Calling all Muslims: I am considering becoming Muslim

[Standuble]

Have you ever actually read the Quran? Everything the Islamophobes say about it is true.

 

[Coriolis]

I'm specifically wondering what she's looking for. A non-drinking, head-covered, strong gender-role church? I keep thinking Amish. But she apparently still wants to "live among the world" despite her claims of wanting to be covered and sheltered by a community of Muslims.

I wonder, too. I'm tempted to say she is looking for a group that will do all the work for her: tell her what to do, what to believe, how to live, etc., but I don't know her or her situation well enough to draw that conclusion. The fact that she rejects all offered suggestions in favor of one which she still seems unclear about suggests that she does have an internal compass that can point her in the right direction. She just has to learn to listen to it, and rely on it at least as much as any external source. Besides, you don't need a church community to avoid alcohol, cover your head, and live by "traditional" gender roles. If it's that important, just do it.

Have you ever actually read the Quran? Everything the Islamophobes say about it is true.

There are things just as off-putting in the Bible. The difference is that most Christians have learned not to interpret it all so literally.

 

[Blackmail!]

Have you ever actually read the Quran? Everything the Islamophobes say about it is true.

No. Not everything. There's a lot of exagerations, lies or invented stories out of pure hatred too, just check for instance what Riva said about it: he's inventing half of what he said, or he hasn't properly checked his sources.

True Islamophobes often attempt to make the prophet looks like a kind of devilish, cruel and extremely depraved man. Despite all his flaws, he clearly wasn't, and when you consider the socio-historical context, early muslims were in fact way more tolerant than the contemporary christians, jews or zoroastrians they faced (and this extreme tolerance and permissiveness explain lot of their early successes against the Byzantines or the Persians). What happened centuries later is another story.

The Quran is a very simple text, with three opposite parts. Some verses are indeed terrifying. Some others are not. And lot of them can contradict each other (another proof that religions aren't rational). But the main issues come from the hadiths, the so-called "oral tradition" that can be manipulated almost at will. And it's within the hadiths that one can find the most unbelievable or dubious stories about the prophet.

 

[Mal12345]

And I would think there was no instructional value to that photo, which I'm embarrassed to even entertain that defense. It was a photo of nudity insulting a religion. And which the religion it was made about is highly against that sort of thing.

It was a photo of new Muslims being initiated into the faith.

 

[Mal12345]

"Calling all Muslims" is a very common statement used by Muslims online to call out to other Muslims.

 

[Blackmail!]

"Calling all Muslims" is a very common statement used by Muslims online to call out to other Muslims.

Agreed. There's many disconcerting clues when I consider the current OP behaviour.

 

[Mal12345]

Agreed. There's many disconcerting clues when I consider the current OP behaviour.

And the OP spelling of Koran (or Quran) as "Curan" is just an attempt to play dumb about Islam.

 

[Blackmail!]

And the OP spelling of Koran (or Quran) as "Curan" is just an attempt to play dumb about Islam.

Or the way s/he spells "Al Queada" instead of Al Qaeda (or Al Qaida). Every critical word seems to be deliberately misspelt, not to focus attention I presume.

Or the way s/he blindly defends Dubai or Iraqi societies (and ackowledge s/he may have lived there), or the intrinsic moral superiority of the Arab way of life. This kind of specifically targeted chauvinism and nationalism is very curious, especially from someone who pretends to be a lutheran from deep Missouri.

 

[Mal12345]

Or the way s/he spells "Al Queada" instead of Al Qaeda (or Al Qaida). Every critical word seems to be deliberately misspelt.

Or the way s/he blindly defends Dubai or Iraqi societies (and ackowledge s/he may have lived there), or the intrinsic moral superiority of the Arab way of life. This kind of specifically targeted chauvinism is very curious, especially from someone who pretends to be a lutheran from deep Missouri.

But you've got to admit s/he is very good at mimicking a native speaker of English.

 

[Mole]

Reading the actual English of the original poster I get the impression of a double message.

At first I thought the poster may be disturbed and looking for help, but then I started to see parallels with other proselytisers.

Interestingly proselytisers rarely approach us directly, lest they be rejected, rather they approach us indirectly with a double message.

 

[Mal12345]

The OP's statement about a lack of community in Christianity is complete and utter anti-Christian propaganda.

islamqa.info/en/ref/12718
"is it permissible for a Muslim to visit a Christian if he gets sick, or to attend his funeral if he dies? Is there any sin on a Muslim who does these things, or not?

He replied:

Praise be to Allaah the Lord of the Worlds. He should not attend his funeral, but visiting him when he is sick is fine, because this may serve an interest, namely opening his heart to Islam. But then if he dies as a kaafir, he will deserve Hell, hence the prayers should not be offered for him. And Allaah knows best."

Muslims should not attend the funeral of a Christian.

Muslims may visit the bedside of a Christian who has fallen ill - in order to take advantage of the illness and proselytize.

Ugh, this is so empty of faith, love, and charity.

*shivers*

 

[Ivy]

I can state from experience that this happens in Christianity as well. I guarantee you there are tons and tons of Christians who would not go to a Muslim's funeral but would go to their sickbed to preach the gospel to them. There are awful people of every religion and of no religion. There are some particular brands of awful that Islam has over Christianity (at least in the present day) but this isn't one of them.

 

[Mal12345]

I can state from experience that this happens in Christianity as well. I guarantee you there are tons and tons of Christians who would not go to a Muslim's funeral but would go to their sickbed to preach the gospel to them. There are awful people of every religion and of no religion. There are some particular brands of awful that Islam has over Christianity (at least in the present day) but this isn't one of them.

That's not what it's saying.

There is no rule in Christianity about whose funeral you can attend or for what reason you are allowed to visit a sick neighbor.

 

[Ivy]

What am I missing? That site looks like ask.com for Muslims. Try writing to Focus on the Family and ask the same thing in reverse, and see what they say- and they'll give you biblical backup for it, too.

 

[Blackmail!]

That's not what it's saying.

There is no rule in Christianity about whose funeral you can attend or for what reason you are allowed to visit a sick neighbor.

There is no rule within Islam too, unless you're a staunch wahhabite.

The Imam you quoted is just an ignorant, bigoted, xenophobic fool.

I've seen muslim friends attend the same funerals where I was. They even attended the funeral of very well known atheists.

Wherever you have bigoted fanaticism, the phenomena you denounce can happen.
Wherever you have common sense and reason, it cannot.

 

[Ivy]

Oh, I see. It's a fatwa. Aren't those of variable importance depending on the kind of Islam being practiced?

 

[Mal12345]

What am I missing? That site looks like ask.com for Muslims. Try writing to Focus on the Family and ask the same thing in reverse, and see what they say- and they'll give you biblical backup for it, too.

It doesn't look like ask.com for muslims.

And as for Christian rules for visiting kaafir, I would like to see one that recommends proselytizing sick people not of the faith. It is only an opportunity to pray.

 

[Mal12345]

Oh, I see. It's a fatwa. Aren't those of variable importance depending on the kind of Islam being practiced?

I don't know. A fatwa is just a legal opinion or decision. The whole Sunni vs. Shi'ite division is too complicated to make sense of.

 

[Newbyagain]

To the other people reading this:

And the OP spelling of Koran (or Quran) as "Curan" is just an attempt to play dumb about Islam.

Or the way s/he spells "Al Queada" instead of Al Qaeda (or Al Qaida). Every critical word seems to be deliberately misspelt, not to focus attention I presume.

Or the way s/he blindly defends Dubai or Iraqi societies (and ackowledge s/he may have lived there), or the intrinsic moral superiority of the Arab way of life. This kind of specifically targeted chauvinism and nationalism is very curious, especially from someone who pretends to be a lutheran from deep Missouri.

There is no correct spelling for an English pronunciation of an Arabic word.

What is deep Missouri? What Lutherans are from deep Missouri? None. The higher up from LCMS is located in Missouri.

"Calling all Muslims" is a very common statement used by Muslims online to call out to other Muslims.

Completely coincidence. Never heard of that saying.

 

[Newbyagain]

No and she can't be responsible for other people's faith, either, that goes against Free Will.

I mean I'm sure she can read about Pharisees in the Bible, people who congratulate themselves on street corners with dogma who don't feel any conviction or contrition in their hearts.

It's funny to me though that an INFJ would idealize this kind of conformity in appearance. Maybe it's the "idealization" part that's so very NF, because her need for strict appearances almost sounds like Si to me.

I don't understand the obsession with appearances. I think maybe it's a disgust with the modern world, but if she still wants to live in the world (and not go live away with the Amish in a more 1900 style for example) ... I don't know.

I feel disgust with the modern world sometimes, but it's more so with corporatism and destruction of nature than accusing religious people of not being religious enough.

I am definitely an INFJ. My friends and myself are sure of this. I like to think outside of the box. I have found more joy in being hidden and reserved in my speech and dress. This is why I am allured to Islam. I find it ultimate classy and dignified. Indians too.