Many people thing Islam because of the events surrounding 9/11. But actually Islam is the right religion. The Prophet (peace be upon him) told us to be kind to each other, to respect our parents, and too worship the one and only lord Allah the most gracious, the most merciful. There will be a day, the day of judgment were we will stand before our lord and be judged by our deeds. To be a Muslim you must do the five pillars of islam. 1.Ashahadah (Believing Allah is the one and only lord and Muhammad is his messenger) 2.Salat(5 daily prayers, Dawn,Noon,Afternoon,Evening,Dusk 3.Zakat(Charity 2.5% of ones wealth) 4.Hajj (pilgrimage to mekkah at least once in your life if healthy and wealthy) 5.Fasting(Restricting food and water for a whole day in the month of ramadan) Also you must read the quran the words of Allah.(Like the Bible)
ROFL @ Kane...you actually read the Lee Strobel? I refused to touch it after reading the first two chapters of another anthology of a similar nature...the first chapter of which was Why I am Not a Moral Relativist.
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Anyway, I was going to say we're having the stirrings of "what if Lewis Caroll debated with Bernard Shaw" but Shaw was most definitely agnostic...not atheist... D:
@godofsalt: Sorry to put words in your mouth; that was not my intent. I still don't think believing in a god is worthwhile; there are plenty of better ways to raise your morale. Besides, believing in unicorns or leprechauns isn't going to raise your morale. Why should you believe in a god or gods?
I think you mean scientifically proved, because science doesn't approve or disapprove of anything. I also think you're wrong; the urban legend that we only use 10% of our brain is false (check snopes.com). Praying has no benefit, and is nothing but a waste of time. If you have a cite otherwise, I'd love to see it.
Just because one person believes in something, even a smart person, doesn't mean it's right. There are plenty of modern scientists, like Dawkins, Myers, Einstein (ok, maybe a deist), etc. that are atheist. I'll put a lot more stock in them than in Galileo believing, since Galileo was threatened with death for not toeing the line the Pope put forward. Is is really believe if you'll be killed for being an atheist?
@Strop: Yea, the girl that asked me to read it was really hot. Curse those hormones for making me do things that melt my brain!
Lewis Carroll, now there is a theist whose arguments I can respect. Well-thought out, not offensive, adult presentation. I think the only flaw I can find with him is that I disagree with some of his premises. I wish all theists were like him.
@silentcore: anything to back that up, or was that just a drive-by "me too" post?
@kanethebrain i think we both can argue for pages as ou are a determined atheist and i just like prove others wrong but im not that religous to support religion to that extent so you win
LOL @ Kane again. Man, you've got some gems. I, on the other hand, am immune to such things >
Heh, I believe from what little I've read of Carroll, he converted because he had that kind of epiphany. Which is why, as far as I can tell, his first premise is pretty much "BUT HOW CAN YOU NOT BELIEVE!!!1!11one "
Which does go to demonstrate how ultimately it is a matter of faith, or conviction in what one believes.
Also, godofsalt, you're too perceptive for the good of the forum!
p.s. I think fully stated, it goes that generally only 10% of our brains is active at any given moment, though obviously we should be using most of our brain. The bits that we don't use degenerate, die off and make way for connections between parts that we use more of.
Darn it, we've hijacked the thread again. We need more people versed in the Islamic faith on this forum to tell us like it really is regarding Islam!
I forgot:
Just because one person believes in something, even a smart person, doesn't mean it's right. There are plenty of modern scientists, like Dawkins, Myers, Einstein (ok, maybe a deist), etc. that are atheist.
Seeing as my mother is a staunch Christian and I am a staunch (academically-minded) agnostic, I get the whole "these people are Ph.Ds and professors at Cambridge and Harvard and they believe!"
And strangely, my objection often boils down to: "But they're rampant homophobes!" xD
@Strop: yea, we need to stop hijacking threads. Homeland security is going to be after us.
In the interests of returning to a discussion of Islam, do the Muslims on the boards feel like the restrictions Islam places on you makes you stronger in your faith, or makes your faith less accessible?
when you are forced to do something its human nature to resist and do the opposite... this is only an opinion as the place i live we have no restrictions
Why should I follow a religion whose founder was a violent warlord? Muhammad set out to conquer and use religion to gain a following. He used religion for power and nothing else. The Koran extensively oppresses women and permits violence. Muslims today will kill anyone who insults their religion. They don't believe in freedom of speech, or freedom at all. I'll steer clear of Islam.
thelistman, while it is true that Mohamed (your transliteration is also correct, as far as I know) was a general and a conqueror, he was no different than any other successful political leader for thousands of years of human history. I'm not a fan of the guy, but don't demonize him.
You also state a bunch of falsehoods about Muslim. I know plenty of Muslim women and none of them are oppressed. Some Muslim women are, but that is for cultural reasons rather than religious ones. Muslims do not kill anyone that insults their religion, although some will kill you for insulting anything about them. Many Muslims believe not only in freedom of speech, but also all the other freedoms that Westerners hold dear. It is true that some Muslims believe in oppression, but that is true for some Christians, some Jews, some Hindus, and for many other religions as well.
I think they're all pointless, but there's no point in building strawmen to tear down other religions. The religions make themselves easy enough to tear down as it is.
I know the whole "religious tolerance" speech. But most male Muslims I know are chauvinists. They think they are the best. The women... well they aren't allowed to talk to me because I'm a male.
I took a middle-east politics class in my first year of college. Two Muslim females in the class had brothers in the class. These guys did not even sign up for the class! They were making sure their sisters did nothing wrong. If they so much as replied to a male in class, they were harshly told to stop by their brothers.
I know many Muslims are good people. But most of the male Muslims I have met are jerks, and the women are completely oppressed and watched over at all times.
The professor didn't throw the brothers our of the class? I'm amazed they got away with stifling academic debate. Sounds like time for a note to the dean.
I'm sorry you had to deal with jerks of any religion.
