Criticize Islam!

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Very good advice.

Thanks!

The only reason that Christianity and Islam still have some attraction is that they have a tantric nucleus. If you strip away all the religious myth, superstition, dogma and ritualism, in the heart of these religions lies a universal spiritual ideal. Jesus was not a christian and didn't teach anything close to Christianity and Islam did not fall from the sky as many muslims falsely think.

In fact most buddhists and practioners of yoga, tantra or other forms of mysticism are much closer to the original mission of Jesus and to the intended spirit of Islam than what christians and arabs have changed them into.

Exactly!!

When I lived in Colorado Springs, I used to be an Evangelical Christian. However, something a visiting pastor said made me think, so I wandered (religiously speaking) for about two years. I learned about many religions, and in the end, Islam swung me back into Christianity, albeit a different form (Unitarian).

If you look at my beliefs, they are about 55-60% Christian, 40-45% Shia/Sufi Islam. I know that is pretty weird, but I came to this conclusion, I will stick with it.

Mahayana Buddhism has influenced me spiritually as well as Catholicism.

That's nice! I'm personally doing a lot of research on Shi'a Islam and I've adopted many aspects of the sect. I accept that Hazrath Ali was appointed by Muhammed (S) as the caliph, but not Allah (swt), and I refuse to believe in a monarchy, nor democracy. I believe Hazrath Ali would've appointed someone more suitable than Husayn if he wasn't assasinated. I refuse to mourn for Husayn as the mourning period for anyone is a maximum of 4 months, 10 days (for the wife). For others, it's a matter of 3 days and such. And of course, I've changed my manner of prayer to that of the Shi'a - adding the Qunut to my 2nd Rakat. I call myself a Muslim whenever anyone asks me, and if they ask what sect I belong to, I reply that I belong to none, and I belong to all - Shi'a, Sunni, and Ibadi.



That's interesting! To what extent has Mahayana Buddhism influenced you? Unfortunately, I don't know too much about Buddhism. I've mainly only read encyclopedia articles on the faith. I've visisted the biggest Buddhist temple here once to meditate, and I felt extremely at peace due to the serene atmosphere. I have a lot of respect for the teachings of Gautama Buddha. Of course, to be idol worshiped is not what he wanted, the early Buddhists would pray towards the Bodhi tree or a peepal tree, it was the Greeks in bactria who first carved the idols of Buddha.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Gandhara_Buddha_(tnm).jpeg

Philosophical Taoism will always remain the most interesting non-Islamic philosopy to me. ^^

Christianity and to a lesser extent Buddhism constitute my spiritual beliefs & worldview. You see, I was a Buddhist for a few years before I came back to the church. My parents were cool about it and never bothered me to come back to the church. But I always knew that they would like for that to happen. They respected the choice I made, and for that I am very grateful.

Christianity and Buddhism go well together, actually. ^-^

That's very interesting. Back when I was atheist, I was inspired by Anton LaVey and his church of Satanism (lol). Looking back at that time, I wonder....what was wrong with me?

My father was always cool with any choice I made. He himself was an atheist, later agnotic, finally back to Islam. My mother on the other hand...went bonkers. Lol. Even today, if I tell her that I respect the Shi'a, I'm sure she wouldn't talk to me for at least a year. As far as she's concerned, it's better being an atheist than a Shi'i.

Let me guess ... your parents are Sunni.

Yes, there's stupid litle rivalries between Catholics and Protestants, this subgroup and that subgroup.


BTW what attracted you to Satanism?

Yes, they are. I agree with you. What religion you choose and how you choose to follow it is between God (or whatever you believe in) and you.

What attracted me was the metal culture, specifically blackmetal bands and such. I was a total metalhead, I used to listen to blackmetal and deathmetal a lot.

Last edited by Khan_Sama on 05 Oct 2008, 6:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

They allow such things in India? I am suprised.

India is a secular democracy. Certain things are banned of course, for instance, alcohol is heavily taxed, drinking and smoking (as of the past 3 days for smoking) in public is banned, public indecency is banned. And yeah, India doesn't recognise atheism and agnosticism, you must register yourself into a religion or you're citizenship status is not recognised. The church of Satanism is not active here...I was inspired by what I read on the internet.

What did you read? I'm curious.

i can not fathom what religious ideas are all about.

when i was about 6 or 7, i was taught about noah's ark in a religious class.

i did not believe the story.
there is not enough water on the earth if both the polar caps melted, and and all glaciers melted and all the clouds rained out, to cover the world to more than 300 meters or so (above sea level).

so all land greater than 300 meters altitude (msl) would have been dry land.

there is no way that 2 of every species of animal on earth could fit into such a vessel.
all their specialized food needs would have also had to be stored on deck.

if there are only 2 of each animal, then the result would be complete inbreeding of every species, since their offspring would have no one to mate with except each other.

what about all the other ships already on their voyages laden with animals and other people when the "rains" started? they would have survived surely.

all the questions i had made it seem impossible that the story was true.

i did not listen to any subsequent lessons on the bible because they all seemed like poppycock to me.

someone told me later in my school years, that religious stories are not actual events, but only parables.

so therefore they are fictitious, and i can not learn the lesson that is in those stories because i can not make the connection between parables and realities.

i use conceptual similies like "i am one the inside of a one way mirror. when i try to look at people on the other side looking at me, all i see is me."

i understand and say things like that, but a parable is different. (metaphors are hard to grasp as well).

so the story about the ark is supposed to make me understand something that it is an essential truth. WHAT?!? i have no idea how that story relates to anything at all other than just that story.

adam and eve. if they were the FIRST 2, then how were they named?

then she eats an apple offered by a snake and god gets mad and ........bzzzzzztt.... that is where my brain overloads and says "it does not compute".

i do not know the stories told in any religion. i am completely religiously ignorant.

what was jesus's surname? they say they found his shroud and it had the name "jesus" on it or near by, and it did not have a surname, so how do they know they have the famous one. they do not even know what his last name is.

there were "jesus's" everywhere in those days. it was a common name.

i do not understand religions, but i do believe that the universe's existence is miraculous because my mathematical sensibility is sure of it.


before there was everything there was nothing. no cause. no seeds. no possibility of "existence eventually occurring" exists in a totally empty universe.

and now there is everything and it did come from nothing.

so the only miracle i know is true, is the miracle that the universe exists.

I read the Satanic Bible. I can't remember where I downloaded the ebook from, however. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satanic_Bible

LaVey Satanism is atheism with a highly anti-Christian tone and promotion of immoral values such as pre-marital sex, while still condemning evil things such as murder and rape.

I was once a laveyist like you khan great taste in music as well.
However later on I found a much greater interest in theistic Satanism. It doesn't have to be biblical, and you only learn about it through personal experience. Also there is no definite text on it, anywhere. How perfect is that?