Ask Your Favorite Muslim

[Rayaan]

Who says "hey, remember that time we got registered for a terror watchlist because we believe in allah, wasn;t that awesome..really helped our community out!"....?

I'm not saying that either.

I think it's kind of an over-simplification if you, or anyone, assumes that Muslims will be put on a terror watchlist simply because of the fact that they believe in Allah. The first step would be to just enter all of them into a data or list (and not necessarily a "terror" list, although yes you could think of it that way). But to determine which of them are actual and serious threats within that list - surely, that would require some additional information.

So, my point is, there are possibly other "criterias" that will be taken into account in order to decide who is a threat and who isn't. You don't know what they are yet. Only time will tell, but I think it's good to give it a try. Maybe I'll change my position on this if the idea does get implemented later. Maybe this won't help anyone and only make things worse. Basically, it depends on what the criterias are, i.e. whether they are reasonable or not. 


Not to mention that we TOTALLY killed this thread.

[The Grand Nudger]

so....



....?

I think it's kind of an over-simplification if you, or anyone, assumes that Muslims will be put on a terror watchlist simply because of the fact that they believe in Allah.

That is -exactly- what has been proposed...that's the policy suggestion which you are providing cover for, as we speak.....so...... It won't require any additional information to disenfranchise you and subject you to that very harmful piece of institutional abuse. We've put people on lists before, man, lol. We never even have to do anything -beyond- put them on a list to ruin their lives. If you're withholding judgement because you think we won;t actually do it, or that if we do we'll do it well and with dignity......then I really don;t want to have to be the guy to suggest to you that your expectations are overinflated.....in a word. It;s something that we would do and have done. It;s something that goes notoriously wrong in every notable instance, and it's an abuse in and of itself, no additional action required.

I guess that's just a historical lesson we seem to be determined, rather than doomed, to repeat.

[cactus]

Around my high school years, yeah, I doubted, even to the point of becoming an atheist. But not anymore. I don't doubt my religion anymore.

At the point in your life where you felt the term "atheist" was the most accurate descriptor for the degree to which you were convinced by all claims about various supernatural deities, what information, experience, or line of reasoning had led you to become aware of your own involuntary lack of belief at that time?  Did you think of yourself as an atheist at the time, or are you applying this label to yourself retroactively?

You said later in your post that you arrived at your current level of conviction through study, reflection, and guidance from God (possible predestination?  That's my own interpretation; feel free to re-frame the "guidance" part if that's not your intended meaning.)

[Rayaan]

At the point in your life where you felt the term "atheist" was the most accurate descriptor for the degree to which you were convinced by all claims about various supernatural deities, what information, experience, or line of reasoning had led you to become aware of your own involuntary lack of belief at that time?  Did you think of yourself as an atheist at the time, or are you applying this label to yourself retroactively?

You said later in your post that you arrived at your current level of conviction through study, reflection, and guidance from God (possible predestination?  That's my own interpretation; feel free to re-frame the "guidance" part if that's not your intended meaning.)

I was an atheist (for a brief period though, maybe for like 2 years max) because I felt that the universe and everything else could be explained without a supernatural cause. I started to read a book on cosmology, and as I was absorbing some of the ideas I felt that this universe really is possible without needing a cosmic designer.

But later, after some more reflection, I returned to believing in God, because again I came to realize that the incredible beauty and complexity that we see around us cannot be a result of mere blind or accidental forces. I just couldn't find this thought reasonable by any measure. So, that's when I drifted away from atheism and towards belief in God. But of course, I believe that this change of heart was ultimately God's will.

And yeah, that's what I meant by "guidance," so your interpretation of that is correct.

[Minimalist]

I think it's kind of an over-simplification if you, or anyone, assumes that Muslims will be put on a terror watchlist simply because of the fact that they believe in Allah.

Rayaan, don't give 'Murrica too much credit.  The Nisei made that mistake in 1941.

http://cdn.history.com/sites/2/2013/12/J...t-Hero.jpg

[cactus]

Since you said you don't doubt your religion (overlooking your slightly hyperbolic, but doctrinally near-compulsory usage of the word "don't" there), what steps would doubting Muslims need to take if they wanted to reproduce your level of certainty about the specific claims asserted in the Quran?  Should those other Muslims take those steps, or do you feel that it's not your place to say what other Muslims should or shouldn't be doing?

Should non-Muslims take the steps necessary to achieve your degree of certainty about Quranic claims, or do you feel that it's not your place to say what non-Muslims should or shouldn't be doing?

[The Grand Nudger]

At the point in your life where you felt the term "atheist" was the most accurate descriptor for the degree to which you were convinced by all claims about various supernatural deities, what information, experience, or line of reasoning had led you to become aware of your own involuntary lack of belief at that time?  Did you think of yourself as an atheist at the time, or are you applying this label to yourself retroactively?

You said later in your post that you arrived at your current level of conviction through study, reflection, and guidance from God (possible predestination?  That's my own interpretation; feel free to re-frame the "guidance" part if that's not your intended meaning.)

I was an atheist (for a brief period though, maybe for like 2 years max) because I felt that the universe and everything else could be explained without a supernatural cause. I started to read a book on cosmology, and as I was absorbing some of the ideas I felt that this universe really is possible without needing a cosmic designer.

But later, after some more reflection, I returned to believing in God, because again I came to realize that the incredible beauty and complexity that we see around us cannot be a result of mere blind or accidental forces. I just couldn't find this thought reasonable by any measure. So, that's when I drifted away from atheism and towards belief in God. But of course, I believe that this change of heart was ultimately God's will.

And yeah, that's what I meant by "guidance," so your interpretation of that is correct.

Was there ever a point between those two positions where you thought that this universe -could be- let's say, not supernatural...but also, simultaneously, believed in a god?  As in, not one or the other, but both?

[robvalue]

Thanks for your answer. I'm confused though. You don't have a choice, because you've been guided to Islam by God? So, you've been forced to adhere, by the unseen leader? Or are you being forced by people?

I don't get it. It sounds pretty messed up to me. What kind of God manipulates people into worshipping him? If you genuinely don't have a choice, you sound like a slave. If I believed Islam was "true", I'd still want no part in it at all. As long as I had any say over my own actions, that would continue to be the case. I guess if God wanted to manipulate my mind so I no longer had proper control, he could do that.

[pocaracas]

First question: How do you manage to always look so cheerful in your photos?

Well, we know that question is sarcastic, so let's move on.

Aw come on, man.... it was pure lighthearted fun!
Why did you assume there was some sort of malice associated with it?
You could just go along with it and reply something along the happiness that fills your soul, or something like that... Like a "favorite Muslim" would... Son, I am disappoint!

Second: (I think Rob already touched it a bit) why are you a Muslim? (it's okay to say "indoctrination"...)

Refer to my answer to Rob.

Yes, well.... not quite what I was going for...
You mention that you spent some 2 years as an atheist of sorts and then went back to being a Muslim... my question, and that is why I mentioned indoctrination, is about prior to those years as an "atheist". Did you identify yourself as a Muslim, then? If yes, why?
Why, do you think, you first became a believer?

Third: Why do Muslims (most remarkably, non-Arabic ones) often speak with Arabic words?

Because there are certain Arabic words that carry more blessings if you say them (especially words like "masha'Allah," "insha'Allah," "subhan'Allah," etc). On the other hand, I think some Muslims say Arabic words in front of non-Arabic people just because they want to show off that they know how to speak Arabic, or maybe they think that it's cool or something.

For me, the usage of Arabic words depends on who I speak to. I almost never use them when I'm speaking to an audience like you guys. But, when I speak to a group of Muslims, I do use Arabic words a little bit because they understand me.

I like this answer! Thanks!

Fourth: Why do Muslims so often quote from the Qur'an or some Hadith? Feels like the Evangelicals learned from Muslims... or vice-versa...

Because those are the texts that they adhere to?

I feel like you're just trying to bait me with such a self-explanatory question. Maybe I should stop responding to you. 

There you go on the defense again...

I'm from Portugal, a traditionally Catholic country... and you know what?... outside of church, people don't use any quotes from the holy texts. For the most part, when speaking about religion, they talk about feelings and stuff like that. (Which is also why I mentioned the Evangelicals... those guys are nuts about their texts)

Fifth: How does it feel to belong to the last religion to sprout from the Middle-East? I mean... the last! not the first... not the one that set it off... the last... the one most contaminated by human folly.

I'm not going to answer if you keep inserting your own loaded opinions into the questions (e.g. "the one most contaminated by human folly").

Defense, defense, defense... -.-'
Sorry about the imprecision, the most contaminated would be Scientology, or maybe the cargo cult. But I did restrict it to the Middle-East. so it wasn't imprecise at all.... hmmm...

Why do you say it's a loaded question? Are you wanting to make me think that the youngest cult in a particular region is not the most influenced by humanity?
I'm not saying that all other cults aren't influenced by humanity (oooOOO double negative!), but that Islam, at the moment of conception, would have been influenced by all other prior religions and have some extra layer of regional culture.
I guess what I'm asking can be rendered less "loaded" as:
Do you think Islam is more in touch with the creator god than the previous religions in the region?

Sixth: What was wrong with the Sumerian religion? It is, as far as we can tell, the oldest Middle-Eastern religion... shouldn't it be the one closest to the source?

I don't believe in multiple gods. And there are other reasons as well.

Why?
Think about it - at the dawn of mankind, if some god (or gods) contacted Man, and Man passed the message down the generations, shouldn't the oldest beliefs be those closest to that original message?

New question, a bit related to the previous one!
Seventh: What is a god that renders its multiplicity unlikely?
I say unlikely, because it's clear you don't know anything about the god... you merely believe. So you have somehow convinced yourself (or someone else convinced you) that it's likely that a single god exists.



Eighth: Why do you think people become and/or remain atheist?

[LastPoet]

Oh hai Rayaan. Nice to see you around again.

Will you come back to being active amongst us heathens?