Hey All
Great to finally join this and to be able to post something! I remember coming across this Forum a few years back and thinking cool, there is a community of us brave people out there...and now it's about time I introduce myself ;-)
I'm 24 now, but since age 17 I've been agnostic leaning towards deist.
I don't spend too much time nowadays researching these kinds of topics since I find you can end up wasting time. Time is the most special thing we have...and I try and be as productive as possible. I run a business and have been effectively self-employed since the age of 19. I've been to university and graduated too in that time.
Now I live a double life you could say, and I'm happy to do this. It makes no sense for me to ostracise myself from my community and my family, yet anyway. Everyone that knows me knows I'm not very religious and also intellectual so some may have some idea...but the point is I do present an image as still being a believer. I do not pray though, only fast during Ramadan to keep up that image - I also enjoy it, being able to spend time with my family and doing something together with them.
The problem is with Muslims is that they are toooooooo entrenched in their own beliefs, and very intolerant of anyone who questions Islam. Openly declaring you are not a Muslim wouldn't be a smart thing for me to do because of my future plans and long-term goals.
On some levels, Muslims are afraid. And this is another thing that never made sense to me - why get angry or condemn anyone who asks a tough question? Or why want to kill someone who leaves Islam?
Surely if you have the truth you wouldn't be afraid?
But it's a common theme, most of them are insecure/sensitive about their beliefs because they know there are holes in it but avoid ever thinking about them. Frankly they are brainwashed beyond belief
And I say this with no malice. It's human nature - the way Islam is, what it teaches, and the way people are conditioned to believe in it, not many dare open their mind...it's a sad reality.
I'm not even going to go into why Islam is not the truth and false - there's too many reasons. In short it's illogical and irrational on many levels...but it's a smart religion. It has a grip on it's people that no other religion has. The Quran is very persuasive in that regard - it basically scares the shit of people. Humans are motivated by pain and desire - and as far as influencing goes, the Quran is VERY effective in keeping it's followers (hell = extreme pain. paradise = extreme pleasure) and a whole host of other clever persuasive techniques it uses
Ok so back to me. My background: I'm British Pakistani - was born and raised as a Muslim
My mum is devout, and same with the aunties in our family. But my dad has always expressed skepticism - and my uncles, none of them were very religious. But I went to Mosque to learn Islam for about 8 years, and was always one of the best students...
As far back as I can remember, I've always been very independent minded and disliked authority of any kind. That's why I refuse to even be employed and would rather run my own business. If I ever went bankrupt I'd just start over again...
As a little kid, I'm not going to lie - I was a bit of a bully
I had to be the toughest kid on the playground. I've changed a lot since then and stopped fighting years ago, but my early personality has shaped my thoughts to an extent
I basically refuse to except anything without questioning it - I dislike authority, and I see myself as a leader.
If you look at Muslims and followers of other religions, they are like sheep. They are blindly following something without questioning it. I could never be one of those people in life...
I also dislike being a hypocrite, so I actually became a strong believer in Islam and a great Muslim in my early teens. Thinking if this is the truth, then I need to follow it! I was convinced it was true for a couple of years, and was suffering from a severe case of "confirmation bias" like most Muslims do today. Finding any reason (scientific miracles in Quran) to believe I had the truth..
I've always been a questioner rather than a blind follower - so as time went on, I naturally started questioning Islam itself.
When you do that, and you are completely objective and independent (no confirmation bias) - anyone with any reasonable level of intellect will realise it is not the truth.
Add this to the fact that as humans we are products of conditioning (why 90%+ people follow the religion of their parents) it's easy to see why people are so deeply entrenched in this religion. From a young age, Muslims are conditioned by their parents and teachers that it's the truth - you have to do this, you have to do that etc. It leaves only a brave few who can question it despite the brainwashing.
Ok well that's it for now...
If any one has any questions, feel free to ask!
Great to post on here finally and look forward to e-meeting some of you :-)
Topic: Introducing Myself...The One And Only...