A discussion about a different religion

ali · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 3

Hi all
My religion is Islam but I don’t want to be Muslim only because my parents are Muslims. I need to discuss with no Muslim persons about Islam and other religions. I have some question from you as a no Muslim person: what is your opinion about Islam? What are the mistakes in Islam in your opinion?
Thanks

factchecker · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 41

Ali: First, welcome to the forum.

Next, I don't know whether you even want the inputs from agnostic/athiest non-believers, and if not, just say so.

The one thing I can promise you is that I won't respond to your questions from a "different religion" bias since to me all religions are still as mythical as Zeus and Ra and so on.

I have a couple of questions concerning countries embracing Islam, but they can wait until I see your response to this.

Cheers

GAM · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 76 Location: NY

'Nuff said.
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"My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him."- Song of Solomon 5:4

ali · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 3

factchecker · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 41

QUOTE ALI: Yes I'll be glad to discuss with non-believers as well as believers. There is a fact about me that I should say to you. As you can recognize, English is not my first language, so maybe I cant explain my idea correctly with English sentences and also maybe I cant understand some of your sentences and I ask you whether I understand your target or not.UNQUOTE

Ali.
From what you've written so far, I see no problems at all. While stationed overseas off and on, I had several friends/co-workers who were Japanese and Korean, and they really educated me on what a difficult language English is to learn as a second language. It gave me great respect for those who have made that step.

So, ask your questions and we'll see where this goes.

joooblooo · Joined: 17 Apr 2008 Posts: 3

ali, first I want to let you know... every christian will have a counter to every comment you have for islam. I will tell you to decide with an unbias heart, and I will also tell you that I don't feel any religion will save you. It is how you follow a religion or in other words how you choose to live your life, that I feel God or Allah is more interested in.
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Quran[2:62]Surely, those who believe, who are Jewish, Christian, and the converts; anyone who believes in GOD, and in the Last Day, and leads a righteous life, will receive their recompense from their Lord. They have nothing to fear, nor will they grieve.

GAM · Joined: 30 Nov 2007 Posts: 76 Location: NY

_________________
"My beloved put in his hand by the hole of the door, and my bowels were moved for him."- Song of Solomon 5:4

ali · Joined: 03 May 2008 Posts: 3

factchecker · Joined: 21 Dec 2007 Posts: 41

QUOTE ALI: Hi
Please consider this example:
Suppose there are two lotteries, lottery "A" and lottery "B".
In lottery "A" you pay 80 dollars and you'll win 180 billion dollars! Or you'll lose your 80 dollars.
In lottery "B" you pay 180 billion dollars and you'll win 80 dollars! Or you'll lose your 180 billion dollars.
Which lotteries do you prefer "A" or "B"?

Maybe life hereafter is true or false (nobody can't prove that certainly it is false)

If life hereafter be false believers have lost 80 years of their life in world or less, but if life hereafter be true they will be in heaven for billion years so they have chosen lottery "A".

What about none-believers if life hereafter be false they have had a comfort life in world for 80 years or less, but if life hereafter be true they will be in hell for billion years so non-believers chose lottery "B".

And there is another point, believers and none-believers both enjoy their life in world and both pain. Even believers have a more comfort life in world. UNQUOTE

Ali. You've proposed a different expression of Pascal's Wager: But he had some false assumptions, as follows:

1. He assumed his "wager" only concerned the God that he believed in. But throughout history there have been dozens and dozens (perhaps hundreds) of different gods. What happens if you believe in Allah but it turns out that Jesus is the answer. Then you go to hell! Or, vice versa, what if a Christian follows Pascal's ideas but it turns out Jesus was only a prophet (or perhaps never existed) and Allah is the one and only true God. Then all the Christians go to hell.

2. Pascal also did not make any allowance for his (or anyone's) God possessing any logic or concern for honesty. If I say "I believe" just because I'm betting against going to hell, that's a far distance from truly believing in and worshiping God. Don't you think an all-knowing God would look at me and find that I was simply pretending in order to cover my butt... compared to a true believer, hardly a good reason to let anyone into heaven. By the same token, wouldn't a merciful and loving and all-knowing God take a look at a true believer of a different religion and feel that this individual made a true effort to believe, but just happened to pick the wrong god, probably because of how his parents raised him... so God would give him a pass into heaven.

And a question. You say that believers have a more comfortable life in the world. That's quite a statement. Do you have any verifiable proof of that beyond your own opinion and hearsay from others?

Also, your statement, "Maybe life hereafter is true or false (nobody can't prove that certainly it is false)" needs to be countered with the statement that -- nobody can prove that it is true either!