Will Comparative religion section reopen ?

sister,

Apologies for not responding to your thread earlier.

We have not made any decisions about the section other than keeping it closed for the time being. Although it did have benefits, there were a number of reasons why we felt it deserved closing, such as discussions often becoming argumentative and being of little benefit (or perhaps even harmful in some cases). Many of the common discussions have also been exhausted a number of times so perhaps the section is better as a resource. However, if we feel the need to open the section again, the possibility is there . May Allaah guide us to what is best, Aameen.

I agree that many topics in the Comparative Religions section may simply be exhausted.

After all, the theological differences between Islam and other religions are quite specific. And the debates about them have been held since the times of Muhammad (pbuh).
After 1400 years of debate, there really isn't that much left to discuss. Insights which seem new to us as individuals, really aren't new at all.

And neither religions has eradicated any other. Islam continues to exist, as do all other world religions. Nobody has gained the 'upper hand' in 1400 years ... what makes us think it will now?

I have always enjoyed the CR section as a means to find out what other people believe and why. To ask questions and gather information, rather than to prove wrong or convince people otherwise.

But as brother Muhammad says, very often discussions used to become unhelpful, aggressive and go round and round in circles - mostly (I believe) because people are unwilling to accept that other people may choose a different faith/belief/worldview and continue to stand firm in those, despite all counterarguments given.

If the CR section could be run as a place to learn about faiths and explore our differences, I think it would be a great resource.
But that's not how it has functioned. And - to be honest - I am not sure that would be in keeping with an Islamic forum such as this.

^ That is an option, but I am not sure how well it would work. I think discussions in Comparative Religion are likely to progress faster than threads in Discover Islam. Some threads can go on for many pages and having each post moderated might cause too much of a delay for people posting, and greater workload on the moderators. for your suggestions though. It is useful to know what people think so that we can decide whether or not to re-open the section.

After 1400 years of debate, there really isn't that much left to discuss. Insights which seem new to us as individuals, really aren't new at all.

And neither religions has eradicated any other. Islam continues to exist, as do all other world religions. Nobody has gained the 'upper hand' in 1400 years ... what makes us think it will now?

The insights at an individual level are important, because it is often through questions and discussions that someone may re-think their faith journey. Everyone must still strive to arrive at the truth.