The Ever-Watching God - Said Rageah

Watching now... the title is interesting and related to what I blogged about earlier.
If I get any ideas for a post, I will update this writing, God willing.

The Longest Post Ever - 3 Parts

Why I Believe in God – Part One

I’m adding or expanding a few points from my last post, a response to an article CNN chose as one of the top for 2013, by an atheist mother, called, “Why I Am Raising My Child without God”.

My God is not an “Angry God”.

Allah, is my God, He is the Creator and Sustainer. He is the Lord of the Universe, my “Rabb” and the lord of all.

What people get angry about - parking tickets and tsunamis God doesn’t get angry about. God isn’t like people.

People get angry about Islamic law (sharia) and the freedom of speech or freedom of religion of Muslims in non-Muslim countries. Muslims get angry about America’s dominance and policing of the world, or the patriot act; so do many non-Muslims.

God mentions things he has forbidden, in the Quran, it is the final revelation; Jews and Christians may drink alcohol, but in Islam it is forbidden; we say it is the “mother of all evils”, as the Prophet Muhammad, pbuh, taught.

Allah forbids usury, or interest. Many Jews and Christians see nothing wrong with it; in Islam it is considered such a grave sin that it is equated with incest; a man sleeping with his mother 36 times, in Ahadith (the prophetic narrations). Allah hates interest and punishes those who deal in interest (Riba in Arabic).

If you get angry, does that mean people call you an “angry person”? No.

Then why do people call God an “angry” god? They think they have the right to judge God, even a god they don’t believe in.
In the bible or Old Testament, God is described as such  "Your God is an angry god", so maybe that's one reason this is said a lot. (sorry if that's not the exact quote).

********

Atheists argue against all religion based on some of their misconceptions about God, which largely are inherited or passed down to them through their passive knowledge (or knowledge they gained sometime in their lives when they used to believe, before they rejected God; maybe they were Christians, or Jews, or other ). Armed with this knowledge, passive or past experience, they believe they are well equipped to argue against all religion, and against the existence of a Supreme Universal God or Supreme Being.

God is not like people, “there is nothing like unto Him”.

God is the Judge, therefore who can judge Him?

The believers probably will unanimously agree that we don’t tell God what to do, but that He has every right (and it is His dominion alone) to tell us what to do, how to live, and what we should believe. The fact that there are numerous religions doesn’t bother most believers. They all believe they are on the right path.

Muslims, believe that Islam is the correct religion, largely because they have the “final revelation” which they believe has no errors, is divinely revealed word, is the Word of God Almighty, without error, and is basically a continuation of what was revealed before it; the reason for the new revelation was to right the wrongs of the other religions, namely Jewish and Christian faiths which had deviated from the correct teachings, and whose people deviated from the correct path as a result of their books being corrupted.

For example Islam teaches that the Jews changed their books, “what your own hands have wrought” and Christians worship Jesus, for the same reason, having adopted the attitude/belief about Christ as the savior. Their original teachings were corrupted by the central idea/belief that Jesus, A.S., is the savior of mankind.

Blood sacrifice, or the death/crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, A.S., as well as the errors contained in the Bible, point to the fact that the Bible was corrupted sometime after Jesus parted with his people. There are errors in the accounts as well as many nonsensical or even mathematical and scientific errors in the Bible.

Atheists believe that believers in God accept that God is vengeful or unmerciful; or they think we turn a blind eye to these “faults”.

But God doesn’t have any faults. Therefore we, as imperfect beings are not ones to judge God. I mentioned some of the peoples’ complaints against God, that He permits tsunamis, natural disasters and the like, or that He punishes for sins; Allah does as He wills. It isn’t proper for the creation to complain to the Creator about “faults” they suppose He has. That being the case, there is Wisdom behind everything that Allah does or His rule.

********

Human beings are such that they “appreciate” and show “gratitude”, these qualities which we have, are a part of our slavery to Allah. The fact that we show gratitude, thanks, appreciation and so on really impresses upon us, that we are in some ways needy, feeble, and we are therefore greatly lacking in some things, to varying degrees; even our wealth which some people have more than others, is ours from Allah. We are therefore thankful to Him even more than we are thankful to any others. It is an unislamic character that doesn’t show gratitude for blessings or favors, whether that is a blessing from Allah or a favor someone has been able to do for someone/people.

Allah is the Lord of the Universe, therefore His status is more than that of any worldly King or ruler, and He is “the King of Kings”, according to Islamic teachings. Allah’s designation, which He informs us about, and all his personal names and attributes are His and His alone, though human beings can possess similar attributes, theirs are not perfect like that of Allah’s.

When we get angry, sometimes our anger is not wholly just but is the result of other emotions too, such as jealousy. Being angry for the sake of Allah therefore is more important and just than anger for mere personal interests, such as one’s “self-dignity” or a mere “image”. The Prophet, pbuh, therefore, didn’t get angry for himself, nor retaliate for himself, and due to this quality he even forgave the Meccans who had persecuted himself, in particular, such as Hind, Abu Sufyan and other notables of the grandest tribes, who were debased by the Muslims stunning turnaround in the war arena and eventually on the day of the conquest on their victory at Mecca, in a bloodless assault on the Holy city. Most of the people embraced Islam willingly after having seen the evident signs, on that day.

The people show gratitude to each other, but to God we should be most grateful. He is the one who gives us life, permits us to live in peace (or if necessary, permits us to fight for our own defense), gives us blessings in abundance, and we can’t deny them; even the oxygen we breathe is one of His blessings. Then how can we be so stingy in our thanks to the Lord who provides us form the time we take our first breath?

Yes, the reason is that instead of being grateful the people are angry. Their anger isn’t for themselves only, but for what they see as divine injustice. But being that they don’t claim to believe in any “God”, they say that “God” doesn’t exist. They want to ignore God, because they judge Him to be ‘cruel’ or ‘unmerciful’, or the idea of a God as preposterous, because a God who is supposed to be “perfect” or “merciful” and “loving” wouldn’t permit disasters or atrocities.

The atheists no doubt believe that the “natural disasters” (which often others claim are retribution for sins) are proof that God doesn’t exist, or that the God Christians and Muslims, and others believe in must not love us. (It is difficult to argue what atheists believe because they have no belief, except the lack of belief; they believe in “nothing” except this life.)

Is it logical to believe in nothing? Or is it more “comforting”? No, to both, I think.

It is no more “logical” to believe in the idea that the universe came out of nothing, than it is to believe that there is a Creator who made everything from nothing.

Why atheists have a stubborn attitude to this is obvious; they lack faith, purely and simply. But to call belief “illogical” is not acceptable to believers. It isn’t universally or widely held that there is no God. In fact, it is only recently that more and more people claim to believe in no God.

The fact that something is becoming more prevalent also doesn’t prove it is true.

-

While the Muslims point to the Quran as “a book without error”, there is nothing the atheists can point to as fact, which proves that God doesn’t exist; I recently blogged or shared some videos (in 1-3 parts) which have an explanation about Darwinism or discussion which shows that Darwinism, natural selection are not proven by science, nor does it seem possible for the necessary “biological algorithms” to ever materialize which would prove natural selection is even remotely real or possible.

A creation points to a Creator, it would seem, is more than logical, and more believable than that an algorithm for Darwin’s theory of natural selection will happen, since it has not to date been seen to occur. Mathematical algorithms have proven gravity, but no biological algorithm has proven natural selection, according to French and other experts, as discussed in the video (part one).

It is fair to say, moreover, that the insistence by many of the truth of natural selection is therefore as illogical (or unlikely) as the belief in (or existence of) many gods.

Muslims often say that the Quran is a miracle, contains scientific facts, or is not contradictory to science, at least. But what atheists point to in natural selection isn’t at all conclusive. So, they are not at all correct in their stand; they have no right to abuse believers, who believe in a Creator, while there is a creation, yet they believe in a theory which has no proof, though other theories have been proven long ago, much more easily, by other kinds of algorithms or by (other) scientific means.

A God who is Perfect or All Knowing or Capable can perform miracles, or prophets can perform miracles by such a God’s leave, but science cannot make a perfect model for natural selection. Then how can the disbelievers claim that an entire universe can arise from nothing?

********

Degrees of Disbelief:

Disbelievers argue that there is no God. Others are not true atheists, but are fence sitters, who are agnostic, meaning they are not sure that a God exists. Or so I have come to think of agnostics (in that way).

Anyway, it is such people not sure what they believe about the existence of a Supreme Being who ask, “If God exists, why does He permit suffering”.

I said, last time, that “suffering” is nothing “illogical”, that it is in fact quite commonplace, and therefore it is part of our human condition. Animals, as well suffer in this earthy existence.

Unlike animals, people are responsible for their sins, and for belief in God. Animals also believe in God, and they worship Him, although we cannot perceive this, some ppl point to how camels kneel, or praying mantis "pray", etc. But in Islam, we know this because of the teachings of the Holy Prophet, pbuh. A similitude to how animals believe, and praise God or worship, is like the animals who rely on their Lord for sustenance, and they always find it, unless it is their time to die, in which case they may die from hunger or thirst, but mostly animals also die from other causes. In any case, when their time is up, their time is up; they cannot delay death, just as humans cannot delay death. These are matters which are decided by God, even before we are born. Since such creatures owe their existence and sustenance to the Creator, it follows that they also worship the Creator. In this they have a common “slave” status like humans. But they generally do not deviate from the nature which Allah created them with. On the other hand, humans often do.

There is a tradition which tells that on the Day of Judgment the animals will also be judged; they will take their rights from the other animals, so that the horned sheep will be punished by the not horned sheep for what it did to the other, and the not clawed or not fanged animals, will retaliate against the injustice they suffered. But then the animals will die, and they will not enter either Paradise or Hell. (Revise)

People will however receive a divine, lasting reward or punishment, or a punishment of some severity or length, after which they will be permitted into Paradise, if they are believers.

Part Two – Suffering is Inevitable

That suffering happens, is one problem people have with religions. Does this mean God doesn’t love the believers? Maybe God doesn’t love the non-believers, is true, but why also make believers who claim that God loves them, or children who are innocent, suffer? Does Allah permit suffering because He doesn’t care about us?

This is a question which bothers many people, even believers. But Allah’s names and attributes tell us about Allah. If we don’t know these names or attributes, we will forever be confused about Allah. Therefore we should learn about these, and to learn the names of Allah is very beneficial and rewardable.

Allah permits people to live and die, moreover, He answers prayers.

We see that Allah is Merciful, Al Rahman, Al Raheem, two qualities of mercy, which are His and no one else is equally capable of; He is merciful to creatures in this life, and also, to the believers especially, on the Day of Judgment. 99 per cent of His mercy is for the believers on the Day of Judgment.

The smallest and greatest things are under His control; His is the only (real or undeniable) authority. He is All Powerful.

Keeping this in mind, how can we judge Allah, knowing that He knows everything; He is the knower of the “unseen”, the future, for example, as well as every hidden thing, no matter how small.

A story (a man called Al Khudr, who teaches Moses what Allah has revealed to him of wisdom, and the unseen) demonstrates that because of this All Knowing nature specific to the Lord of the Universe, He is the only one capable of judging mankind. He is the only one aware of all, no matter how miniscule or imperceptible, our sins, the great and small ones, our dreams and aspirations or our wishes, whether good or evil, our inclinations, our thoughts, and our hearts. Therefore, who is better to judge us than Allah?

Also, Allah tells us, “I am nearer to my slave than his jugular vein”.

********

 

God Is Logical and Just: Some Questions for Further Study:

- God has special knowledge we don’t. He doesn’t have to be present with us, to know our sins, but angels are appointed for us. Why??

- Intimate knowledge is a wrong expression; yes or no? God doesn’t see or watch us committing evil such as fornication, or when we go to the bathroom, but everything which will occur is written, as Allah ordered the “pen” to “write”. When he said to Jesus, “be”, Jesus came into existence, the angel blew into the sleeve of the honorable and chaste slave girl of Allah, Maryam, A.S., and she conceived Jesus, A.S. Allah decrees, and the angels do as they are told.

God is Merciful – But:

God is merciful to His creatures, but on Day of Judgment He rewards the Muslims/believers for their good deeds and/or forgives the sins they accumulated. This is the meaning of Al Rahman (and) Al Raheem.

Non-believers or weak faithful wonder why Allah permits suffering, or inflicts natural disasters on sinful people, while innocent children or other people suffer due to their relationship to such people, or because they live in communities where natural disasters often occur, such as earthquakes in China, or Tsunamis in Philippines or Bangladesh. Why do the beloved also suffer as much as the ones God doesn’t love, such as the sinful or heedless of God?

We can understand this better if we look at this question from the perspective of God, of a Creator who is Just and who knows everything.

“Allah knows when a leaf falls”. Allah has perfect knowledge; therefore, His Knowing prevents Him from injustice to his creatures. Also, His mercy prevents his injustice to His creatures.

“They earned what their hands have wrought”

Muslims also commit sins, and yet they are sometimes forgiven, and sometimes they must receive a punishment, and then they will enter Paradise. Some people are punished in this life only, others receive a punishment in the grave, and others go to Hellfire for a time, while the non-believers will remain in Hell for eternity.

“Allah’s command is just”.

Muslims also may wish to be forgiven, but if they rely on Allah’s mercy without repenting or changing their ways, then they cannot depend on His forgiveness as a foregone conclusion, but just the opposite is likely to occur, and they may end up in Hell.

********

Allah does not break His promise, therefore all Muslims/believers will enter Paradise, because they have said (and believed) La ilaha il Allah “There is no god (worthy of worship) but Allah” and if they have heard the message of the final Messenger, say, “(and) Muhammadur rasool allah” (Muhammad is the Messenger of allah).

That Allah doesn’t go back on His promise is also a mercy and just. It would be injustice if He didn’t, but Allah is above such a thing.

But Allah told Adam and Eve that when they go down to the earth, they would be enemies with the devil (Iblees) “get ye down altogether…”

He forewarned them that they should be wary of the devil, and to follow the guidance which He promised to send. Therefore, throughout the ages, prophets and Messengers have been sent to the people, so that they would have guidance. If they reject this guidance, Allah tells them they will be punished, “A just reward”.

From the believers’ point of view, this makes sense. Good is rewarded, and evil is punished; God has not left us without guidance, therefore when we follow His guidance we are right and when we don’t follow His guidance we are wrong. It is very few people who can innately do good and avoid evil, without having guidance. Inevitably people without guidance make mistakes or commit sins.

If Allah didn’t punish the guilty while he rewarded the good (only), then that would not be just either. If Allah didn’t forewarn His slaves (people or jinns) then, they would have reason to complain, or say that He didn’t give them the guidance with which to oppose evil, for example. If he didn’t send a book or a prophet to a nation, they would have a right to complain that they were not sent any guidance with which to learn the difference between good and evil, which isn’t something easily discerned in many cases.

We see how interest is destructive to the economy, yet non-believers continue to deal in usury. They are blind to the fact that it is an evil and is destructive. They insist on economies and financial systems built on interest, despite the fact their economies suffer for it. They seem to be blind to the evils of dealing in interest altogether, which is why they rarely are able to see the benefits of Islamic finance, or they refuse to leave it, even though they might also see the benefits of Islamic finance. In the same way, people are often misled by the devil or prefer evil deeds to good deeds. Many people prefer dating, to early marriage, or a life in the priesthood or as a nun, to marriage and children. They perceive that these things are what they want and must be good, because they like and see nothing wrong with them, but really these are practices which are deviations from the true nature of human beings. Inevitably we see problems in societies which permit a great deal of mixing between the sexes, or certain practices which insist on total abstinence and/or isolation from society, whether the majority of the members of those societies believe these are good or not.

How many problems do societies live with just because they have not followed the previous guidance, or they forgot their duty to Allah? We see that the more Muslims forget their religion and stumble through life, the more they suffer just as the non-believers, and in the same ways. The Quran tells, “You (Muslims) will follow the path of those who went before you”. Allah doesn’t say that all the Muslims will follow the ways of non-Muslims, but that groups or some generations of Muslims in some places will follow the ways of the non-believers.

Because Belief IS Logical:

Muslims believe that belief in God is logical, so to argue that it isn’t is not something they are open to. They believe that atheists’ arguments against God and in favor of evolution and other unproven “theories” are illogical. These two groups rarely can agree on anything, I think.

Even among non-believers, there are varying opinions about what is just or what is right. Their disputes with each other about right and wrong are also hotly debated everywhere (but less so than creationism or evolution) among non-believers about what is “moral” or what is “just”. They can only debate these questions of morality, but cannot impose their own opinions on other non-believers, no more than they can impose their objection to the existence of a Creator on Muslims. Some non-Muslims are adamant that homosexuality is a sin, but it is difficult to convince an atheist who has no fear of god, that such a lifestyle is “immoral”. They believe in the individual’s right to do as they wish, as long as they do not hurt others. This is why premarital sex is also not anything wrong in their view. If their views are not the majority view, they will naturally become very antagonistic; we can see evidence on Islamic sites or posts on the internet of this, and trolling, etc.

But Belief is Logical; many people insist that we don’t have to see God to believe in God, nor do we have to understand God. Most believers follow the teachings of their spiritual leaders, or an institution, such as the Orthodox Church, or the Orthodox traditions in their own country, or which they follow. Still, other believers follow their conscience as much as they follow any of the scriptures which they claim to believe. They are not as fundamentalist as others of their fellow believers or many who are fervent believers in a specific church, or a certain sect, for example.

To many a believer, it is often more important that they are sincere to their beliefs and values, than to any notion that all people must follow the right guidance, or a specific path to salvation.

Many claim to follow the right guidance, but all of them cannot possibly be doing that; there is only one religion acceptable to Allah/God, isn’t there?

Anyone who believes that there is only one God worthy of worship and is a true monotheist, should also realize that God sent the world a message - He sent a final Messenger with this guidance to teach the people, that is Muhammad ibn Abdullah, the seal of all the Prophets. His specific message and life has reached to all the corners of the world today.

Part Three:

Do we have the right to claims superior knowledge or wisdom to a God who has sent us Messengers throughout the ages and revealed Himself to us in His books? What is the proof that this God doesn’t exist?

It is a well-known thing that the atheists say that just because in every previous generation and throughout history people have believed in a Supreme Being or a Creator that doesn’t prove that God really exists; the genetic fallacy, e.g. people all over the world believe in god, therefore, that means they have all heard the same stories about a “God” who created the Universe and everything in it, therefore this belief is a well spread “myth”.

But philosophers can argue that just because something exists all over doesn’t mean it isn’t true. Where is the proof that belief (in god or a creator) is based on falsehood? That’s the meaning of a “genetic fallacy”.

Almost similar to this is the atheistic belief that since God should be merciful (or people believe He is, if He is a true God) then He would not punish us for our sins; but the fact is God does punish sins, and sometimes we don’t like this. That doesn’t mean we can argue with God - we cannot, and we are just His ‘slaves’. Being slaves, we have no say in what is just or unjust, and we can’t even know many times, what is just or what is unjust. This is already explained in the previous post.

Then, it isn’t logical to say that because God is just he isn’t merciful or because He is merciful He isn’t just. God is both. If he didn’t punish evil, or allow the destruction of sinful people, even though among them are some good people, then the world would become more and more corrupt; people and nations don’t seem altogether capable of justice or goodness do they? Therefore, they must be checked, and one way of checking them is through trials or disasters. Even the “rotten apples” will make the bunch rotten, or isn’t that the case?

The fact that innocent people live among evil people, doesn’t mean that God is not merciful for also taking their lives, or that He is the cause of their suffering. If they lived among good people, maybe they would not suffer so much. In any case, God is not unjust.

Allah says to the believers, “the earth is spacious”, and so we are encouraged to migrate to places where we are free to practice our religion. It is highly desirable to live among other believers and those of similar faith or sect. Most people of all faiths are naturally attracted to those people they share a common belief with.

********

To say that God is unjust or unmerciful, while we see how merciful and just He is in reality, means we are deliberately denying God’s many blessings and closing our eyes to the truth in front of us. The atheists will no doubt think this is a useless argument, but to others who are confused about this question (why God permits suffering), this might help them understand.

People complain against “a god” who is “invisible”, “not here” who would punish “innocent” people and allow suffering to occur, yet demand us to worship Him, and who is described by the believers as “a merciful god”. They are really complaining against God, but they think they are complaining against a fictional being, idea or a “myth”. The fact that there are disbelievers doesn’t prove the non-existence of God however.

Nor does the dislike of pain prove the non-existence of god, nor does the abundance of blessings support the non-existence of god, nor does the spread of wealth or the rise in crime prove the non-existence of God. God exists; therefore nothing disproves the existence of God.

If suffering proves anything it is that this life is not a dream, that we do exist and are not just people in someone else’s dream. What is more logical? Yet, non-believers in the past used to even discuss the possibility, or philosophize about whether “the creation” actually exists at all in reality (in time and space as we know it to be today through advances in scientific discover).

Because there are algorithms which can prove that gravity is real, or is not just a theory (therefore it must be true) and truth equals reality, therefore, it is even more important to discover and state once and for all whether biological algorithms prove Darwin’s theory of “natural selection”. If they don’t, then people should stop claiming that natural selection is a proven theory, it isn’t; in fact, it is more than likely not ever going to be proven, no matter what other advances we see in science, or the existence of more advanced computers and computer programs. The same can be said for “evolution” then.

I suffer therefore I am:

Suffering is part of life; who is in a position to say, really, that fear and pain are not (equally legitimate) a part of life as much as happiness? Just because we don’t like something doesn’t mean it isn’t good for us. Also, just because we like something doesn’t mean it is good for us. “God knows and you do not know”.

Even it must be a genetic fallacy to assume that because people claim things about God or many believers say things about God that that proves the “angry” nature of god, “jealousy” of god, or any other similar accusations against god we hear. Just because people cannot explain God, or are not able to explain in words what “faith” is or even the correct teachings of their own religion, doesn’t prove that God doesn’t exist. Some of this proves that people often don’t know their own religion’s teachings, or want to deny them, but it doesn’t prove that there is no God.

Pending:

Names and Attributes of Allah, by Sheikh Ibn Al-Qayyim, “Madarij al Saalikeen”.

Conclusion:

A good number of non-Muslims, and atheists, etc., all say wrong or disparaging things about Islam, its prophet, and God. But they are not fair in doing so; in fact they are quite unjust and wrong in their assumptions and beliefs about Islam. They are uneducated about Islam yet speak freely about their misconceptions, and spread lies, furthermore.



Why I Raise My Children Without Christmas

This is my response to the article chosen by CNN for the best list in 2013, "Why I Raise My Children Without God".

1. God is not a “bad parent”. He is omniscient, all powerful; He is the Lord of the Worlds.

It is common for western people, and maybe others too around the globe, to compare God to people. But God isn’t a person, nor is He anything like us.

God gave us books, and sent messengers who would teach us right from wrong.

2. God doesn’t tell us to lie. It was the mother who wanted to lie, as she points out. She was the one who was weak and needed to learn that her son can understand and learn; it was her duty to learn how to be strong enough not to lie about her own beliefs. All parents make the mistake in thinking that their children can’t handle things, whether the news about Santa Claus or the fact that millions of children live in poverty or are starving in some parts of the world. Life is tough.

But teaching that she doesn’t believe in God, is her right as her son is hers. Others of course will disagree, but that is basically the law. But it isn’t natural not to believe in God, just the opposite. That being said, I don’t expect that most people will hide their true feelings or beliefs from their young children forever. Eventually, like the mother of the article, they find others also who can share a similar experience. It isn’t any more difficult for atheists to tell what they believe than it is for others. I think this is a woman who was able to manipulate opinion and get a mediocre article published and even rewarded. (CNN didn’t do a good job choosing this article, in my opinion. Many readers said as much, maybe differently than I would)

Racists or Islamophobes also teach their “world view” to their children, but that doesn’t mean that they are right. It just means that they are free to do so.

3. God doesn’t tell us to ignore reality. The woman writes, “How many times have you heard, ‘How did God allow this to happen?’ and the answer is “’It’s not for us to understand’”,  she writes. But the truth is - that is the reaction of many confused believers, agnostics, Christians, or others; not all of the people on earth, though maybe a good deal many.  

Muslims don’t think this way, and maybe Hindus or Buddhists also have a unique perspective. Whatever one believes, blaming God is popular, because that is the idea that has spread, and largely through the fault of Christianity. Christianity teaches that God sacrificed his son, so that we could have eternal life (if we are Christians). Not all religions give us this easy “cop out” or easy way out of our religious responsibilities. Muslims believe that they can also go to “hell” if they don’t believe and act properly according to their religion’s teachings. Or for things like missing prayers, watching improper movies or television, fighting with siblings, and all the things one can think of are considered "bad".

I believe all religions do teach responsibility in day to day activities, however. It is wrong to assume that Christians are not responsible parents or citizens, just because they believe in a savior. It is important to note the difference between their idea of a forgiving God (and a "saviour") and their idea of brotherhood with the commonly "good" outward expressions of their faith (like charity, modesty) which are in themselves justly called admirable.

God doesn’t tell us to be lazy or let bad things happen. When we are able to, we have to take responsibility for our welfare, our children’s’ and neighbors welfare, help our relatives, friends, neighbors, and help out in the community if we can. That is what most religion really focuses on. So it isn’t fair to blame God or religion when people and communities do not take care of their own, or when disasters happen. Sometimes, these are preventable, or we must be ready for any situation, such as natural disasters, on a national scale, and nothing prevents us from doing “good” except our own laziness, or selfishness.

This is a world where God created us to work, not to relax or take it easy; it is His will that we try our best as in a race, to fulfill our duty as the vice-regents on this earth, so that we can earn His pleasure in the next life. In doing good, we are earning points for later, while advancing our good in this life and helping others to advance their goals, too. Life is a struggle, and not a picnic.

Your destiny and your future:

People who believe God should make our lives easy and simple do not understand life and the possibilities. Yes, bad things happen, too. But God doesn’t tell people to hurt other people. People do bad things because they are evil, or they don’t care about others, and so on.

Thus, God doesn’t require or ask us to “abdicate” our responsibilities. No religion should teach such an idea, unfortunately, that is in a way what Christianity and the idea of a “savior” have given the world. No wonder people are confused. It is however very simple minded to blame God for this. It is the people who wrote the book or corrupted the message who are mostly to blame for this situation and despise of God and religion. To be fair, the idea of a savior isn’t the only teaching in Christianity, there are many beneficial and good teachings nothing to do with the central ideology of Christ and the resurrection or (the other) more otherworldly teachings.

4. God isn’t here, no. God is not in this world, or in the universe, but is “above the throne”.

The fact that Allah exists, and does as He wills is enough of a “logical answer”.

What is illogical about suffering? Isn’t it true, if you clumsily allow your hand to touch the hotplate or a fire, that you will burn it and feel the pain? Isn’t it logical, that if you let your child play with toys, he might fall down, or hurt himself, somehow? Isn’t it logical that pollution we cause by burning fossil fuels, or driving our cars, because it is faster than walking to work, is our fault, and not God’s fault. But do we take responsibility for many of our actions? Do we stop flying because it is disastrous for the environment, or do we fly because we want to see our family on holidays, and it is quicker than driving halfway across the country, or travelling by horse and buggy halfway around the world? What is logical isn’t always what the best thing is it?

5. Psychologists teach that if a child is rewarded after he has done good, without any promise of getting rewarded, then the reward is good for him, he realizes that he has done good and gotten a reward. But after a while don’t you think children know that they will get a reward at least sometimes or a nice trip as a “surprise” even though they didn’t ask for or “expect” it. Sure, kids learn fast. But bribing children is wrong, so we don’t give them the reward before they do the thing - that earns the reward - of their own volition. Sometimes parents make mistakes, and they are tired, so they give in to bribery, though they know it’s wrong.

Religions also teach that good has its own reward. It isn’t as if waiting for a lifetime to go to heaven is going to be an immediately gratifying and therefore overwhelmingly attractive offer to young children. We teach them, as religious parents, that God rewards for good, but having to wait a long time will become boring and of course children would then lose interest in doing good – the same could happen to adults, too. This is why all parents, - whether religious or not - teach their children that doing “good” is what is the right thing regardless of what they receive or what it costs them personally. Sometimes doing “good” is costly. Don’t religious people give charity, or alms? Isn’t that money they part with willingly? People teach their kids that there are more important things than money, or owning things, and that sharing, giving, helping out and so on, are all good things, and make us feel good.

The immediate reward is most always something positive, makes us feel happy, and isn’t something tangible. So it is a fallacy to say that God doesn’t teach “good”. Also, religions are basically good, though some of their teachings have been corrupted. Christianity is one in point.

6. As a religious person, I have never once told my children “God has a plan for you”. This woman assumes that all religious people believe and say the same basic things. I think most religious people are well meaning, just as the woman says she is well meaning in not telling her child God exists, because she doesn’t want to lie to him. But it is wrong to assume so many things about all religious people and that all religions teach the same basic things.

We are responsible for our own destinies, to do our best and to expect the best. Yes, God might well have a “plan” as she puts it, but we don’t know what that is, so we are the ones who must decide our destiny and plan our futures. We are our own masters in that sense. That doesn’t seem like narcissism does it?

We strive and then “hope” for the best. Sure, the outcome isn’t always what we would have liked, or the best outcome, but that doesn’t mean God doesn’t know what will happen. He is the all seeing All hearing. That being the case, He answers our prayers “sometimes” in this life, and other times, He promises us better than what we asked for, such as the tremendous rewards for our patience, in the Hereafter, if our lives were not so great, or didn’t work out exactly the way we wanted, so it is the case for most others people. Only a few people never experience great loss or pain in their lives before they leave this earth, and fewer still never lose loved ones in a real “tragedy”. Most people have their share of good and bad times, ups and downs, health and sickness, etc. Most people, until this millennium, have outlived their parents but not their children. At least in the western world. It is interesting then, that it is mostly western atheist people who complain the most about “God not being fair”. Well, they have not seen most of the suffering, which even their own governments have caused, so they should not even dare to mention the “suffering” or what is “fair”, without first taking stock of what they have done to either prevent or reprimand their own government, or challenge the status quo. It is a fact most of the wealth is in the hands of a few, and that no one is forcing atheists either, to see that others be able to share that wealth, or at least refuse industries to pollute in their backyards, while America and others are outsourcing work to poorer countries, etc. Most problems are not something even true atheists can use to point at  and say is any “god’s” fault. It is even hypocritical for them to blame religious people's "god" or "gods" for troubles from murder or genocide, to earthquakes and tsunamis, when these are out of all of our control, and if religious people could prevent these, they would like to just as much as the atheist. It is true, that some things, religious people also blame on atheists or "sinners" anyway. AIDs, or other diseases, or catastrophes.

If being logical is what matters, it is logical that a "god" who is seen by many believers as a "parent" or "angry" might indeed want to destroy much of humanity for its sins. The fact that the same "god" is also "loving" seems contradictory to the atheists or non-believers. But believers often do not have the same problem with this perception. They believe, as Muslims do, that God does what He wills and His decisions are just.

Whether believer or non-believer, each person will have to deal with life and happiness and sorrow often happen to each of us regardless of our outlook or beliefs. Even negative people often experience happiness, and positive people often experience sadness or tragedy. That is the human condition. We are created human, not supermen, nor angels. To expect perfection is stupid, to reach for it is human. We know we can’t be perfect people, and our children can’t be perfect, nor can life be perfect. But, most of us can live with the fact that life is what it is and we are here whether we like it or not. It is better to learn to rely on ourselves, and also trust that friends relatives and our closest loved ones will be there for us, if not, then we already have learned that we must largely rely on ourselves to help ourselves. We have learned that life is really a struggle, and not a picnic.

The meaning of Hope:

Religion does teach us to trust and rely on others. By learning trust, we also learn hope. Hope isn’t just an idea or an intangible, but is something we come to see as real and something we can expect will lead to tangible outcomes.

You have a dream, or a hope, you strive, and then you see, sometimes in the near or a more distant future, the result of hope and trust and striving. That isn’t “believing in ‘nothing’”. That is belief in a - real and immediate sense - in good and in the goodness of the world. The world isn’t all evil or perfect evil doesn’t exist.

Religious people do live in the “here and now”:

Heaven is not meant to be an idea that gives us hope or meaning. It is meant as a reward; likewise Hell is meant as a punishment. The real test is here and now, and the here and now is always the focus of Islam’s teachings. I cannot speak much for other religions. But I don’t think Christianity puts the same emphasis on the here and now as does Islam. I never felt that way as a young person, growing up Christian.

The fact that we can’t see or touch something doesn’t mean it isn’t there. The proof will be in the pudding, but not here and now. It isn’t however something which everyone wants; it is each person’s choice to believe or not to believe. Religions are not forced on people anymore at the point of a sword (and not in Islam), but maybe governments sometimes force schools (or public schools) to teach religions which don’t belong in secular society, or in public institutions. As for Islamic society, what is permitted is also the choice of the rulers or people, their own choice - often a cultural or religious history exists which lends itself to a more accepting attitude toward religion in general. Many Christians and Muslims live in the Middle East or Africa side by side, and do not have problems with religion in schools.

It is each society which must decide how to proceed with this subject, whether allowing separate classes for students of parents who permit religion class or not. Also, the same can be said about some other subjects, or courses, such as sex education or even anthropology. The mother is wrong to think she is alone, when we know that this isn’t a new problem and this is an ongoing debate for the new millennium, which is decades old already.

********

The excellent question is who decides which articles make it to the top for the year? Because this article is the same old same old, except from the perspective of a poor mom, who has pulled the heartstrings of many people, and pulled the wool over their eyes in doing so. Many better articles than this in the list, this one however, is not one of my favorites, nor would I have chosen it. “I think this is a woman who was able to manipulate opinion and get a mediocre article published and even rewarded. CNN didn’t do a good job choosing this article, in my opinion.”

But that’s just me.



Emails Asking About Islam -2

Does Islam Discriminate Against Women or Girls?

Re: Reply to your comment on: Douglas Murray - (SML) Are Muslims Too Easily Offended?

Hi again Jane.


Please feel free to use my thought on your blog. I would appreciate it if you would not change them, LOL.

I think you did mention something to the effect that the moral code outlined in the Koran might only apply to people from that day, rather than today. The Koran for instance seems to have no objection to slavery. I will admit that the freeing of slaves was a generous act, but the institution itself was practiced and seems to be condoned by the Koran and the Hadith. There are very few Muslims today who would agree with slavery. Unfortunately there still are some Islamic people and countries who have not outlawed slavery because of the Koran. There are also very few Muslim people who would marry prepubescent children. Unfortunately there are some who do.


I do believe that 4 witnesses for adultery and rape is unreasonable. I do believe that human beings can rationally determine whether adultery or rape has occurred without 4 witnesses.I also believe that a woman's testimony is just as valuable as a man's and a woman can decide what is appropriate for her to wear without asking her husband. I believe that woman can walk around society unaccompanied if she chooses. I believe it is never appropriate for husband to strike his wife.I believe that stoning to death for adultery or apostasy is immoral.

I also believe it is quite fine for Jews and Christians to have political power over Muslims if they are best at the job. There should be no prohibition based upon religion. I don't believe in the modern world, polygamy is unacceptable.

I don't believe that you do know where you stand with respect to a huge number of moral issues facing human beings today. I don't believe that Islam has worked out a universal moral stance to global warming, taxation, women's rights, polygamy, defensive war, Gay rights, Dhimmi rights, Jihad, apostasy. There is a great deal of interpretation that goes on with respect to these things and they are basically the same things we have to work out in the Western world.

Wrt torture-I generally agree that torture is unacceptable, however since I have a very good imagination, I can imagine some instances where it might be acceptable. This is the problem with holy books giving universal moral prohibitions. Morality actually requires an assessment of the particular situation.

it may be that there is some evolutionary value to belief in a God or gods or spirits. I wonder though, if we are evolving away from that. I think that atheism or nonbelief or at least a minimum belief is far and away the fastest growing. If religion is truly a man-made invention, then I would expect there to be a number of different beliefs depending upon culture. I would expect that there would be great confusion about it, even amongst people of the same religion. I think this is exactly what we find.


Does Islam Discriminate Against Women or Girls?

As promised, I haven't changed any of the email or ideas one iota. I have had a lot of enjoyment reading peoples emails, particularly this one, and it's because of freedom that we can exchange views. So here is three cheers for freedom: Hooray for Freedom, Hooray, Hooray.

That was a bit weird, lol.

 

My reply will follow in the next post, It's ready, but to build up suspense, I'll be posting that tomorrow. (see below for more of my thoughts on Allah, Islam, faith and religion)

Allah has revealed to us 99 names and there are other of His names we don't know. We also can learn about His attributes, which helps us to know Him. That's one means to knowing Allah, and then there are His signs in nature, etc.

Many people say they have changed certain habits and so on, but I don't believe most people change as far as who they actually are. I think most people know themselves pretty well, it isn't about changing ourselves but our actions, which is a big part of Islamic conversion and the time that takes could be short or long depending on the person and his/her background and problems, etc. Some people find the conversion almost nothing to complain about, meaning it is rather easy for them. I didn't struggle myself with wearing hijab too much, though it took me 3 months to get up the courage when I was living at the time in a non-Muslim environment, but that is my personal experience and others have a different one.

I believe I am still the same person my parents raised and they recognize that most of the changes about me have been outer ones and others are more private, such as my thoughts or beliefs on things, which I don't always express to my family for reasons I don't go into here. But they know who I am, that I am basically the same daughter they raised and will always have my special personality and quirks.

I am a more God-conscious person however, and that is something which has been ongoing since I converted rather than something which came and went when I was Christian. It has something also to do with the society I choose to live and the company I choose to keep.

I think you have a lot of preset ideas about Islam and Muslims which makes you say the things you do, in a kind of judgmental way.

No problem, it's been interesting as usual to read your reply.

Some Points:
 

 adultery is proven with four witnesses, otherwise it can't be proven, nor can anyone's reputation be spoiled by talk of infidelity without clear evidence and witnesses  this gives opportunity for the sinner to repent of his or her crime and to stop the adulterous behaviour without being dragged through the mud, as is done in western and european nations whenever a hint of "infidelity" occurs.

It is to preserve honor and life that Allah has made it a difficult task to prove adultery by ordering that four witnesses (they must be male, even in this day and age). This requirement means that convictions don't happen a lot, unless the people themselves turn themselves in to receive the punishement (a worldly punishment will ward off the one in the hereafter). Also, if women were to be witnesses, that would maybe make it easier to find four people to testify, than if all four must be men. What adulterer is going to let people find him in a situation like this? It might not happen every one hundred years, but is a good deterrent anyway, when punishment is a possiblilty.

stats on Muslims show that their divorce rate is rising in general. This means that there is more unhappiness or instability inside marriages today,which is due to many modern reasons. We can reflect that women also seek divorce more often in shariah or family courts (in the ME) or in the West and Europe through lawyers or divorce court. But Muslim marriage is still more successful on averrage than other marriage. Infidelity is also not as much of a problem as in non-Muslim societies, in my opinion (probably stats back this up).

Rape, is another issue and viewed with great gravity by the society and earns the displeasure of Allah and is not condoned in any case. It can be easily proven by a physical examination of the victim; it isn't necessary to have even one witness if DNA testing can prove the criminal without any doubt. It is better to have witnesses to corraborate the woman or child's testimony, or in the case of men also, there is the same recourse to medical witness of a doctor or health professional, and first person accounts of witnesses and so on.

(revised June 9th)



Wrong Assumptions People Often Make … About Allah

The most common assumption people make about God, is that He must be similar to us; if you can’t smell it, touch it, see it, hear it, or taste it, it doesn’t exist, they say!

So, to refute this mistaken belief, a student ; probably of average intelligence, but a religious one… told his atheist professor; I can’t smell, touch, see, hear or taste your brain, therefore, it doesn’t exist; in other words, the professor must be wrong.

It’s the same mistaken belief which allows many ordinary thinking people to dismiss God, all too easily; But, remember, if you want to learn the Truth, maybe you have to think differently; “outside the box”; after all, we’re talking about the nature of God not your uncle Jack; your very human (though odd) uncle who could just be in the toilet at the moment, if he’s not around. Probably, if you can’t see your uncle Jack, he is in one of three places, the kitchen, the toilet, or the bedroom, meeting one of his innate desires for either, food, relief from constipation, or sleep! Rather, he might even be hiding behind the house, from his little nephew who always wants him to play scrabble.

The second most common assumption people make when faced with the question of an afterlife is “there are forces, or beings which are outside of the control of even God”; ghosts, poltergeist, or souls condemned to roam the unseen spheres of another plane; stuck between this life and the next who “never move on” or “can’t move on” for some reason (usually to do with a guilty conscience, or some horrible wrong done to them by some loathsome other).

The wrong assumption here is that, there are great forces outside of nature, or outside of God’s own power. These ideas are often held by people who believe in a supreme God, but who have learned from their upbringing, either popular culture i.e. television, or movies; or through questioning ignorant others about the existence of such phenomenon as spirits, aliens, or the nature of the devil or Satan. For example, they believe that “if” ghostly apparitions appear with great frequency all over the world, these must be “restless” souls roaming around seeking vengeance, or peace, which they can never get.

In Islamic tradition, when Allah made Adam and Eve, the first humans, the Jinns were already in existence. They are creatures made of fire, which Allah in His infinite wisdom created before he created mankind. Allah also warned Adam and Eve about their avowed enemy, the Satan; or Iblees, as he is known in the Qur’an and Islamic tradition. While there are many other devils who do as Satan bids them, there are other jinns who do not listen to him, but follow what they were commanded by God; they do not approach humans or harass them; but keep to themselves, and worship God, live in communities of their own, and believe in an afterlife; those of them who are believers. In other words, the spirits believed to be ghosts are not spirits but creatures made of fire (although we do not generally see them), who are also responsible for their actions in their present life, and will be judged on their actions in the next life, similar to human beings. They possess ‘free will’ and so it follows, they also are accountable to God for their good and evil deeds.

One of the basic Christian beliefs is that the devil somehow has great power; due to this wrong assumption, Christians believe that there is much evil in the world, and that the devil can “harm” innocent humans. The fact is that no one, not the devils, nor Satan, nor evil humans can do anything to anyone else without God’s allowing them to use their own free will. God can prevent any evil from occurring if He wishes to do so, and He is All Seeing and All Knowing, and all Capable and All Aware. There is nothing in the heavens or on earth that doesn’t occur just as what has been written. This belief in the Divine Will, means that Muslims do not fret over what has happened of evil to them, even disaster is faced with stoic acceptance and strong faith in God’s wisdom. True, this takes a certain amount of faith, and also Islamic beliefs; knowledge of God’s true religion.

The ghosts, aliens, and so on are largely due to belief in what popular culture teaches, which exaggerates the existence of such things, or exaggerates their power; just as the Bible has exaggerated the power of the Satan; children see “Casper the friendly ghost” when they are young, and then “the ghost whisperer” when they are older, and get it into their heads that there is some truth to ‘phantoms, evils spirits, or even ‘friendly’ or good spirits, who don’t do much, except make some noise in the house. I had a friend in high school, who once seriously claimed that she heard guitar music being played in an empty upstairs room of her parents’ home. Now, I believe that they probably had a jinn or even more than one living in their home. Empty rooms are well known for inviting Jinn, especially if the home owners are non-Muslims and play music. Or so I figure.