To all non-Muslims....?

Question

What is it about Islam that turns you away?

Please don't include bombing etc in your answers because killing innocent people is against Islam.

I just want decent, logical answers, not any form of abuse, please.

There is PLENTY of evidence that God exists, maybe you just haven't looked or find it easier to ignore it?

I see Jews killing innocent Palestinian children, is that braver than killing yourself?

Riiight, because giving women equal rights as men (which Christianity does not offer), and making it obligatory to repay tax collected from a foreigner when he/she leaves, is definitely undesirable.

I've got my answer, it's shear ignorance and gullibility that turns people away.

I asked you not to include bombings because (except for what's happening is Palestine) they ae NOT allowed in Islam. People who are blowing themselves and taking innocent lives are not doing it because Islam has asked them to, they're doing it because they are, in the main, uneducated and have been brainwashed.

To chris m:

At that time it was considered normal for young girls to marry when they reached puberty. Aisha was 9, not 6. And she married Muhammad (pbuh) willingly. Forced marriage is not allowed in Islam. What is it to you and me if a 9-year-old girl was so imprssed with him that she wanted to marry him? She said herself that she really liked the Prophet (pbuh). You may not think it's much coming from a 9-year-old, but Aisha was no ordinary girl. She was extremely mature and sensible and never once regretted her decision to marry the Prophet (pbuh) at such a young age. And if I was lucky enough to be in her place, I wouldn't have, either.

Let me use a simple analogy. If a new car comes out in the market, with the best of features, and an inexpert driver buys it and crashes it into a tree, who do you blame, the car or the driver?

The driver, of course!

Similarly, Islam neither preaches misogyny, nor violence (except when fighting your opressors ie people who are not allowing you to practise your faith freely in your land). But if some men beat their wives, or kill innocent people, it's not fair to put the blame on Islam.

angelpurplewings:

There is no place in the Bible where Jesus says he is Son of God. Son of man, yes, but not son of God.

Yes, Muslims als believe in Jesus' miraculous conception, but that does not prove he was divine. Special, yes, but not divine.

Sunshine, what is indecent and illogical about asking what turns you away from Islam, and then responding to some wrong statements to clear away the misconceptions? I'm not giving a verdict. You just completely missed my point.

Peace be to you, anyhow.

tah75

I don't mean to disrespect your views. You're right that Muslims believe Jesus to be a prophet. However, the Holy Book of Chrsitianity we believe in is the Injeel, of which Bible is an altered form, again that's what we believe. Jesus didn't become divine until about 300 years after this birth, and this in fact has been proven by historians and isn't just our belief.

danger dog

I'm sorry for not commenting on your answer, I didn't see your edit but was simply going to the new answers on the next page.

In some ways you're right that perhaps Al Qaeda want the whole world forced under Sharia Law. But you misread my statement. I said that Islam asks people to fight if they are being disallowed to practise their faith IN THEIR OWN LAND. By that I meant if you're a Muslim, say, and you live in a Muslim country and everyone happily practises their faiths, but one day some country decides to invade yours and stops you practising Islam, then in defence of your religion, Islam requires you to fight so that once again everyone in your country is practising their faiths freely, even Christians, Hindus, atheists etc. That is Jihad.

(continued)

In non-Muslim countries, Islam teaches that any Muslims there must abide by the law of THAT country, NOT sharia law. It is understood in Islam that a non-Muslim country has a different culture etc and so there may well be dating, drinking etc. A Muslim in such a place must practise Islam for him or herself and try to get along with everyone else, without sinning. Suicide bombings are totally out of the question. So if Al Qaeda's objective is to force Sharia law upon unwilling countries then I assure you I do not agree with them.
And no, I do not think non-Muslims are idiots, I would never ever think that. Even Islam tells me Christians and Jews are my brothers and sisters just like my fellow Muslims, and that I must also respect people of other faiths. I cannot imagine where you got that idea, but hopefully you no longer think so.
Your views are cool with me. I just wanted to know what people think, that's all.
Peace be to you.

to chris m

I do believe I answered your question fully, but let me explain again. Aisha was no ordinary child and was NOT forced to marry the Prophet (pbuh). The reason the Prophet married her at such an early age was because of her immense maturity and sense. I know it's hard for us to imagine such a child these days. I'm not trying to justify this marriage 'in any way' I can, because this is how it was. Aisha's own words give proof for this. But I suppose now you'll be saying Aisha was forced to say such things, despite the fact that some of them were recorded by young Muslims years after the Prophet's death?

I only asked this question to see what people think and to try and clear away the misconceptions. I'm not pleading, just giving my answers to questions I can answer.

Answer 1

everything you have said is so true and i was onced turned away from my own religion, why because of shear ignorance, lack of guidance and following non believers and doing things which which were not allowed in Islam. Truly i had lost the way. I am truly greatful for my husband for showing me the straight path.
He did not beat me or restrict me to the house or anything like that. With love and education i saw the truth for myself and my life is so much better. he wants me to go out and assosciate with people (who are on the straight path), get a job and all things what girls/women do which is allowed in islam. And why not, all the things which i am not allowed to do in my religion are wrong and result in harm. for example drink,drugs and sex without marriage.

Catriona b
you have been mislead. when an islamic wedding takes place the mans family have to write down and sign an amount of money or whatever they have to the wife in the case of a divorce. And the jewellery which is given at the wedding. It is not a mans religion as if yo look into it the men do everything for their wives, sisters, mothers etc. Usually whatever the wife needs the husband does everything in his power to give her if it is permitted.

Answer 2

I'm against organised religion of any kind not just Islam. I don't see why I should be told how to worship a god or which to believe in etc, it's just a way to keep everyone under control.

However, I must say I don't know much about Islam although from what you've said about how Jesus features in your religion it seems a truer version of him than the Christian way. You're right in saying he was a son of man, not god and i doubt he ever thought himself as divine or god like. I believe he was more of a prophet trying to teach the world how to live a good life. I should imagine that if he came back now he'd probably be disgusted with how he is worshipped as if he were a god.

I think many people are against Islam because all you here about it is the bad things about it and only extremist views are given any time in the media, and everyone forgets about all the bad things that have happened due to Christianity like the crusades, or all the cults that spring up. No one gets to know what the average Muslim thinks.

Answer 3

I'm not a muslim because I'm a christian, thats it. I have friends at my church and I have a part to play here in my own religion (I'm a sunday school teacher) and I love being a christian.
I have nothing against muslims at all, I think that as long as you have a faith then you know, good for you. And islam and christainity are so so similar, I'm studying the bible now and keep seeing things just the same as in the Qu'ran - like bowing down with your nose to the floor, not wearing shoes on holy land, woman covering their heads.
So there is nothing about Islam to turn me away, it's just that I already have a faith that I'm happy with.

Kenneth 3902; Muhammad didn't have intercourse with the girl until she was old enough, she was an orphan and the only way he could save her was to marry her. And besides, Mary would have been in her early teens when she had Jesus and his brothers and sisters, nobody knows how old Joseph was.

Answer 4

It's really not a case of what turns me away from Islam, I accept it's a peaceful faith and I have met some lovely Muslims. It's more a case of why I chose to follow Jesus, and that's a long story. I wasn't raised to follow any faith (live in UK) although both my parents were raised in Christian households neither of them continued in that after they left home. I wasn't christened, nor did I ever attend church. I rejected any form of organised religion, preferring instead to believe in a god of my own making who was there when I needed him but that was about all.
Then I met a Christian lady who invited me, after a year of friendship and no preaching, to her bapism. I went out of respect, and whilst there I simply and wonderfully encountered God through Jesus. I felt my spirit stirred inside by the people being baptised and their testimonies of how Jesus had met with them and changed their lives, and I was very excited, which had never happened before any time anyone had talked about Jesus to me. When the pastor asked if anyone would like to be blessed by Jesus, I raised my hand, and I was immediately baptised in the Holy Spirit. I just felt the overwhelming love and presence of God. Since this had been done in the name of Jesus, and I was amongst christians who all testified that He is alive, I was able to logically conclude that Christianity is true. I have studied since many faiths as I wanted to be sure, but I have never found any reason to doubt what I believe, and I have been used by God through Jesus to heal, and seen my 3 best friends also encounter Jesus and be changed.
I have nothing against Islam, but the call to me came from another place.

Answer 5

What do you mean by turns me away?

If you mean preventing me from embracing Islam, well I have no reason to embrace it in the first place. I'm born to a non-Islam parents and I grew up with that religion, embracing it and so there's absolutely no reason for me to change my beliefs

If you mean disliking Islam, I don't dislike that religion. During my schooling days, my best friend was an Islam guy. I have no problem with Islam nor do I think it's a problematic religion about bombing civilians. The problem lies within the people who use Islam as their propaganda to gain support, and also people (country leaders too) who uses Islam in their support for certain world conflict.

I mean c'mon, it's all political. Just because a party involves in such conflict consist of people who believe in Islam doesn't makes that conflict have anything to do with Islam. It's all about politics and power.

Answer 6

I was just never turned towards it in the first place. I grew up with Christian teachings and never felt any particular affinity with them, and I knew very little about Islam until I reached high school. A God set in a Muslim world didn't appeal to me any more than a God set in a Christian world - I just don't believe in Abrahamic teachings.

Answer 7

Ok - the one thing no Muslim has actually given me a decent answer on yet is the marriage of Mohammed to Aisha, a 6-year-old girl, when M was 54. Whichever way you dice it, that's pretty sick.

I also find most of the punishments contained in the Koran barbaric, and the idea of djinns and Jesus being spirited away and his face being put on another person to die in his place too fanciful for words. Mind you, I don't believe in the bible either.

You still haven't addressed the core issue of the question regarding Aisha's marriage. 6 or 9, that is not puberty in any country or any time. She's still a child, so calling her decision mature is hardly convincing. More special pleading on that one, so you have your answer there. It disturbs me that many response from Muslims seem incapable of recognising the utter inappropriateness of such a marriage and are determined to justify it in any way they can.

Answer 8

Islam isn't the way to the Father, Christianity is!

Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Christians all worship the one and same God. However, God can't come into direct contact with us because we have sin, Jesus, Son of God, perfect and without sin, took on the sin of the world when He was on the cross and became the ultimate sacrifice, taking our sins with Him.

By accepting Jesus as your saviour, He becomes the bridge between you and God.

Answer 9

Did you know that Islam is actually thinking that men are more important?

this is because when a woman wants a divorce. It's the mans decision to go through with it

but if a man wants a divorce they just take EVERYTHING including All the money and children. The woman gets nothing

And actually not racist or anything but Islamic people are actually the ones blowing themselves up

And if Allah was a good god then he wouldn't be alright with the people blowing themselves up he would want peace

Answer 10

Why not include bombings etc. Actions do speak louder than words. To be honest, I'm against any violence done in the name of any god. It's just that muslims seem to be more active at it than others. Also I resent the way women are treated in the name of religion, and minorities. And I can't see how a book wirtten some 2000 years ago (be it Bible or Quran) can relate to the modern world and dictate anyone's behavior.

And no, there is NO evidence of any god apparent.