what is the reason that today we see Islam as a rising ....

[al-fateh]

what is the reason that today we see Islam as a rising religion across the world, and all other religions on a decrease?

what are the causes and effects to that in your opinion?

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

:sl:

Islam is the Truth. Islam appeals to the Fitrah of man. Therefore, those with a clean fitrah will always accept Islam if it is presented to them. And which other religion has such a simple belief system as Islam?

:w:

[chacha_jalebi]

salaam

also you see many thins that the Quran has said, and now the people are realising them, and islam provides truth and thats why its bein oppressed, because blatantly its feared & when somethin is oppressed it always rises!! inshallah islam will continue to rise :D:D:D:D:D

[lavikor201]

Maimonides states that the popularity of Christianity and Islam is part of G-d's plan to spread the ideals of Torah throughout the world. This moves society closer to a perfected state of morality and toward a greater understanding of G-d. All this is in preparation for the Messianic age.

Before when the Jews were worshiping one G-d you were all pagans. Now you have morals, are monotheistic, and have a passion and belief for G-d. Remember Judaism does not encourage conversion, it encourages following the seven laws of Noah, and if you follow the seven laws of noah, and do not hate Jews, then you will go to heaven and if you follow Islamic law truly I believe you will go to heaven under Jewish law. So the rise of Islam as Maimonides states is to prepare the world to be ready to accept the coming of the Moshiach!


Who is Maimonides?

Maimonides was a Jewish rabbi, physician, and philosopher in Spain and Egypt during the Middle Ages. He was one of the various medieval Jewish philosophers who also influenced the non-Jewish world. He was posthumously acknowledged to be one of the foremost rabbinical arbiters and philosophers in Jewish history. Today, his works and his views are considered a cornerstone of Orthodox Jewish thought and study.

Maimonides' full name was Moshe ben Maimon (Hebrew: משה בן מיימון) and his Arabic name was موسى بن ميمون بن عبد الله القرطبي الإسرائيلي (Mussa bin Maimun ibn Abdallah al-Kurtubi al-Israili). However, he is most commonly known by his Greek name, Moses Maimonides (Μωυσής Μαϊμονίδης), which literally means, "Moses, son of Maimon", like his name in Hebrew and Arabic. Several Jewish works call him Maimoni, מיימוני. However, more Jewish works refer to him by the Hebrew acronym of his title and name — Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon — calling him the RaMBaM or the Rambam (רמב"ם).

In his commentary on the Mishna (tractate Sanhedrin, chapter 10), Maimonides formulates his 13 principles of faith. They described his views on:

• The existence of G-d
• G-d's unity
• G-d's spirituality and incorporeality
• G-d's eternity
• G-d alone should be the object of worship
• Revelation through God's prophets
• The preeminence of Moses among the prophets
• G-d's law given on Mount Sinai
• The immutability of the Torah as God's Law
• G-d's foreknowledge of human actions
• Reward of good and retribution of evil
• The coming of the Jewish Messiah
• The resurrection of the dead

Maimonides! A Great Rabbi and a man wise beyond his time here on earth! He stressed Torah study, and waiting for the Moshiach!

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[al-fateh]

ok...its all good

but the jews have been cursed thru all scriptures, you were the chosen people until you guys messed up

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

:sl:

Before when the Jews were worshiping one G-d you were all pagans.

Abraham was before the Jews buddy and he was niether a Jew nor a Christian but a Muslim, worhipping One God. Noah was before the Jews and he worshipped One God.

All I have to say is if you dont come to Islam, you are a follower of Dajjal the False Messiah if he should come now. The Jews were God's chosen people. They arent anymore after the repeated breach of covenant and after they have earned the Curse and Wrath of God. Its time you rise out of your fantasy and look around. Why then is God punishing you for your sins? Why dont you long for death if you are indeed God's chosen people? Why do you stick the earth as if there is nothing else for you after this life? Go on, long for death if you are truthful!

[al-fateh]

he will probably tell u Abraham is a jew....

just wait

[מדינת ישׂראל]

Abraham was before the Jews buddy and he was niether a Jew nor a Christian but a Muslim, worhipping One God. Noah was before the Jews and he worshipped One God.

I can say it for him. Abraham was a Jew. Abraham was the first Jew. And it is basically your word versus mine. Your belief versus mine.

Its time you rise out of your fantasy and look around.

Hmmm... look around? I'm in the Holy Land right now with a great life. I'm in no fantasy, the Arab world tried to detsroy the Jews in Israel in many wars, yet the Jews survived each war beating amazing odds.

but the jews have been cursed thru all scriptures, you were the chosen people until you guys messed up

I'm sure that is exactly what it says in the Quran. But could I care about the Quran? The Quran is insignifigant to Judaism, and no argument that uses the Quran will matter to a Jew.

Why dont you long for death if you are indeed God's chosen people?

Jews are not taught to 'long death' we are taught to enjoy life. We are enjoying life, are you?

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Islam is the Truth. Islam appeals to the Fitrah of man. Therefore, those with a clean fitrah will always accept Islam if it is presented to them.

My fitrah must be really dirty then...

And which other religion has such a simple belief system as Islam?

I don't think Islam's belief system is simple at all. Every day on this forum people ask questions like "What is the Islamic way to do X?", "What is the Islamic ruling on Y?" or "What should a Muslim do in situation Z?"

It's an immense system of rules and regulations that no individual could ever hope to have complete knowledge of in a lifetime.

Peace

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

No. Love life and cling to it. Let your false hope decieve you. You will die. Then you will be in the greatest regret. There is not much that can be said to a closed heart. May Allah guide you. Great will be your regret on the Day of Ressurection if you die outside of Islam and Allah knows which of us is truthful.

[shariq_0189]

we dont need to worry about this life its the after life the counts the most. Allah tests all muslims in this world with many hardships, and the ones who are steadfast and patience succeed. This world is a prison for a believer and paradise for a non believer. i jus hope Allah puts guidance in ur heart, beofre its to late. SALAM

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Greetings,


My fitrah must be really dirty then...

It is more probably your doubts and desires that prevent you from accepting Islam :)

I don't think Islam's belief system is simple at all. Every day on this forum people ask questions like "What is the Islamic way to do X?", "What is the Islamic ruling on Y?" or "What should a Muslim do in situation Z?"

It's an immense system of rules and regulations that no individual could ever hope to have complete knowledge of in a lifetime.

Peace

What is simpler than believing in One God, All Perfect Being, Worship Him Alone. He Created you, and knows what is best for you so follow and beleive what he has told you to follow and believe and leave what He has forbidden you. What is the reward for this? Paradise.

It can never get any simpler than that.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Abraham was before the Jews buddy and he was niether a Jew nor a Christian but a Muslim, worhipping One God. Noah was before the Jews and he worshipped One God.

If you had asked Abraham and Noah what religion they were, do you think they would have said Muslim?

Why dont you long for death if you are indeed God's chosen people? Why do you stick the earth as if there is nothing else for you after this life? Go on, long for death if you are truthful!

Some say that Islam is a monotheistic death cult. Is that a fair description, in the light of your comments here?

Peace

[Ibn Abi Ahmed]

Greetings,


If you had asked Abraham and Noah what religion they were, do you think they would have said Muslim?

Yes. That very term: Muslim. Also, not only Abraham and Noah, but Adam and all the other Prophets. That very term, including Moses and Jesus.

Some say that Islam is a monotheistic death cult. Is that a fair description, in the light of your comments here?

Peace

The mention of Death is necessary because that is after all when the reality starts. This life is no more than a temporary decieving, life of play and amusement. Death is waking up to the reality. Therefore, it is neccasary to warn using Death and the Afterlife.

Peace

Ps- Let the blamers blame, they are harming none but themselves.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

It is more probably your doubts and desires that prevent you from accepting Islam

It's definitely my doubts - I'm extremely sceptical of many of the claims of Islam. I don't think desires have much to do with it.

What is simpler than believing in One God, All Perfect Being, Worship Him Alone. He Created you, and knows what is best for you so follow and beleive what he has told you to follow and believe and leave what He has forbidden you. What is the reward for this? Paradise.

It can never get any simpler than that.

Perhaps, but that's not the whole story is it? You have to believe a lot more than that, and act in many ways you haven't mentioned, in order to be a good Muslim.

Yes. That very term: Muslim. Also, not only Abraham and Noah, but Adam and all the other Prophets. That very term, including Moses and Jesus.

How many of these people spoke Arabic?

The mention of Death is necessary because that is after all when the reality starts. This life is no more than a temporary decieving, life of play and amusement. Death is waking up to the reality. Therefore, it is neccasary to warn using Death and the Afterlife.

I'll take that as a 'yes' then.

Peace

[Ninth_Scribe]

what is the reason that today we see Islam as a rising religion across the world, and all other religions on a decrease?

what are the causes and effects to that in your opinion?

Well, I don't know where you get the numbers, but Catholicism took a dive in Massachusetts because of the sex-abuse scandals. I mean, the Vatican protected all those pediphile priests who were raping children by shuffling them around to different schools, so who'd feel comfortable sending their children there?

Judaism, in Massachusetts is a close-knit, community-based organization that doesn't commercially promote itself - so you can't really find those groups unless you're actually looking for them.

Islam is fairly the same here. They're aren't commercially promoted either, and tend to be fearful because everything they do here is held under the microscope. A mosque was due to be opened in Boston, but got side-lined due to a scandal in which it was accused of promoting religious intolerance.

But, if I judge by history, religion always thrives when times get hard - people tend to look for a form of relief, and that relief is spiritual. They seek out churches and the like for comfort they can no longer find the usual way.

Personally, when I want to be with God, I take my boat out at night during a full moon. I go so far out that I'm surrounded by a brilliant blue touched off with shimmering sparkles. The sound of the ocean, when it's all you can hear, is very soothing to me. I feel so safe out there I almost hate having to come back.

Ninth Scribe

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

I don't think Islam's belief system is simple at all. Every day on this forum people ask questions like "What is the Islamic way to do X?", "What is the Islamic ruling on Y?" or "What should a Muslim do in situation Z?"

It's an immense system of rules and regulations that no individual could ever hope to have complete knowledge of in a lifetime. (All emphasis mine)

Aren't you confusing the message/beliefs with the rules/regulations/practices?

I had a conversation with someone who made the same mistake when I said the Islamic message was simple.

Let us consider here - what Islam states the message of God to be. The Islamic message is very simple "There is One God - worship Him alone. Do good deeds because they bring you closer to Him." Out of all the world creeds, the Islamic message may indeed be the simplest yet most comprehensive and coherent. Islam means submission to God. Who, after acknowledging the existence of their creator, would refuse to submit to Him? It logically follows that once we believe in God we should strive towards Him by doing righteous deeds, and for this we will be rewarded in the next life. This is the Islamic message which has been revealed to the Prophets throughout time - a simple message to which humanity has constantly been called. It is not that the message cannpt be understood - people simply refuse to accept it. All prophets continuously called people towards the worship of One God, but they chose to deviate from this pure and simple creed, even though it is something inherent in the human being - it is part of man's natural disposition, which I believe is your view as well, as a believer in God. Not only has God sent revelation but He has also implanted in every human being an innate moral compass that will guide them to the truth so that there will be no excuses.

The Islamic message is very simple. The basic message is simple. Add thousands of rules and it no longer is.

But the rules are not the message! The message of Islam consists of three components - Tawhid (beliefs concerning monotheism), Risalah (Prophethood) and Akhirah (The Hereafter). This message is clear and simple for everyone to understand. Once you accept this message and believe in the Prophet Muhammad pbuh then you start to live your life according to the laws that he has brought. Yes the specific rulings can be detailed as we should rightfully expect from any system which is meant to guide all human beings in every aspect of their life. But that has no bearing on the fact that the message of Islam is the most simple, coherent and comprehensive.

In every human being an innate moral compass that will guide them to the truth. To that I agree as a basic. That ìMoral Compassî will tell you basic things like murder and theft is wrong, treating others with respect is good and we should help those that need help. But it will never tell me that I need to wash my feet before I pray or I canít eat meat on Friday.

I agree absolutely! Islam states that God has implanted in every human being a fitrah, an innate moral compass, a natural human disposition. See this thread where I provided some arguments against atheists on the basis of the fitrah:

http://www.islamicboard.com/comparat...s-atheism.html

Muslims believe that the fitrah will guide someone living in the wilderness to the recognition of the divine, but they obviously will not come to realize the legislation and the specific way in which to live. They will desire to know their Lord but will not know the manner of coming closer to Him or worshiping Him in the manner most pleasing to Him.

This is why God sends revelation. Human beings can only recognize so much on their own, but we won't be able to attain closeness to God in the way we can once we read His revelation. God has placed human beings on this earth to enjoin what is good and forbid what is evil, and in doing so come closer to Him. But He does not leave us in the dark as to how to go about doing this, He send revelation and with revelation a prophet, a human being like us, who can show us how to implement the revelation and teach us. We then carry on his teachings and message to others.

So first there is the recognition, which is in accordance with our fitrah. Then there is the acceptane of the Prophet and the desire to live according to the way of life God has revealed to them which will grant us the most success in fullfilling our moral duties and thus coming closer to God.

EDIT: on the topic of other prophets being Muslim and the language they spoke, this is an interesting article:
http://voiceforislam.com/JesusTheMuslim.html

[Keltoi]

Religion in the Western world has been declining for quite some time. Notice I said "religion". The same problems many had with the Catholic church during the Protestant Reformation seem to still exist today in terms of people's views on established religious institutions. The priest scandal with the American Catholic church hasn't helped its image either. However, I wouldn' necessarily equate this lack of church attendance to a decline of religious faith. Obviously church attendance has declined, in Europe in particular, but I think it has more to do with alienation from organized religious institutions and the fast paced nature of our societies.

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Religion in the Western world has been declining for quite some time. Notice I said "religion". [...] However, I wouldn' necessarily equate this lack of church attendance to a decline of religious faith.

True. The concept of spirituality has moved from the realm of public religious practices to that of personal faith as part of the secularization of western society. Fewer people follow a system of religious practices in addition to religious beliefs.

[czgibson]

Greetings Ansar,

Aren't you confusing the message/beliefs with the rules/regulations/practices?

Yes, I suppose so. However, all this is part of the belief system, is it not?

Would belief in angels, djinn and the Day of Judgment also fit into your idea of 'the belief system'? If so, they would surely complicate things a bit.

EDIT: on the topic of other prophets being Muslim and the language they spoke, this is an interesting article:
http://voiceforislam.com/JesusTheMuslim.html

A very interesting article - thanks for sharing it.

This part confused me, and I wonder if you can help:

The words Eirenopoios, L'ovdai shlomo, and Muslimoon all have identical meanings, that is, peaceful submitters unto Aloh's (God's) Holy Will. The Aramaic Bible Society translated Luke 6:40 into Hebrew as: Ein talmeed na'leh al rabbo, shekken kal adam, she'mushlam yihyeh ka rabbo. The English reads: “The disciple is not above his master: but every one that is perfect (Mushlam, Muslim) shall be as his master.”

The writer first claims that these words all have identical meanings, and then shows two meanings of the word 'Mushlam, Muslim' that are apparently completely different (shown in bold).

:?

Peace

[Ansar Al-'Adl]

Would belief in angels, djinn and the Day of Judgment also fit into your idea of 'the belief system'? If so, they would surely complicate things a bit.

The Day of Judgement is a central part of the Islamic message on accountability. Angels explain the communcation between God and humans. And Jinns offer a convenient explanation for all the supernatural phenomenon in day to day lives without convoluting the straight-forward Islamic message. It all fits together quite well in explaining everything. You are corect that there are some details and finer points in the Islamic belief system but the core message is very straight forward and clear.

The writer first claims that these words all have identical meanings, and then shows two meanings of the word 'Mushlam, Muslim' that are apparently completely different (shown in bold).

It would seem to me that he is just showing how the word was translated in the english version.

Peace.

[moujahid]

Some people think that to live an Islamic life is "restrictive". Islam however, was revealed as a balanced way of living.
Allah (The Most High) created all the humans with what is called 'A Fitrah' (a natural state/desire)
Islam recognises that within this Fitrah there are motivations that influence a man's role on earth e.g. a desire for good food and drink, to have a home, a desire for love and sex, to protect and be protected and to be successful and strong. Without some form of control and limit, all of these legitimate motives could prove very dangerous.
So what constitutes the perfect control for the Fitrah? It must be a method that provides an organised yet practical demonstration of how to balance all these natural human desires. It cannot be something that goes against the Fitrah, by placing on it extra burdens. Likewise, it cannot be something that allows the human desires to run wild without any form of control.

Islam is the perfect control for the Fitrah. It provides a divine method that elevates man above animals and the rest of creation.

[hanifi]

Islam is the perfect control for the Fitrah. It provides a divine method that elevates man above animals and the rest of creation.

Alhamdulillah...very true. Islam is growing in the world not because it is spread by sword and not because it speaks falsehood..It is spreading because people are getting more and more educated by Islam...If you ask any revert Muslim.. He or She will explain to you the true meaning of Hidayah. These people were not compelled or forced into Islam...nor Islam is majic.. it is True Guidance. People who have Eeman are rightly guided and thus aware of the reality of our existence. Please read the article below I got from a website.

ISLAM: THE RELIGION OF EQUALITY
Islam recognizes no man-made artificial distinctions based on color, tribe, race, nationality, or otherwise. As all people come from the original couple-Adam and Eve-they are all one family and therefore equal before God. What distinguishes people from each other is their commitment to Islam:

"The most honored in the sight of Allah is (he who is) most righteous." (Qur'an 3:86).

ISLAM IS YOUR BIRTHRIGHT
Islam states clearly that everyone is born a Muslim and is therefore monotheistic by nature. We read in the Qur'an that humanity has been created with the natural disposition towards the unity of God. This is to be expected, for Allah, who has breathed His spirit into each of us, is Himself the example of perfect unity. In the words of the Prophet Muhammad: "Every person is born with the innate religious faith (to submit to God Almighty)." Thus when an individual accepts Islam, he is not turning his back on any prior revelation but rather is returning to the original and true revelation of Allah and to his own nature as a creation of Allah. This being the case, Islam is your birthright-other religious or ideological systems are either corruptions our outright denials of Islam.




CRITERIA FOR TRUTH
How do you know if your belief system is true? Take a moment to look at the following list.

. Are the teachings of your belief system rational? Do they conform to the norms of human reason and intellect?

. Is the creator of your belief system perfect? Allah, the creator of Islam, is. . Does your belief system contain superstitions or myths? Islam presents humanity with only true knowledge.

. Can your belief system withstand the discoveries and claims of modern science? Islam can and does.

. How accurate are your belief system's prophecies and predications? Islam's are always completely accurate.

. Could a person have devised your belief system? No one has ever been able to imitate the Qur'an, although many have tried over the centuries.

Islam is not a new religion founded by Muhammad, but a final restatement of the original revelation that has been conveyed to humanity by messengers and prophets sent by Allah for that very purpose: "This day I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion" (5:3). As the Qur'an is the final revelation and Muhammad is the final prophet, humanity is obligated to accept it:

"If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who have lost all spiritual good" (3:86).

[IbnAbdulHakim]

what is the reason that today we see Islam as a rising religion across the world, and all other religions on a decrease?

1. islam has been braught to peoples attention due to 9/11 etc.
2. Also because Allah has willed,
3. Also because Allah has promised Islam will prevail,
4. Also because rasullulah saws said during the end there will be a huge number of muslims
5. also because there is rising proof by scientific facts day by day thereby SCIENTIFICALLY proving islam to be true also because the conduct of muslims is improving thereby impressing non-muslims
6. also because fundementalism is increasing thereby reviving the roots of islam in its beauty :D

what are the causes and effects to that in your opinion?

answered ;)

[al-fateh]

its amazing to note that Islam is spreading on its own, without preaching like some other religions do

we dont know door to door to let people know about ISlam

[Woodrow]

Greetings,


My fitrah must be really dirty then...



I don't think Islam's belief system is simple at all. Every day on this forum people ask questions like "What is the Islamic way to do X?", "What is the Islamic ruling on Y?" or "What should a Muslim do in situation Z?"

It's an immense system of rules and regulations that no individual could ever hope to have complete knowledge of in a lifetime
Peace

I realise this has been answered. But, I would like to add my views as to what I have seen as a new comer. It actually is very simple. The entire message is to submit to the will of God(swt). Now willfull submission also includes love. To truly love another being, you desire to learn all there is to know and to love every bit of His(swt) will. To do that we willingly set forth on an endless search of learning and obeying. Since God(swt) is infinite, we have embarked on an endless journey. Any one point is worth the trip, yet we can always see more to come. We can always reach for more as our abilities increase, yet we will never be expected to be anything beyond our abilities.

It is not:

It's an immense system of rules and regulations that no individual could ever hope to have complete knowledge of in a lifetime

It is an eternal learning of an endless love and endless mercy and a sharing of, as we learn throughout the journey. Infinite mercy and love would be pointless if they had a stopping point.

[czgibson]

Greetings,

I think the rise in interest in Islam (we don't know exactly how much of a rise we're talking about here; no figures have been given, and statistics on religious adherence are notoriously slippery anyway) can be attributed to two main factors:

- The increase of so-called "Islamic" terrorism must be significant. As soon as 9/11 happened, Westerners wanted to know what Islam was all about, and whether it really did call for terrorist attacks. Many of them liked what they found out, and so joined the religion.

- The best advert for Islam (and it is obviously successful) is the conduct of Muslims themselves. I can think of no other major religion whose adherents are so devoted. This shows outsiders how content Muslims are with their religion, and so many of them will want to convert. As an aside to this, I should mention that I have known many Muslims in my life (well, about 100), and the first characteristic I think of regarding them is generosity - I'm convinced this comes from the Islamic requirement of zakat.

And now for something completely different...

I saw this little test on the thread, and I thought it was excellent, so I'd like to put my own belief system through it:

CRITERIA FOR TRUTH
How do you know if your belief system is true? Take a moment to look at the following list.

. Are the teachings of your belief system rational? Do they conform to the norms of human reason and intellect?

Yes. Atheism in its modern form is a product of the 18th century, known in the West as the period of the Enlightenment or the Age of Reason.

. Is the creator of your belief system perfect? Allah, the creator of Islam, is. .

The creator of atheism is unknown. It is a product of philosophical reasoning, which is the work of many people.

Does your belief system contain superstitions or myths? Islam presents humanity with only true knowledge.

Atheism contains no myths or superstitions. It simply contains the assertion that there is no god.

. Can your belief system withstand the discoveries and claims of modern science? Islam can and does.

Absolutely. Many (some would say most) scientists are atheists - exact figures on this are hard to come by.

. How accurate are your belief system's prophecies and predications? Islam's are always completely accurate.

Atheism makes no predictions, although given its materialist foundations, one prediction could be that no god or other supernatural being will appear before us and announce his presence. As far as we know, this has not happened yet.

. Could a person have devised your belief system? No one has ever been able to imitate the Qur'an, although many have tried over the centuries.

An interesting question. It is conceivable that one person could have devised atheism, since it consists of but one simple proposition. Historically, though, it was arrived at through the ideas and consensus of thinkers such as Epicurus, Sextus Empiricus, Diogenes the Cynic, Baron d'Holbach, Hobbes, Voltaire, Diderot, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Marx, Wittgenstein, Sartre, Camus and Russell. It is with Hume that the atheist position really begins to gain strength.

I do not think that the fact that a person could have devised atheism is a weakness of the position. Humans have devised lots of things that help us all, and which are very successful. In the atheist worldview, of course, all ideas have come from humans, so we cannot expect any others, but I accept that this is a circular argument.

The fact is that among scientists and philosophers, the proportion of atheists is far higher than among the rest of the population. Why should this be?

Peace

[جوري]

Greetings,

I think the rise in interest in Islam (we don't know exactly how much of a rise we're talking about here; no figures have been given, and statistics on religious adherence are notoriously slippery anyway) can be attributed to two main factors:

- The increase of so-called "Islamic" terrorism must be significant. As soon as 9/11 happened, Westerners wanted to know what Islam was all about, and whether it really did call for terrorist attacks. Many of them liked what they found out, and so joined the religion.

- The best advert for Islam (and it is obviously successful) is the conduct of Muslims themselves. I can think of no other major religion whose adherents are so devoted. This shows outsiders how content Muslims are with their religion, and so many of them will want to convert. As an aside to this, I should mention that I have known many Muslims in my life (well, about 100), and the first characteristic I think of regarding them is generosity - I'm convinced this comes from the Islamic requirement of zakat.

And now for something completely different...

I saw this little test on the thread, and I thought it was excellent, so I'd like to put my own belief system through it:



Yes. Atheism in its modern form is a product of the 18th century, known in the West as the period of the Enlightenment or the Age of Reason.



The creator of atheism is unknown. It is a product of philosophical reasoning, which is the work of many people.



Atheism contains no myths or superstitions. It simply contains the assertion that there is no god.



Absolutely. Many (some would say most) scientists are atheists - exact figures on this are hard to come by.



Atheism makes no predictions, although given its materialist foundations, one prediction could be that no god or other supernatural being will appear before us and announce his presence. As far as we know, this has not happened yet.



An interesting question. It is conceivable that one person could have devised atheism, since it consists of but one simple proposition. Historically, though, it was arrived at through the ideas and consensus of thinkers such as Epicurus, Sextus Empiricus, Diogenes the Cynic, Baron d'Holbach, Hobbes, Voltaire, Diderot, Hume, Kant, Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Marx, Wittgenstein, Sartre, Camus and Russell. It is with Hume that the atheist position really begins to gain strength.

I do not think that the fact that a person could have devised atheism is a weakness of the position. Humans have devised lots of things that help us all, and which are very successful. In the atheist worldview, of course, all ideas have come from humans, so we cannot expect any others, but I accept that this is a circular argument.

The fact is that among scientists and philosophers, the proportion of atheists is far higher than among the rest of the population. Why should this be?

Peace

Most scientists and doctors I have met with during the discourse of the last 13 years were/are the most religious or spiritual at least agnostic bunch I have encountered....more so than lay man....if they were disenchanted with organized religion, it certainly didn't deter them from believing there is a great engineer behind it all.... what line of work do you do? I am curious since you speak this sentence with such affirmation ;.... Maybe no one has proven to you that there is a God... but you sir and your compatriots in Atheism haven't proven that there isn't....

[czgibson]

Greetings,

Most scientists and doctors I have met with during the discourse of the last 13 years were/are the most religious or spiritual at least agnostic bunch I have encountered....more so than lay man....if they were disenchanted with organized religion, it certainly didn't deter them from believing there is a great engineer behind it all....

I'm sure you're right - many scientists believe in god. I've known several biologists and doctors who are theists too. They appear to be in a minority though:

Has Science Found God?
Godless Science

I say they appear to be in a minority, because statistics of this sort can never be truly trusted. However, those given in the links above seem pretty overwhelming.

what line of work do you do?

I'm an English teacher. Here's a little English Department I started a while ago on the forum.

Maybe no one has proven to you that there is a God... but you sir and your compatriots in Atheism haven't proven that there isn't....

Both of your statements here are correct. No-one has proven to me that there is a god, because such a thing is not possible, at least as far as we know. If a genuine proof of god's existence did actually exist, then everyone would believe in god, just as everyone believes that the hypoteneuse of a right angled triangle is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides.

You're also right to say that atheists have yet to prove that god doesn't exist. I believe that this is also impossible, as far as anyone knows. Atheism is a faith-position, just as theism is. I cannot prove god does not exist; I just believe it is massively more likely that he was created by humans.

We're off-topic here. It seems you've taken it upon yourself to quiz me about my atheism wherever I post. I don't mind that, but the mods would be quite justified if they did. After all, it's not fair to have lots of threads turning into 'czgibson attempts to justify his atheism'. Perhaps this little discussion would be better off in the Atheism thread.

Peace

[snakelegs]

Personally, when I want to be with God, I take my boat out at night during a full moon. I go so far out that I'm surrounded by a brilliant blue touched off with shimmering sparkles. The sound of the ocean, when it's all you can hear, is very soothing to me. I feel so safe out there I almost hate having to come back.
Ninth Scribe

beautiful!

[IbnAbdulHakim]

we have more class. we dont have to beg for converts. our religion speaks for itself

mashAllah, Allah does not need us, his religion will succeed without us!

That was because there came to them messengers with Clear Signs, but they said: "Shall (mere) human beings direct us?" So they rejected (the Message) and turned away. But Allah can do without (them): and Allah is free of all needs, worthy of all praise.

At-Taghabun Verse 6

Allah does not need us!! It is we who need reward from him!!!

[Allah-creation]

i dont understand the jewish? abraham is not a jewish. He had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac decends are jewish and ichmeal decends are arabs.