "retarded," as that smacks of intolerance and judgment. Or is it ok to be judgmental and intolerant?

She doesn't profess to be faithful and devout. In fact I think she's professed to be agnostic if not atheistic in the past.

Oh, well, then in that case, how about human decency?

Right, because Jen was oh-so-polite to me when she accused me of coming to the thread to attack her. Human decency, my azz. It was uber decent of her to mis-represent Islam with the apostate murder thing, I suppose?

Edited July 4, 2007 by peezey