Hi! I've come here for an argument!
OP - July 13, 2016, 05:59 AM
Just kidding! :-)
First of all, best wishes to all the members and readers of this forum for an ever wonderful life, full of liberty, and eternal pursuit of happiness.
Secondly, to all the readers who are questioning all aspects of religion, especially islam, and contemplating matters of science and/or spirituality/philosophy/literature/history to guide your lives, kudos on your bravery; may you succeed in all your endeavors.
Thirdly, a quick introduction of myself (if I don't come across a troll and am allowed to linger, I might follow up with a more detailed one later!): I have had nothing much to do with islam thus far in my life and I have only had limited direct interactions with muslims. Nonetheless the country I grew up in is inextricably linked with islam and its history for over 1,000 years was dictated by islamic rule; some claim American historian Will Durant observed based on islamic sources this region suffered from the bloodiest of islamic conquests; looking back now on my formative years, there were scars of such history everywhere but people mostly strove hard to put it behind them. The country I live in now is reviled globally as being islamophobic, but I have personally become more acquainted with "allahu akbar" deaths and major injuries among its non-muslim citizenry than any discriminatory attacks on muslims by the general populace (not saying the latter doesn't exist). I have thus become curious about islam and the story of muhammed and have read a little bit, all works in English albeit by non-English authors including translations of the quran and biographies and sharia and some recent reflections on muslim identity. I admit I have found most of the writings to be so bombastic, repetitious, so Goebbels-like in terms of explicit messaging I have skimmed over vast sections in spite of my best attempts to pay close attention.
So why am I here? Mainly because I'm no more impressed with islam and the story of muhammed than any other ideologies and theologies and imperialistic efforts in history, though I concede the former have had among some of the biggest of impact on humanity, at least in terms of the number of claimed followers (and something which seems to grow inexplicably! what, it will be about 2 billion next year, 2.3 the year after!). I have expressed the opinion in some circles (dominated by self-proclaimed progressive liberals - Ben Affleck types - something I only came to realize recently) that islam's claim of perfection is so intense and pervasive among its followers and the extreme desire and the autocatalytic urge and the insatiable need by many muslim leaders (in the 1,400 plus years of islamic history and especially during current times) for preeminent status of islam in all of world's affairs suggest there will be a lot of turmoil ahead and countless lives will be lost or ruined because of these tendencies. It may be as drastic as tortured demise in a cafe following a siege or as simple as a college fling leading to conversion and irreversible institutionalization of progeny to blind faith, mind-numbing futures, and possible radicalization. That is, until and unless the modern technological medium increases individual awareness and the world leaders are guided and supported by all to preempt major casualties. I am told I'm totally wrong to think along such lines, that as a non-Caucasian working and living among the dominant group formed of whites, I should only express solidarity with followers of islam, most of whom are not white, that I'm an islamophobe, and inherently a bigot to have fallen for all the right-wing propaganda. Hence my self-deprecating nom de plume! I'm hoping to post some queries here and participate in a few discussions to gain some pointers to information and perhaps some insight and wisdom which might help me rise above my twin major moral flaws and become a better person.
Thanks for your attention and best wishes again to you all in your life journeys.
Topic: Hi! I've come here for an argument!