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Hi, I'm James.
05-07-2016, 12:58 AM
Billions of people believe in some sort of god and each of them genuinely believe that their god is the right god. My question is how does one obtain this belief? I've thought about god before and I am just incapable of believing in that sort of thing. I mean I'm sitting here now trying to imagine it to be real and there's just nothing... I don't chose to not believe in god, I just don't. Are we even capable to choosing what we believe, I don't think so?

For example a devout Christian believes in their god just as much as a devout Muslim, a Muslim cannot simply choose to start believing Jesus is god and a Christian cannot choose to believe that Allah is god. So as an atheist, I don't just choose not to believe in a god, I have no control over what I believe. Personally for me, belief in something can only happen once you witness something that forces you mind to change. If you don't believe gorillas exist and then you went to the zoo and saw one, your belief would change instantaneously.

Take aliens for example. Not little green men running around on Mars but extraterrestrial life out there in the universe. There is absolutely zero evidence that life exists elsewhere yet I believe there is life, so strongly that I simply don't need evidence. Again I don't choose to believe in aliens, I just do.

I think a common misconception about atheists or agnostics is that we have control over what we believe and we simply choose to deny the existence of a god, which just isn't true. Can god really punish me if I am incapable of believing in him? If god is omniscient then he knows that I am not choosing to disbelieve in him, I just simply don't believe... My heart does not believe. How is it then that I can be punished for this? It is almost like a baby being punished for wetting itself, it just has no control over it...

Thanks for taking the time to read.
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Misbah0411
05-07-2016, 02:37 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hi, I'm James.

I think a common misconception about atheists or agnostics is that we have control over what we believe and we simply choose to deny the existence of a god, which just isn't true. Can god really punish me if I am incapable of believing in him? If god is omniscient then he knows that I am not choosing to disbelieve in him, I just simply don't believe... My heart does not believe. How is it then that I can be punished for this? It is almost like a baby being punished for wetting itself, it just has no control over it...

Thanks for taking the time to read.
You are quite capable to believe in your Creator. Take it from me. I too was an atheist in my early 20's at the time. Then a friend of mine gave me a copy of the Quran and I began reading it at night before I would go to bed. By the 5th chapter of the Quran I became convinced of the Creator and became a Muslim. Al-Hamdulilah. And yes God can punish you if you die as a disbeliever in Him and it would be the least injustice due to the overwhelming favors He has given you in this life particularly your free will and ability to use your reason to know Him. Instead you use these favors to deny Him.
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LaSorcia
05-07-2016, 02:37 AM
Hey, I want to reply to you properly, but it's just about my bedtime, so I will get to it straight away I hope.
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sister herb
05-07-2016, 07:09 AM
I see it´s same when we get some new information about any matter, we can change our opinions.

As some Muslim members here have been an atheists before, many times they have started to looking for more information about Islam like reading books about it, reading the Quran or talking with their Muslims friends. Some have joined to this forum when they have read about Islam and Muslims from the news, got information and become interesting to know more and more.

Same was with me; I have always been interesting about history and read about it a lot. While I was reading about history of mankind and the beginning of the civilizations, I read about ancient Middle East countries and believes of people at those times. Then how civilizations and religions changed and developed. Then I came to the era of prophet Muhammad and of course wanted to know more about his works and life as it seemed he had a big role of the history and I read the Quran as well... So I got more information and it teached new things to me and with more knowledge, I was able to change my old opinions about religion when i learnt to understand better those people whose believed the God.
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Eric H
05-07-2016, 07:09 AM
Greetings and peace be with you James; and welcome to the forum,

Again I don't choose to believe in aliens, I just do.
Suppose we find aliens, will these aliens be the ones who created the universe and life? If we find life on a billion planets, what will this prove? A thousand years ago, Europeans did not know American Indians existed, now we know, has this brought us any nearer to knowing who created the universe and life?

We search for the God who created the universe and life, no one was there at the time of creation, and in your words, I don't choose to believe in God, I just do.

God the creator exists fully and totally, or there is no God.

In the spirit of searching for God

Eric
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sister herb
05-07-2016, 07:14 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hi, I'm James.
Take aliens for example. Not little green men running around on Mars but extraterrestrial life out there in the universe. There is absolutely zero evidence that life exists elsewhere yet I believe there is life, so strongly that I simply don't need evidence. Again I don't choose to believe in aliens, I just do.
If you would get at some day waterproof information that some other planet really is "aliens" or life in general, would you then be ready to change your belief or would you just refuse to believe?
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~ Sabr ~
05-07-2016, 07:43 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hi, I'm James.
I don't chose to not believe in god, I just don't. Are we even capable to choosing what we believe, I don't think so?
You answered your own question in the beginning of your sentence.

Everyone has free will, but you will get your reward/punishment in the afterlife.

Can I ask - why do you not believe? Is the human body not evidence enough to you that God exists?
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Serinity
05-07-2016, 08:52 AM
I assume you have not even read the Quran, and you are assuming stuff? Really?

Read the Quran from cover to cover, and reflect upon it. Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't complain, start now.
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eesa the kiwi
05-07-2016, 09:41 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Serinity
I assume you have not even read the Quran, and you are assuming stuff? Really?

Read the Quran from cover to cover, and reflect upon it. Don't judge a book by its cover. Don't complain, start now.
This
Seriously bro read it
You owe it to yourself
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Serinity
05-07-2016, 10:06 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by eesa the kiwi
This
Seriously bro read it
You owe it to yourself
The verses in the Quran will hit you. If you reflect and ponder.

It questions you, etc. It even answers / questions those who don't read the Quran.

And did you know? Quran means recitation, to read! Read, for if you do not read, then how will you know?

May Allah SWT guide you and all of us to His straight path. Ameen.
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Hi, I'm James.
05-07-2016, 11:30 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by ~ Sabr ~
Can I ask - why do you not believe? Is the human body not evidence enough to you that God exists?
I do know why I don't believe, I guess it's just something I've never thought was true in my heart. At the moment I believe something different and this belief is based on information we know about the universe. Yes the human body is simply amazing, in fact all life is amazing and while this may be overwhelming evidence for other people, for me it's not.

Kind of like those flat earth theorists, we genuinely believe the earth is flat and that to me is just madness, I guess it's the same when someone tells you they don't believe in god. You're probably thinking "WOW how can you not believe in god" in the same way I say "WOW how can you believe the earth is flat" sort of thing.

Should I try reading the Quran . com? Is this a good place to start?
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Pygoscelis
05-07-2016, 02:46 PM
No, you may not be able to believe what you simply do not. Can anybody here, as hard as they may try, as much as we threaten or bribe them to, genuinely believe that an apple they pick up and look at is really a banana? Try it everybody. You can't do it, can you?

Would it be fair or just to punish you for this failure of self delusion?

No, I do not believe that theists who speak like that truly understand that atheists truly exist. And that is why we keep hearing them say things like we rebel against or are disobedient to or don't appreciate their Gods, which of course can't be if we truly dont believe Gods exist. It is like telling me that I rebel against or am disobedient to Darth Vader (star wars) or Thor, or that I am ungrateful because I don't appreciate the faeries for making my garden grow.

I do not believe in Darth Vader, Thor, Faeries, or Allah, and no matter how hard I tried to, I couldn't make myself believe.
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Serinity
05-07-2016, 03:15 PM
GBeware of mixing imagination with truth. If you do, you'll only confuse yourself.

belief in fairies is not like belief in God. You can't equate the two.

You don't say "belief in dust is like belief in fairy dust!"
Read the Quran sincerely, and Allah SWT will answer you, In shaa' Allah.

I urge you to read the Quran sincerely. Just like in a science experiment you don't say " how do we know this is dust and not fairy dust?" You don't with truth. You'll only confuse yourself, needlessly. Although truth, afaik, has no parable. May Allah SWT forgive me if I said anything wrong. Ameen.

always question yourself.
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ardianto
05-07-2016, 03:22 PM
Hello James, welcome to the forum.

I was born in Muslim family. Since I was little kid my parents have taught me about Islam, about the existence of Allah. I still and always believe until now. So, am I being indoctrinated?. I understand if there are people who think like this. But actually there is something which make me believe that my parents were right when they told me that Allah does exist. I believe it because Allah answered my prayer.

Since I was kid I have been taught to pray when I expect something. And few times I got what I asked in my prayer through event that "too perfect for a coincidence". It made me realize that there is an almighty power that arrange those event to be happen. Yes, people around me were right when they said, the way to find God is through prayer.

:)
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Hi, I'm James.
05-07-2016, 04:18 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by ardianto
Hello James, welcome to the forum.

I was born in Muslim family. Since I was little kid my parents have taught me about Islam, about the existence of Allah. I still and always believe until now. So, am I being indoctrinated?. I understand if there are people who think like this. But actually there is something which make me believe that my parents were right when they told me that Allah does exist. I believe it because Allah answered my prayer.

Since I was kid I have been taught to pray when I expect something. And few times I got what I asked in my prayer through event that "too perfect for a coincidence". It made me realize that there is an almighty power that arrange those event to be happen. Yes, people around me were right when they said, the way to find God is through prayer.

:)
Well it's not a coincidence that if you're born in the middle east you believe in Islam, if you're born in America you believe in Christianity, if you're born in India you believe in Hinduism, if you're born in Thailand you believe in Buddhism. Obviously there are exceptions, people convert to and from various faiths and something changes in them to make them believe in something different.

Take a Christian that converts to Islam, something changed in their mind that made them believe Islam is the truth instead of Christianity... and take a Muslim that converts to Christianity, again something changed in their mind that made them think Christianity was the truth. People don't choose what they believe, they believe what they believe based on some certain factors, what these factors are I don't know.

There are also Atheists that end up believing in god, there are also believers that end up as Atheists so again there must be some underlining reason for this... not just because they chose a different belief.
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Pygoscelis
05-07-2016, 04:42 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Serinity
GBeware of mixing imagination with truth. If you do, you'll only confuse yourself.

belief in fairies is not like belief in God. You can't equate the two.
Yes, I can, because as far as I am concerned both are imagination. You can't, because you believe that one of them is true. A believer in faeries (and there are such people) may believe in faeries but not in Allah, and tell me the same thing but from the opposite end.


Read the Quran sincerely, and Allah SWT will answer you, In shaa' Allah.
This claim is up there with "nobody could produce a book like it". Yes, they could, if I am the one judging the two. If you are the one judging the two, you will say that it can't be done because you have already decided that from the get go.

Now you say read it sincerely and Allah will answer you. That just isn't so. I get that you believe it to be so. And I accept that you actually believe in the God it is about and that this is sensible and coherent to you, even though to me it is completely nonsensical and incoherent. You don't seem to want to accept that I don't believe as you do, and won't believe as you do simply by reading a book that you think is magical.

Reading the Quran isn't going to convert me any more than reading the Bible will, or reading native american folk stories will. I have tried, and really, the text is cryptic and not very coherent to me. Have you made a sincere attempt to read Egyptian mythology and native american fables, and considered if they may be true? Have you then come to see them as not so much? That doesn't make you insincere or rebellious against the "truths" within them.
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Hi, I'm James.
05-07-2016, 07:02 PM
Would I like heaven to exist? Of course... my mother died when I was 13 and there's nothing I would not give to be reunited with her.

I am actually jealous of religious people. Imagine being able to go through life knowing in your heart that when you die you'll go to heaven and meet all your family and be in paradise etc. That must be incredibly comforting I can't even begin to imagine the level of chill Muslims must have.

There are so many people in the world who are scared of dying or simply just don't want to die and Muslims are just like "meh" lol I wish I could be like that. So many things in life stress me out and get me anxious and it would be a really soothing feeling to know in my heart that it's all just a test and Allah is watching over me.

If I could believe like you do, my life would be 10x easier... Really I am jealous of this.
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Serinity
05-07-2016, 07:44 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hi, I'm James.
Would I like heaven to exist? Of course... my mother died when I was 13 and there's nothing I would not give to be reunited with her.

I am actually jealous of religious people. Imagine being able to go through life knowing in your heart that when you die you'll go to heaven and meet all your family and be in paradise etc. That must be incredibly comforting I can't even begin to imagine the level of chill Muslims must have.

There are so many people in the world who are scared of dying or simply just don't want to die and Muslims are just like "meh" lol I wish I could be like that. So many things in life stress me out and get me anxious and it would be a really soothing feeling to know in my heart that it's all just a test and Allah is watching over me.

If I could believe like you do, my life would be 10x easier... Really I am jealous of this.
Allah SWT can guide hearts on barren land you know? can grow hearts on barren land. Or something like that.

Just start by reading Quran, be sincere, and in shaa' Allah you'll get guided.

I ask Allah SWT to guide you to Islam on this Journey. :)
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Eric H
05-07-2016, 08:22 PM
Greetings and peace be with you James.;

So many things in life stress me out and get me anxious and it would be a really soothing feeling to know in my heart that it's all just a test and Allah is watching over me.
On a number of occasions I have experienced a profound sense of peace, when in reality, I should be feeling fear and worry.

A few years ago, I had tests done for cancer, about a month later the doctor phoned and said he urgently wanted to see me, it was non – Hodgkin Lymphoma, this was a name I recognised, our friend had this cancer, and died a few months later. I prayed for the wisdom, strength, peace and serenity to do God’s will, whether the cancer was a death sentence, or just an inconvenience. I can only say that from the moment of making this prayer, I have experienced a profound sense of peace, and the thought of cancer has never troubled me for a moment.

Cancer can be a truly worrying process, you wait a month or two for tests, you wait for the results, and you wait for more tests, but the prayer to do God’s will sort of handed the problem to God, and I have never had to worry. I have never once prayed for healing, at the age of 62, the prayer for healing was too complicated, it might or might not be my time to go. Recognising this profound sense of peace comes from God, gives me reason to be thankful.

I could not imagine this sense of peace without a faith and trust in God. I can say, from the moment of hearing about my cancer and making that prayer, I could talk about cancer in the same way as I talk about what’s for dinner?

In the spirit of searching for God,

Eric
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Hi, I'm James.
05-07-2016, 09:42 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Eric H
Greetings and peace be with you James.;



On a number of occasions I have experienced a profound sense of peace, when in reality, I should be feeling fear and worry.

A few years ago, I had tests done for cancer, about a month later the doctor phoned and said he urgently wanted to see me, it was non – Hodgkin Lymphoma, this was a name I recognised, our friend had this cancer, and died a few months later. I prayed for the wisdom, strength, peace and serenity to do God’s will, whether the cancer was a death sentence, or just an inconvenience. I can only say that from the moment of making this prayer, I have experienced a profound sense of peace, and the thought of cancer has never troubled me for a moment.

Cancer can be a truly worrying process, you wait a month or two for tests, you wait for the results, and you wait for more tests, but the prayer to do God’s will sort of handed the problem to God, and I have never had to worry. I have never once prayed for healing, at the age of 62, the prayer for healing was too complicated, it might or might not be my time to go. Recognising this profound sense of peace comes from God, gives me reason to be thankful.

I could not imagine this sense of peace without a faith and trust in God. I can say, from the moment of hearing about my cancer and making that prayer, I could talk about cancer in the same way as I talk about what’s for dinner?

In the spirit of searching for God,

Eric
Yeah this is what I mean. You're calmer and put your trust in your god and so it's like a weight lifted off your shoulders. Lucky for some they have this ability to believe.
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Serinity
05-07-2016, 10:02 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hi, I'm James.
Yeah this is what I mean. You're calmer and put your trust in your god and so it's like a weight lifted off your shoulders. Lucky for some they have this ability to believe.
You can believe in Allah. Everyone can, try to read the Quran. :)
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goodwill
05-08-2016, 01:00 AM
Have you looked into some of the more in-depth arguments for God’s existence? William Lane Craig is one of the eminent apologists of the day. His videos and articles can be easily found on-line.
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Kiro
05-08-2016, 01:06 AM
The Qu'ran is a reminder, for you to ponder and contemplate about the meaning, the message and the lessons of the verses. So it can happen as a process till you get more comfortable and develop a sort of relationship with the Qu'ran.
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Pygoscelis
05-08-2016, 02:56 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hi, I'm James.
Yeah this is what I mean. You're calmer and put your trust in your god and so it's like a weight lifted off your shoulders. Lucky for some they have this ability to believe.
I disagree. I know a number of theists who actively fear hell for themselves and their loved ones, whereas atheists have literally nothing to fear, as to them death is nothingness.
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Search
05-08-2016, 03:27 AM
:bism:

Having been an ex-atheist, I know it's not just my imagination as I can confidently say I knew some atheists who feared nothingness but simply believed that was all there is. Nothingness can be equally scary for the mind to grasp.

format_quote Originally Posted by Pygoscelis
I disagree. I know a number of theists who actively fear hell for themselves and their loved ones, whereas atheists have literally nothing to fear, as to them death is nothingness.
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Bhabha
05-08-2016, 03:29 AM
James

As a convert to Islam, I was brought up a Catholic until I was about perhaps 8 or so. I know it's not that much but I was socialized apparently into Catholicism. Then my parents kind of stopped believing in religion for a little while, so I was not socialized religiously for a while. When we were living in Florida we went to Protestant church, for a little bit... Then we stopped, then 9/11 and I as a child looked into "what happens to me if I die?" Because I had experienced a lot of spiritual things in my life for me not to believe in something that cannot be explained by "science". For example, science still contests whether we are pushed into earth or pulled by gravity. There are so many things that cannot be explained by science. So I sought out going to church and I pushed my parents to go church and listen.

Of course, I didn't feel convinced because some things didn't make sense to me... Like the trinity, lol. It has never made sense to me. To think that God has a son and God needs a spirit to communicate with you...? How can God have a son? In Catholicism I couldn't understand why if Jesus sacrificed himself for the sins of people would children need to be baptized in order to remove this "sin" when children are born innocent and without the sins of their fathers....I also could not understand the images, the random images in the churches and the asking to Jesus for forgiveness, why not God directly? Why would we need to ask someone who was born on earth for forgiveness? I was not convinced at all. I was also thrown off by the pastor message to the congregation that they needed to be "poor" whilst giving alms.. And then going to the pastors home where he was not poor, but he owned a large land of about 100 acres and this was his vacation home. Excuse me? Are we paying for you to live this kind of life, while we bask in misery?

There were so many things. Perhaps experiences of life, having the chance to travel and see the world that I learned more and more. Alhamdellah, thank God I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel the world and have experienced first hand the spiritual world. For example, when I was younger I used to have constant visits at night by something. This thing bothered me and tormented me until I was older. I haven't seen it in a while, Thank God. My brother has also experienced a lot of spiritual things, although he's kind of agnostic and very technological since he does engineering. He acknowledges the spiritual side and holds belief that there is a God.

As for me, I traveled overseas and when I heard the Adhan in a Muslim country, I felt something deep in my heart. This is coming from someone who disliked Islam before working overseas. So people can change, it requires travel and experience in my opinion. You have not traveled, until your travels have impacted you in one way or another. I have found a lot of people who have gone to Muslim countries have changed their way of life or opinion about Islam. For example, my little brother and mom used to think horrible about Muslims, until I took them to a Muslim country and they loved the experience, the people, the sound of the Adhan. Although their hearts might be a little tougher than mine, since mine has always been yearning for that full feeling, their change will take a little longer than me. I also had the chance to live there, while they just visited for some time.

So take it as a convert :) as someone who has explored many religions and traveled around. Perhaps it is my positive experience living in a Muslim country that has changed my view most of all. I felt safe, like I could walk around at night and be safe or leave my doors open. Right now I am waiting to travel to the uk ان شاء الله for my PhD and I am traumatized and scared of living in the uk by myself. My mother is also scared, so she comes with me lol.
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Serinity
05-08-2016, 04:46 AM
Use your reasoning and you will come to know that to believe in Allah is completely rational, logical, and the way one is born. :)

Just don't deny when you see signs. May Allah SWT guide you. Ameen.
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Serinity
05-08-2016, 04:48 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Pygoscelis
Yes, I can, because as far as I am concerned both are imagination. You can't, because you believe that one of them is true. A believer in faeries (and there are such people) may believe in faeries but not in Allah, and tell me the same thing but from the opposite end.




This claim is up there with "nobody could produce a book like it". Yes, they could, if I am the one judging the two. If you are the one judging the two, you will say that it can't be done because you have already decided that from the get go.

Now you say read it sincerely and Allah will answer you. That just isn't so. I get that you believe it to be so. And I accept that you actually believe in the God it is about and that this is sensible and coherent to you, even though to me it is completely nonsensical and incoherent. You don't seem to want to accept that I don't believe as you do, and won't believe as you do simply by reading a book that you think is magical.

Reading the Quran isn't going to convert me any more than reading the Bible will, or reading native american folk stories will. I have tried, and really, the text is cryptic and not very coherent to me. Have you made a sincere attempt to read Egyptian mythology and native american fables, and considered if they may be true? Have you then come to see them as not so much? That doesn't make you insincere or rebellious against the "truths" within them.
Go away and discuss with someone who is in doubt / confusion like you. I sincerely can't be bothered in debating with you. You are confused. Your post is evidence for my claim. "If someone came and said bob with a stick exists, how do you know it is true? perhaps it is" How can you be that deluded? Bye.

If one is sincere in searching for Allah, Allah SWT will guide them, that is fact.
May Allah SWT forgive me if I said something wrong. Ameen.
May Allah SWT guide you. Ameen.
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Eric H
05-08-2016, 06:12 AM
Greetings and peace be with you James.;

Yeah this is what I mean. You're calmer and put your trust in your god and so it's like a weight lifted off your shoulders. Lucky for some they have this ability to believe.
Belief and trust in God was a journey for me, I started to search for God in my late forties. I watched my mother suffer with multiple sclerosis for the last thirty years of her life. She could not move her arms or legs for about the last twenty years, and everything had to be done for her. She had to suffer every kind of indignity and helplessness. Yet she seemed to experience a calmness and peace about her, I could never really understand her calmness.

At one point she went into a coma and was taken to hospital, her breathing was a horrible gurgling sound; the doctors said she had days to live so we called a priest, none of us had a faith at the time, but we just thought it was what you should do. As the priest prayed my mums gasping for air seemed to change, she seemed to relax and started to breathe more normally. About ten minutes after the priest walked out the door, mum came round and started to speak, she had no recollection of anything that happened in hospital for the last two days, or that the priest had said prayers over her.

She lived another ten years, my mum regarded this as a blessing, despite her paralysed body, and she said she was not ready to die at the time of the coma.

I really could not understand how she seemed to just accept it, she rarely complained and often seemed more worried and concerned about our problems than her own. She had a faith in God and she sometimes used to say that she is ready to meet Jesus now. I never heard her blame God for her problems. People might have said that it would have been kinder for her to have passed away in hospital. But somehow through my mums faith in God, I went from being agnostic to finding a greater faith myself.

I can only say that I will never meet a stronger person than my mum. Faith is only faith when it is tested, sometimes it seems that God tests us in extreme ways. We all die, faith and trust in God helps us to look forwards to a greater good life after death.

Having witnessed mum's healing, when I had my cancer tests years later, I never once prayed for healing, I prayed for the wisdom to do God's will.

In the spirit of searching for God.

Eric
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~ Sabr ~
05-08-2016, 07:17 AM
format_quote Originally Posted by Hi, I'm James.
I do know why I don't believe, I guess it's just something I've never thought was true in my heart. At the moment I believe something different and this belief is based on information we know about the universe. Yes the human body is simply amazing, in fact all life is amazing and while this may be overwhelming evidence for other people, for me it's not.

Kind of like those flat earth theorists, we genuinely believe the earth is flat and that to me is just madness, I guess it's the same when someone tells you they don't believe in god. You're probably thinking "WOW how can you not believe in god" in the same way I say "WOW how can you believe the earth is flat" sort of thing.

Should I try reading the Quran . com? Is this a good place to start?
Hi James,

Yes, the Qur'aan is the best place to start. If you have any queries about what you are reading, you can always post them on here and we will be glad to try and help out as much as we can (bearing in mind we only know the basics)

Peace
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Pygoscelis
05-08-2016, 04:57 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Search
:bism:

Having been an ex-atheist, I know it's not just my imagination as I can confidently say I knew some atheists who feared nothingness but simply believed that was all there is. Nothingness can be equally scary for the mind to grasp.
Why would you be afraid of nothingness? It will be like before you were born. There is literally nothing to fear.
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BeTheChange
05-08-2016, 05:03 PM
How do you change what you believe?
Through education, through contemplation, by mixing with learned or practising people, looking at original authentic sources for information, admiring nature and reflecting.

Education is the main one though in my humble opinion.
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MuslimInshallah
05-08-2016, 05:27 PM
format_quote Originally Posted by Pygoscelis
There is literally nothing to fear.
Hello Pygoscelis,

(twinkle) I expected you'd be interested in this thread. Anyway, nice to have your input.

Mmm... you know, I posted a while back about my ex-father-in-law, a longtime adherent of atheism, and how he had been terrified to die. (sigh) At the time, you dismissed his fear and quite horrible death as a "meme". (smile) I remember, I had to find out what "meme" meant. (sigh) And it was sad to think of the suffering of a human being would be considered as something as frivolous as that.

The fear of death certainly exists for at least some atheists. Curiously, an atheist I know who was also a very kind person, did not suffer when she died (in her sleep). (pensively) Indeed, turning over the people I have known, it seems to me that those atheists who were decent and kind, died without fear. But those who were not very nice people died with much fear and suffering. (pensively) Perhaps, because you are a decent person, God has relieved you of fear?

(smile) Muslims believe that God requites all good deeds. If you put your Trust in Him, and seek goodness in the Next life... then He may Gift you there. But if you do not... then He may Gift you in this life.


(smile) May God Bless you, Pygoscelis.
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Serinity
05-09-2016, 10:29 AM
May Allah SWT guide this lost, and sad soul. Ameen.
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