What is a real Muslim?

[robvalue]

It all depends on definitions. If there is a testable definition for what something must be in order to be a teapot, then your claim can be assessed, if you clarify that you are saying you're literally a teapot. I'm saying there is no testable criteria for a religious stance. It is saying literally nothing about you, so there's nothing to be tested. People may have criteria individually by which they accept or deny someone "really is" the religion they say, but there is no universal definition, as far as I'm aware. I don't see how there could be, except for ease of language.

If you want to identify "as a teapot", rather than claim you literally are a teapot, then that's equally meaningless and can't be argued with. There is probably no legal accommodation possible for that though, unless you say it is your religious belief. I agree the law can't really handle religious beliefs other than to report what you've said, because they have nothing to do with reality.

If someone says to me they are Muslim, that's the end of it as far as I'm concerned. They have told me nothing, they may as well have told me their name. I can't argue with it, because there's nothing to argue with. I could assume what it probably means, but I can't stop them interpreting Islam in any insane way they want. There is only "popular interpretations", there is no correct interpretation. Someone referenced recently a Muslim who thinks the religion is entirely man made so doesn't literally believe any of it. It doesn't get much more extreme than that. Is he still a Muslim?

What I'm saying is that how you describe your religious status is just like another middle name that you can change on a whim. You only need to satisfy your own criteria for what you consider that religion to be. Unlike claiming to literally be a teapot, after agreeing with me what the definition and testable criteria for a teapot are. Of course if you mean something else by "teapot", then you need to clarify.