Quote:
Originally Posted by Yamatoblue
Also, let me say that a lot of women have converted to Islam, and are still doing so. I don't understand that, if you guys say islam is oppressive towards women. If that is the case, then why do so many women convert to Islam? Explain that to me. Are ALL of them misinformed or hypnotized?
Ad populem fallacy.
"Tons of women are joining islam. It must be a good religion (or true faith)"
is the same as
"People are joining a suicide cult. No one would join if it was a bad thing."
moslema said:
2)i dont think that u want to live without a law..which one??
there r many laws all over the worlds..what suits u more?
democracy?
well, today all ppl living with u have ur point of view..the same.so u lead the life u wish..what about tomorrow?
there may b other ppl with other ideas,other values..other measures
will u accept their new laws when u apply democracy?
Okay. Let me explain this directly. Democracy is the most misused word in the world next to the supernatural stuff. There is only ONE nation that applied democracy, this was Attica (ancient Greece) from I think more or less 550BC (about 1170 before your prophet's exile) to 400BC (-1020).
This was only for "citizens" of Athens, i.e. you had to be born there, had TWO Athenian parents, and still live there. And depending on the time, it was rigged in favor of aristocratic influence.
I live in Canda. Its official form of government is a monarchial republic, but since Great Britain has been releasing countries' from its grasp (Canada was its own country in 1867, but our actual independence was in about 1931 and fully in 1982 with the repatriation of our Constitution.) we're practically the equivalent of other countries.
What most countries are, in entirety or in verisimilitude, are democratic republics. The essential tenets of democracy are upheld, elected bodies for the people can make and repeal laws, HOWEVER, we also have inalienable rights. Freedom of speech, religion, to the choice of education, freedom from racial/sexual/other forms of discrimination. This is why I would only choose to live in or even VISIT countries based on the ideas of a democratic republic.
*I want to be able to eat what I want for breakfast. (from Pork to General Tao chicken to tofu, and yes, for breakfast)
*I want to be able to eat when I feel and when I need to. (no state-mandated fasting periods)
*I wish to be able to go somewhere, and usually not be asked of my religious affiliation. When asked though, I would also prefer not to be dragged in the street for being an atheist.
*I wish to be able to say what I want to say to whoever I choose to say it to in any language of my choice with the words of my choosing. (i.e. "profanity" but I don't even see it as profane. The only true "profane words" are those using a religious icon in place of a more appropriate word, like "shit")
*Choices related to education and society should be to my choosing, and if I choose a state-sponsored alternative, it should be exempt of any political or religious influence. Heck, this goes for ANYTHING stae-sponsored.
Were I living in a democracy, if 31 million radical muslims from the Middle East decided to camp Canada for 5 years and then all want a sharia-based law, public stonings, this would be totally OK, but it would never happen even if they would win a majority of the seats of our government, the democratic republic.
Everyone is special. But no one is specially blessed, and nothing will excuse you if you are breaking laws. (i.e. "God told me to drown my 5 kids in the bathtub") Some laws can be changed or repealed if the plurality of society would require it, example a Sikh Mountie can wear a turban instead of the typical Mountie hat, but (in general) your religion or culture will not permit you to break laws that endanger your safety and that of others. (i.e. riding a motorcycle with a turban instead of a mandated helmet)
To the original questions:
1) do you believe in god? - No belief required. A divine entity would exist or not exist. Belief is irrelevant, and there is no proof of a divine intervention. The Bible could be simple fiction of just making a story and include real places. Same goes for any good fiction literature.
"Mom raped me in Kazakhstan." = Kazakhstan exists so Mom must have raped me. This is the logic of most people attesting that their version of the divine is right. Note the fact that I've never been to Kazakhstan.
2) what do you know about... - Islam is a religion started by some man (whose name is variably spelt all across the world from Muhammad to Mahomet) and their calendar is based on his exile from either Mecca or Medina, which, I forgot, and am not too inclined to care. So according to the islamic calendar, the year would be 1382. (And were I to set a calendar start it would be in 1969 with the lunar landing, making this year 35.)
With time, Islamic people were just like any other. Everything from scientists to thieves, and politicians to warriors. With the conquest of the byzantine empire (Byzance/Constantinople/Istanbul) near 1453/831 however, sometime, advances by the upper strata have progressed at a very slow rate.
Plus, the testosterone warriors just interested in money and riches were screwing with India 1000 years ago, on and off. So I don't see Muslims as more honorable than anyone else.
And the 3 current problems with the Islamic population today
Still screwing around Pakistan/India.
General disregard for human rights/standard of life.
The Israel question. This however is not an islamic fault, but a zionist one. How they're dealing with it is however ineffective. I can't say more on what I think about that area of the world, as my comments would not be forum-friendly.
3) why are not u a muslim - We're all atheists face to every "deity concept" out there. I just believe in one less god than you do. But seriously, no pork when you're used to weekly binges at the sugar shack... maple syrup is delicious. And I don't believe that holy discrimination can be used as "carte blanche" to bludgeon anything human that is "different", and this goes for ANY religion out there. Not only religions (christianity, islam, judaism, thugs, buddhists, etc...) but societies (Hutu/Tutsi) that advocate loudly or silently in their literature that declare that I am sub-human. I will not tolerate anyone telling me this, nor will i tolerate it being told to anyone else. Feel free to not be whatever your religion says but once you start telling others what to do, advocate that they are less human than you are (or in extreme situations, killing them for it) you do not deserve any preferentail treatment for it.
:wavey:
