This interesting answer (below) was given to my question
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AlyvNbJcI1UMvjaKWQXTaDbsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071026092448AAJm0qL
The answer, by "magnetic_azimuth":
i mostly ignor these questions for obvious reasons,
however based on my experience in iraq, I saw the people praying (a group of 150 or so) and I was friends with many of these men who would get together to pray so I asked them about what they thought of God, (almost all of them were agnostic or atheist.....honestly that is what they told me)
they said, they go through the motions to prevent others who actually believe in al lah from killing them for not believing
you tell me who is more dangerous
islam or atheism
I would trust an atheist with a loaded gun behind me,
2007-10-26 06:58:30 · 11 answers · asked by primary_chem 4 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Even without this bit of information, I would trust an atheist more.
But, to answer your question, no I would not/have not thought about an atheist Muslim. The thought has never occurred to me.
2007-10-26 07:08:06 · answer #1 · answered by Me 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Islam (or Judaism or Christianity) is two things, one is a belief system, the other is cultural.
Many people in the west are raised Christian and conversant in the Christian culture--they know about the Bible and all that--but they don't really -believe- what Christian is 'supposed to' believe. You might call them 'cultural Christians'. They might say grace over meals, they might even go to church once in a while, but they're not believers, they're belongers, if you see the difference.
I was raised Jewish and Judaism isn't really so much about belief at all as it is about culture and identity and heritage. Many Jews (like my Mom) believe that God favors Jews because they're his 'chosen people', and it's just because you're born a Jew, you don't have to actually -do- anything. I think that's a silly thing to believe, and also a bad thing because it leads to bad things like the way Israel treats the Palestinians. Most Jewish people I know are really agnostics, as I am.
It must be stronger in the Muslim world! Where Islam is such an important part of the culture, people must feel a lot of pressure to 'go through the motions' even if they don't believe. You don't have a range of different denominations of the faith all living together at peace, as you do in the Jewish and Christian world, so the proper set of beliefs has a sort of 'political correctness' about it, the official faith becomes a political issue. So if you don't believe it, you pretend you do!
A lot of Christians in the US must be envious of this! I think they would like to change our culture to be like this, where people who don't have the 'accepted' beliefs just keep quiet about it.
2007-10-26 07:12:27 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
That makes perfect sense.
It isn't always fear that puts an atheist undercover.
At the last church I attended (bible-believing, evangelical), of those I could circumspectly enquire, I discovered about a third did not believe but spoke and acted as though they did to preserve the belonging: the community and their place in it, the thing they actually valued.
And it has been pointed out of the US Senate and Congress, that, unless they are remarkably atypical of people their level of education, statistically they should they contain a good few atheists who must be "keeping their heads down" as they don't seem to be announcing their presence.
2007-10-26 07:17:42 · answer #3 · answered by Pedestal 42 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If the person is truly devout Muslim and promised me to his God not to harm me I'd trust the Muslim a lot easier than an atheist.
A Muslim fears of losing his soul and an atheist fears only of getting caught by the earthly authorities.
2007-10-26 07:14:48 · answer #4 · answered by Phoebe Magus 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Rationalism knows no boundaries. I've known atheist from all over the world
2007-10-27 04:55:55 · answer #5 · answered by hyperhealer3 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well as an atheist if I lived in the Middle East, I'd fake the hell out of it too.
2007-10-26 07:02:48 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
Actually their behavior makes sense in a crazy way. But once you've come to atheism you've shed your former religion. Agnostics possibly could have a free pass since they can't make up their minds. ;)
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2007-10-26 07:10:59 · answer #7 · answered by AuroraDawn 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well... of course there are atheist muslims. Atheists are all over the world. Not just america.
2007-10-26 07:04:34 · answer #8 · answered by amber_lanae28 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
i'm glad i live in canada!
anyone who is willing to kill someone else just because they don't believe the same as they do, is dangerous indeed. you never see atheists really to kill believers just because they are believers
2007-10-26 07:03:49 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Wow!! That is weird. They have not lost faith completely. It really does not make sense.
2007-10-26 07:02:34 · answer #10 · answered by lalagirly 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋