Hi,
Thanks for the welcome everyone. I look forward to contributing to this site.
Welcome Tom.
Tom which version of islam were you born in and which did you experiment with on your way out if any?
I was born into a Sunni family. My experiences with Muslims were mixed. Most of the people I've known in my life time, who were Sunnis, were typically good people. However, I now realize it was because they didn't speak of religion much, and kept Islam somewhat private to themselves only.
It was not until I was about 15 or 16 when I really started to research Islam. I met other Muslims over the internet, and in real life. Part of my research was to get to know the opinions of other people. It wasn't long before I ran into Salafis- who are by far the most hardcore of Muslims-at least, in my eyes.
I don't have anything against Muslims. They are just as any other people. I found them appearing in both sides of the Sane-Insanity spectrum. If it brings happiness to their lives, then so be it. However, I do not have much respect for Islam. I can't grasp how the supposed 'creator of the universe' could be so utterly wrong, and incredibly vague in his book about science. Not to mention appear so embarrassingly childish, and incompetent in governing human nature, and laws of humanity.
Perhaps this answers your question. Perhaps it doesn't. Please let me know if I've misunderstood your question, and completely went out of the field.
Cheers.