Unfair opinions about Islam :(

[illykitty]

Yes. I enjoy the liturgy, the art, the idea of a deity dying to show his love for his creation, and other aspects. Some parts of it are probably stemming from my depression, to be honest.

Yeah depression sucks, I hear you. :/

Though about the rest, can you find what you like about Catholicism elsewhere? Not nessesairily another organised religion... But just a thought. Though I'm guessing that's maybe what you're doing from your religion under your username?

I'm trying to piece my life together with things which I appreciate without going against my ethics and so on. Kind of hard being a seeker sometimes but it's taking me somewhere that I finally like and have no problems with.

 

[muhammad_isa]

..I never thought democracy would 'work' in a society that imposes Sharia Law..

I realise that it's a controversial topic, but I understand from the Qur'an that Allah, the Most High, enjoins democracy upon us..

..bit difficult in times of war, though .. isn't it always, regardless of faith

 

[muhammad_isa]

A good Muslim should not associate with non-believers. That is Allah's word..

Not really .. unless those non-believers are oppressing you, for example

 

[Deidre]

Not really .. unless those non-believers are oppressing you, for example

Exactly. A lot of the Qur'an and the Bible are contextual.

The Bible states something similar: 2 Corinthians 6:14 (''unequally yoked'')

It strikes me as the reason behind it isn't as harsh as it might sound. It is designed to keep believers from being led into sin by non-believers. Or so that was the thought.

As we all know...just because someone is a believer, doesn't mean they are greater in character than a non-believer.

 

[Toxikmynd]

Well, I was into Islam for awhile, and I still am, but I consider myself Heathen, I read the Quran and I enjoy it. Yet I'm not sure the purpose of Abrahamic religion anymore... I love Islam, if I have to choose an Abrahamic religion one day, I'll just go with the one that I like the most. (Still Islam....)

 

[psychoslice]

What is there to transcend in that?

As long as we have a belief, there is always room for transcending that belief.

 

[psychoslice]

It may be called conditioning by those who are too attached to having convenient, automatic labels for everything without actually considering the particularities of each situation.

It often is conditioning.

It does not have to be, though.

Yes I agree, but unless one does see the conditioning in the beginning, then there is no thought to examine that conditioning, so it stays as conditioning.

 

[LuisDantas]

As long as we have a belief, there is always room for transcending that belief.

Empty words. Next.

 

[psychoslice]

Empty words. Next.

Yes empty words, that's why you have to see where they point, because they are only words.

 

[gsa]

As we all know...just because someone is a believer, doesn't mean they are greater in character than a non-believer.

While that seems clear enough to a disinterested observer, in Christianity you are supposedly being sanctified and purified by the Holy Spirit. So you go from being much more sinful, as you were without God, to a higher moral plane, upon conversion.

At least that's how I read St. Paul.

 

[Deidre]

While that seems clear enough to a disinterested observer, in Christianity you are supposedly being sanctified and purified by the Holy Spirit. So you go from being much more sinful, as you were without God, to a higher moral plane, upon conversion.

At least that's how I read St. Paul.

Yea, sounds about right. I don't like Paul.

 

[Deidre]

My 24hrs of a self-imposed break from Islam threads is over

lol Did the rest do you good?

My thoughts on infallible holy books -

It is the One Ring to rule them All aspect. Absolute authority in full effect.

One True God, One True Messenger, One True Book, One True/Correct Set of Rules, and on and on...One True Interpretation if necessary.

With opinions of men seeking the last word/power, people can always say so and so is just another man...what does he know, why listen to him? Some realized if you use divine authority you can convince others more easily. You can have a whole gigantic group of people follow you while believing you speak the One Truth from the One True Source itself. For it to work as thoroughly as possible, dissent and questioning has to be kept down to a minimum. The man behind the curtain can't be revealed so to speak.

From this we get infallible scripture. One Ring to rule them all can only ever partially tolerate and be at peace with the plurality and multiplicity of reality. You can have you religion, but your Gods are actually devils. You can have your opinion, but your an impious blasphemer who will burn if you don't repent!

See the "choices"?

Infallible, set-in-stone decrees used to control need infallible books to document and disseminate the One True Way.

Just my theory/thoughts...

Yes, this makes a lot of sense, Sees. I've often wondered too...all these denominations in Christianity...different sects and such...if God is one true God, why isn't it plain for us all to agree upon? I have a love/hate relationship with the Abrahamic faiths.

What does the ''One Ring'' remind you of?

 

[Sees]

lol Did the rest do you good?



Yes, this makes a lot of sense, Sees. I've often wondered too...all these denominations in Christianity...different sects and such...if God is one true God, why isn't it plain for us all to agree upon? I have a love/hate relationship with the Abrahamic faiths.

What does the ''One Ring'' remind you of?

Dominion "....One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them,
One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them"

I'm a big, big fan of plurality and multiplicity - and I think the Divine and Mama Nature are also

 

[YmirGF]

What does the ''One Ring'' remind you of?

Smells like hobbits's to me...

 

[Lyndon]

Tolkien became a devout Christian, the one ring and Mordor were symbols of evil to him, not good.

 

[Aupmanyav]

Not really .. unless those non-believers are oppressing you, for example

• Odious: "(Such) as dispute about the signs of God, without any authority that hath reached them. Grievous and odious (is such conduct) in the sight of God and of the Believers." [40: 35]
• Mocked: "But on this Day the Believers will laugh at the Unbelievers." [83: 34]
• Punished: "But ye have indeed rejected (Him), and soon will come the inevitable (punishment)!" [25: 77]
• Terrorized: "[Remember] when your Lord inspired to the angels, "I am with you, so strengthen those who have believed. I will cast terror into the hearts of those who disbelieved, so strike [them] upon the necks and strike from them every fingertip."" [8: 12]
• Destroyed: "Of the wrong-doers the last was remnant was cut off. Praise be to God, the Cherisher of the Worlds." [6: 45]
• Slain: "You will find others who wish to obtain security from you and [to] obtain security from their people. Every time they are returned to [the influence of] disbelief, they fall back into it. So if they do not withdraw from you or offer you peace or restrain their hands, then seize them and kill them wherever you overtake them. And those - We have made for you against them a clear authorization." [4: 91]
• Crucified: "Indeed, the penalty for those who wage war against Allah and His Messenger and strive upon earth [to cause] corruption is none but that they be killed or crucified or that their hands and feet be cut off from opposite sides or that they be exiled from the land. That is for them a disgrace in this world; and for them in the Hereafter is a great punishment." [5: 33]
• Evil: "Say thou: 'Yea, and ye shall then be humiliated (on account of your evil)." [37: 18]
• Cursed: "Accursed wherever they are found, [being] seized and massacred completely." [33: 61]

Kafir - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Islam - The Religion of Peace, so too the other two as well, Judaism and Christianity.

 

[Lyndon]

Aren't you leaving out Hinduism????

 

[LuisDantas]

Tolkien became a devout Christian, the one ring and Mordor were symbols of evil to him, not good.

Yes, Tolkien illustrated the dangers of caring too much about control and military safety with Sauron and Mordor.

That is the point.

 

[Lyndon]

The posters were using the one ring to signify the powers of religion, whereas Tolkien was using the one ring to signify the powers of anti religion.

 

[LuisDantas]

The posters were using the one ring to signify the powers of religion, whereas Tolkien was using the one ring to signify the powers of anti religion.

That is a very... creative... reading of Tolkien.

And a very bigoted one, as well.

For that matter, it is also a very jaundiced reading of post #313, which seems very clear to me. It is not at all a criticism of religion.