Factors preventing people from conversion to Islam

[YmirGF]

The reason I do not convert to Islam is because it offers nothing I do not already have.

And I reject the idea that Muhammad was a prophet of "god", whatever "god" is, precisely.

 

[outhouse]

the golden age is over

 

[Vendetta]

The reason I do not convert to Islam is because it offers nothing I do not already have.

And I reject the idea that Muhammad was a prophet of "god", whatever "god" is, precisely.

What is it that you have?

 

[jasem]

Who has told you this matter? No such a thing is forbidden in Islam. We just have this saying that eating with right hand is better not that left hand eating is forbidden or something like that. As a matter of fact I assure you you are welcome to eat with whatever part of your body you like!

 

[jasem]

I'm left handed - does that put me in league with shaitan?

I'm just thinking... Is that really such a great important matter for Islam-willing to convert people? really? eating food with left or right hand? I assure you you can eat with whatever you want? I would be glad if there is any other misbelieve about the Islam to hear? Well I didn't know left hand eating is such an issue that scares people!! Just relax and ask about other hesitations!!

 

[McBell]

 

[Muffled]

What are the main factors that makes non-muslims be hesitated about converting to Islam?

I: Propaganda of western media about the stereotype of Muslims with radical-fundamental attitudes?

II: Difficulty of avoiding most of the forbidden habits like drinking alcohol and ...?

Please share your thinking specially the ones who have converted to Islam or are willing to convert.

None of the above. I have a better religion in Christianity. Why would I wish to revert to something that doesn't work as well?

 

[jasem]

None of the above. I have a better religion in Christianity. Why would I wish to revert to something that doesn't work as well?

Good for you. We really respect Jesus Christ as one of our main prophets that had been sent by God and we believe that he will return at the start of apocalypse and will fill the world with peace. Also we believe in Holy virgin Mary as one of the greatest women in the world.

 

[Darkness]

Of course I have felt totally hopeless. It didn't cause me to turn to an invisible man in the sky but made me realise I was being whiny and pathetic.

I was raised Christian, so I have had my fair share of conversations with God while in moments of crisis. Some of these even took place after I de-converted. Yet, ever time I do, I am simply re-affirmed that there is nothing on the other end listening to me.

Why would you fill whiny and pathetic? If the world creation was an accident as some physicists and scientists believe in it, why weren't you created as a dust particle or a wood part?!! Don't you think this fine creation of your body and sole is due to a higher purpose? Maybe that invisible guy above the sky has really good plans for you.

You cannot be created as something in a materialistic universe. You can only be created as something if you accept the dualistic belief in a spirit/soul that has the capacity to possess material objects. In other words, I am not me if I am created as a cat.

I'm just thinking... Is that really such a great important matter for Islam-willing to convert people? really? eating food with left or right hand? I assure you you can eat with whatever you want? I would be glad if there is any other misbelieve about the Islam to hear? Well I didn't know left hand eating is such an issue that scares people!! Just relax and ask about other hesitations!!

I feel bad for you now, jasem. Most of the people telling you these reasons for not converting to Islam are screwing with you, and you seem to be believing that they are serious.

 

[Vendetta]

Darkness,

This is a forum. People choose to allow themselves to get "screwed with" if they so choose. With respect to your de-conversion perhaps your "lack of faith" may be the result of some variable within your own life. After all, why we choose to believe or disbelieve in a thing is the result of life experience.

 

[LuisDantas]

Darkness has a point.

 

[Darkness]

For why I believe people do not convert to religion or any other religion for that matter is more broadly sociological. We would all like to believe that we are rational and not driven by larger cultural and social forces, but that is simply a comforting lie. Religion is very much a cultural meme. One reason the free-will-hell hypothesis fails is that, if it were true, we would expect to see religion pretty evenly spread throughout the world. Yet, we see religions arranged in cultural patterns. Thus, from a Christian perspective, God loves white people and Hispanics. From a Muslim perspective, God favours Arabs, Southern Slavs and Pakistanis.

I wanted to write more, but I am out of time and have to head over to my internship programme.

 

[Marble]

My question was "Why people hesitate to think about converting to Islam?" Why media is poisoning minds just against the Islam, not for example Hindoes or Shintoes or ...?!!!

We should ask who are killing the interest? Maybe the media. How often you have seen a Muslim with an explosive belt and not in the form of a university professor or a successful businessman? Why always Muslims are counted as radicals?

I do not think the media are poisoning minds of people against Islam.
But it is a fact that much of nowaday's terrorism is done in the name of Islam, and in reagard to international terrorism, I do not remember a single terror attack that was from a non-Muslim group.
There are terrorist attacks in England by the IRA, but never an IRA terror group has travelled to - let's say - USA to fire a bomb in front of the English embassy there.
There are terror attacks in Spain carried out by the ETA, but I have never heard that an ETA terror group carried out a single assault against Spanish institutions outside of Spain.
And in Sri Lanka the LTTE undertook terrorist attacks, but I have never heard of them going abroad to attack representations of the Sri Lanka government there.

 

[Vendetta]

I agree that religion is, as it has been historically cultural. However I do think there are other areas within a specific religion that attract people, not just cultural influences. However it would be unfair to say "from a Muslim perspective God favors a specific culture/race" when we know geographically majority of Muslims are not Arabs.

But I get your point nonetheless

 

[Vinayaka]

What are the main factors that makes non-muslims be hesitated about converting to Islam?

I: Propaganda of western media about the stereotype of Muslims with radical-fundamental attitudes?

II: Difficulty of avoiding most of the forbidden habits like drinking alcohol and ...?

Please share your thinking specially the ones who have converted to Islam or are willing to convert.

Jasem, perhaps a way of understanding this would be to ask yourself the same concept, but substitute 'Christianity, etc' instead of Islam. I'm guessing you'll find, in that process, many of the same answers you are getting here.

 

[England my lionheart]

What are the main factors that makes non-muslims be hesitated about converting to Islam?

I would say that for many there is no hesitation,Islam like any religion is based on faith not facts,this alone for many is enough not to consider converting to Islam.

Islam like many religions was great for its time,Muhammed managed to unite the Arabs and up until the end of the golden age of Islam was great but from then on it declined to what we see now,fragmented with ambiguous scripture which is akin to what Christianity has become.

I: Propaganda of western media about the stereotype of Muslims with radical-fundamental attitudes?

I think that the "science in the Qur'an" Brigade do more harm than any western media propaganda could ever achieve

II: Difficulty of avoiding most of the forbidden habits like drinking alcohol and ...?

I don't think that is a valid reason,there are many people who abstain from drinking and such but are neither Muslim or Christian

Please share your thinking specially the ones who have converted to Islam or are willing to convert.

My thinking is straightforward,there is no proof to back up the Qur'an,there is no proof that Moses or Jesus ever existed or Muhammeds night flight to Jerusalem ever happened,it also seems IMO that the Qur'an has plagiarized the books of the Bible.

These are just a small amount of reasons for people not to convert to Islam,there are more and i think culture plays a big part in that too,kind of you become what you surround yourself with.

 

[Looncall]

What are the main factors that makes non-muslims be hesitated about converting to Islam?

I: Propaganda of western media about the stereotype of Muslims with radical-fundamental attitudes?

II: Difficulty of avoiding most of the forbidden habits like drinking alcohol and ...?

Please share your thinking specially the ones who have converted to Islam or are willing to convert.

Given the social conditions in muslim-majority countries, no rational person would have anything to do with islam.

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Who has told you this matter? No such a thing is forbidden in Islam. We just have this saying that eating with right hand is better not that left hand eating is forbidden or something like that. As a matter of fact I assure you you are welcome to eat with whatever part of your body you like!

Oh my.

I was raised Christian, so I have had my fair share of conversations with God while in moments of crisis. Some of these even took place after I de-converted. Yet, ever time I do, I am simply re-affirmed that there is nothing on the other end listening to me.

These sort of "atheists in foxholes" arguments always struck me as a rather dishonest approach. Our thinking processes aren't at their best when we're in a crisis; I know I've thought and done plenty of dumb things when I was in a panic situation or a low point in my life. I think it goes against common sense to argue that our thinking at these sorts of moments is a clearer indication of our "true" beliefs than our thinking the rest of the time.

Given the social conditions in muslim-majority countries, no rational person would have anything to do with islam.

I think that's a bit of an overstatement, but speaking for myself, as I thought about the OP, I realized that I do feel a fair bit of revulsion to Islam coming mainly out of the actions of Muslims. There are plenty of things in Islam that make me think "if this is what Islam makes people do, I want no part of it."

Of course, I could go on all day with rational objections to its beliefs and tenets, but I think either the logical arguments or the gut-level revulsion would be enough to keep me from becoming a Muslim all on their own.

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

To convert to, or try, a different faith is meaningless if you do not totally believe it to be true.

One can teach aspects of a culture or the "rules" required by a faith for daily practice.
One can also teach the meanings of the holy books. and the religious do's and dont's that spring from them.
however only God can give you faith.

I would contend that Islam is too much about rules and ancient beliefs, that no longer have any meaning in "living a perfect or Godly life" in today's world.
Islam lacks the one thing that a Living religion requires and that is the ability to change and grow.
Change is the one thing that is constant in God's creation.

God's Holy spirit is within us from conception.It is nothing we can convert to, or put away from us, what ever our chosen religion.
It is not a question of belief or faith. The Holy spirit is unavoidable. It eventually leads us all to God. what ever path we take.

 

[Vendetta]

@9-10ths

What if Islam isn't the problem? What if its a combination of socio-political attitudes and people being out right ignorant?