So I am a 17 year old student currently living in the US. I was born Jewish, but as time went on I became less religious to the point where I am essentially atheist. I don't really believe in any God or higher power, I haven't for years.
That being said, I have looked at the three major monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), and out of all of them Islam has stuck out a little in the sense that it seems more reasonable to a degree than the other two. I did some research and watched this person named Dr. Zakir Naik, and have learned a little about the religion. I also have many Muslim friends who have told me a lot about various aspects of Muslim culture and belief. Taking all of these together, I have a couple questions about Islam and religion in general.
1. I have heard from people and read in the Quran that Islam teaches that before people are born, they are given the choice of being an angel or a person. Angels have no free will, and humans have the ability to choose their own decisions. (This topic was discussed in a video I watched featuring a Muslim preacher called Dr. Zakir Naik. If you chose free will, you are sent to earth where your faith is tested. I have thought about this concept even before I knew that it was incorporated into Islam, and wondered if that was perhaps the reason that consciousness/ the universe even exists. Perhaps there is a higher power that is creating the human experience for a purpose. I think that the fact that this is part of Islam is what drew my curiosity initially.
I thought about this for a while, and in doing so an idea popped up that I'm sure someone can answer. If Allah does put those who choose choice on Earth as a test of faith, wouldn't that test be fundamentally flawed? Wouldn't the likelihood of a child born into a Muslim family in the Middle East staying Muslim and believing in Allah be higher than that of a child who was born in a small Catholic town in Sweden? Essentially, some people are more likely to maintain various religious faiths based on their environment and where they are born, making the test easier for some and harder for others. I wasn't born into a Muslim family, so wouldn't it be more difficult for me to spend time to learn about Islam and take the huge leap of conversion before I died than it would for one of my Muslim friends who was born into the faith?
Culture experience and values taught by parents to children at an early age stick, this is why it is difficult to get people to convert. If I had been born into a strictly religious Christian family and taught to accept the Bible as fact, I am positive that I would be that way unless some major event happened to change my views.
Here's an example: The Christian Bible is riddled with scientific inaccuracies and contains some paradoxes that make no sense whatsoever (From what I have read, the Quran contains much less than the Bible, however some do exist... another reason why Islam is the most convincing of the three to me). Even when confronted with certain absolutes and blatant mistakes, many Christians will blindly refute this, attempt to change the topic, or simply say "I don't know". People like to stick to what they know, and when outside ideas are presented that conflict their own, conflict arises (One of the main reasons I believe causes almost religious war and intolerance). Faith is one of the most powerful human emotions, next to hope and hatred... it takes a lot to change one who was already set on a course from birth.
So, to draw all of this together, I want to get back to the question at hand. Isn't the test flawed, since some people are born into Muslim families and must simply maintain faith to get to heaven, while others must work to convert, change ideology, and even face persecution?
2. The second question I have pertains more to religion in general. If God is loves all dearly, why send people to hell? Why even make hell at all? In my short time on this planet I have come to love people greatly, and despise others equally. However, no matter what you have done or who you are, I do not wish an eternity in hell. I do not believe that anything sin a man or woman can commit on this planet deserves a time as long as infinity burning in hell.
If I was an all knowing all loving God, I wouldn't even think to create such a horrific place. Why not just let everyone who I have created and given the gift of thought to live in Heaven in peace.
I have a fundamental issue accepting a God who would send a serial murder rapist who repents on the last day of his or her life straight to heaven, while letting 80% of world's population who may be good, responsible people burn in hell forever.
In this respect, Judaism seems the most solid in my opinion, as it is the least contradictory. In Judaism, there isn't a hell to go to... all people go to heaven after they die no matter what. Once in heaven, however, you may be farther from God if you have committed atrocious crimes as a human on Earth, but you will still be in heaven. I think that Judaism seems the most consistent in that respect, since its all knowing all loving God loves all, and therefore sends none to hell.
3. My third question kind of builds off of the second question. If God knows everything I have done and will do, do I have free choice? The answer is: not really. I mean, I can't say for sure yes or no since this question has been debated by philosophers long before the invention of the pen, but to me it seems that the answer is no. Here's why.
This question has a lot to do with absolutes. There are absolutes in this world, things that you know no matter what are going to happen. My death, and yours is an absolute. I have no choice over whether or not I will die, I have no control whatsoever. All absolutes work in this way. Since God knows everything, everything he knows is an absolute. He knows what I will do once I finish this extremely long post, and I cannot change that. What he knows that I will do is an absolute, therefore I have no choice over whether or not it happens. I have an illusion of free choice, in that since he doesn't tell me what is going to happen, I don't know. But he does. In God's eyes I am merely a mouse running down a single path in a maze that pushes it forward whether the mouse wants to move or not. I know that the mouse will end up at the end, the mouse has no control over that, but the to the mouse, it is just going with the flow, doing whatever the maze tells it to do.
4. The previous three were my main questions, and now I am finally ending with just one more. During the 14th and 15th centuries (and far beyond), the accepted idea was that women are inferior to men because they have smaller brains and therefore less mental ability. Essentially, women were considered vehicles of sin who could comprehend nothing higher than gossip and "pure" thoughts. With modern science and thought, we obviously know that while there are biological differences between men and women, neither gender is smarter or able to reason more than the other.
This being true, since religious texts such as the Bible and the Quran were written way in the past, it is no wonder why there would be some sexism interwoven into the principles of the religion. While there seems to be less of this in the Quran, it does appear in many places:
Sura 2:228: "Divorced women remain in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise."
Bukhari (6:301): "A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."
The Quran also states that the majority of hell is made of women, the only women in heaven mentioned by Muhammad are virgins who serve as sex objects for me.
There is more than just these few examples, but the idea is clear. Women are essentially likened to immoral, deceiving, and sex desiring. They are counted as vastly inferior to men.
This doesn't surprise me, as the Quran was written during a time period when this was the general opinion about women. But, like I said earlier, in modern times women are considered equal to men, and possess the same potential reason, logic, intelligence, and moral present in men. If anything women are more moral and mature, as modern psychology shows they develop self control and inhibition far faster than men (women around age 20, men around age 35). Obviously, this is not true for everyone, but women posses the same ability to form intelligent thought as men.
How could doctrine written by God be so sexist? Shouldn't he of all people promote tolerance and acceptance, especially when the group that is being discriminated against does have the same ability to think as that of the oppressor?
So those were my main questions about Islam. I am in no way trying to offend anyone, I am simply curious about Islam and how it would answer these questions. I've tried my hardest to articulate these thoughts as best as possible, but I'd be happy to clarify anything.
Thank you in advance to anyone who read this, it turned out way longer than I expected, and I look forward to any replies and discussion
That being said, I have looked at the three major monotheistic religions (Christianity, Judaism, and Islam), and out of all of them Islam has stuck out a little in the sense that it seems more reasonable to a degree than the other two. I did some research and watched this person named Dr. Zakir Naik, and have learned a little about the religion. I also have many Muslim friends who have told me a lot about various aspects of Muslim culture and belief. Taking all of these together, I have a couple questions about Islam and religion in general.
1. I have heard from people and read in the Quran that Islam teaches that before people are born, they are given the choice of being an angel or a person. Angels have no free will, and humans have the ability to choose their own decisions. (This topic was discussed in a video I watched featuring a Muslim preacher called Dr. Zakir Naik. If you chose free will, you are sent to earth where your faith is tested. I have thought about this concept even before I knew that it was incorporated into Islam, and wondered if that was perhaps the reason that consciousness/ the universe even exists. Perhaps there is a higher power that is creating the human experience for a purpose. I think that the fact that this is part of Islam is what drew my curiosity initially.
I thought about this for a while, and in doing so an idea popped up that I'm sure someone can answer. If Allah does put those who choose choice on Earth as a test of faith, wouldn't that test be fundamentally flawed? Wouldn't the likelihood of a child born into a Muslim family in the Middle East staying Muslim and believing in Allah be higher than that of a child who was born in a small Catholic town in Sweden? Essentially, some people are more likely to maintain various religious faiths based on their environment and where they are born, making the test easier for some and harder for others. I wasn't born into a Muslim family, so wouldn't it be more difficult for me to spend time to learn about Islam and take the huge leap of conversion before I died than it would for one of my Muslim friends who was born into the faith?
Culture experience and values taught by parents to children at an early age stick, this is why it is difficult to get people to convert. If I had been born into a strictly religious Christian family and taught to accept the Bible as fact, I am positive that I would be that way unless some major event happened to change my views.
Here's an example: The Christian Bible is riddled with scientific inaccuracies and contains some paradoxes that make no sense whatsoever (From what I have read, the Quran contains much less than the Bible, however some do exist... another reason why Islam is the most convincing of the three to me). Even when confronted with certain absolutes and blatant mistakes, many Christians will blindly refute this, attempt to change the topic, or simply say "I don't know". People like to stick to what they know, and when outside ideas are presented that conflict their own, conflict arises (One of the main reasons I believe causes almost religious war and intolerance). Faith is one of the most powerful human emotions, next to hope and hatred... it takes a lot to change one who was already set on a course from birth.
So, to draw all of this together, I want to get back to the question at hand. Isn't the test flawed, since some people are born into Muslim families and must simply maintain faith to get to heaven, while others must work to convert, change ideology, and even face persecution?
2. The second question I have pertains more to religion in general. If God is loves all dearly, why send people to hell? Why even make hell at all? In my short time on this planet I have come to love people greatly, and despise others equally. However, no matter what you have done or who you are, I do not wish an eternity in hell. I do not believe that anything sin a man or woman can commit on this planet deserves a time as long as infinity burning in hell.
If I was an all knowing all loving God, I wouldn't even think to create such a horrific place. Why not just let everyone who I have created and given the gift of thought to live in Heaven in peace.
I have a fundamental issue accepting a God who would send a serial murder rapist who repents on the last day of his or her life straight to heaven, while letting 80% of world's population who may be good, responsible people burn in hell forever.
In this respect, Judaism seems the most solid in my opinion, as it is the least contradictory. In Judaism, there isn't a hell to go to... all people go to heaven after they die no matter what. Once in heaven, however, you may be farther from God if you have committed atrocious crimes as a human on Earth, but you will still be in heaven. I think that Judaism seems the most consistent in that respect, since its all knowing all loving God loves all, and therefore sends none to hell.
3. My third question kind of builds off of the second question. If God knows everything I have done and will do, do I have free choice? The answer is: not really. I mean, I can't say for sure yes or no since this question has been debated by philosophers long before the invention of the pen, but to me it seems that the answer is no. Here's why.
This question has a lot to do with absolutes. There are absolutes in this world, things that you know no matter what are going to happen. My death, and yours is an absolute. I have no choice over whether or not I will die, I have no control whatsoever. All absolutes work in this way. Since God knows everything, everything he knows is an absolute. He knows what I will do once I finish this extremely long post, and I cannot change that. What he knows that I will do is an absolute, therefore I have no choice over whether or not it happens. I have an illusion of free choice, in that since he doesn't tell me what is going to happen, I don't know. But he does. In God's eyes I am merely a mouse running down a single path in a maze that pushes it forward whether the mouse wants to move or not. I know that the mouse will end up at the end, the mouse has no control over that, but the to the mouse, it is just going with the flow, doing whatever the maze tells it to do.
4. The previous three were my main questions, and now I am finally ending with just one more. During the 14th and 15th centuries (and far beyond), the accepted idea was that women are inferior to men because they have smaller brains and therefore less mental ability. Essentially, women were considered vehicles of sin who could comprehend nothing higher than gossip and "pure" thoughts. With modern science and thought, we obviously know that while there are biological differences between men and women, neither gender is smarter or able to reason more than the other.
This being true, since religious texts such as the Bible and the Quran were written way in the past, it is no wonder why there would be some sexism interwoven into the principles of the religion. While there seems to be less of this in the Quran, it does appear in many places:
Sura 2:228: "Divorced women remain in waiting for three periods, and it is not lawful for them to conceal what Allah has created in their wombs if they believe in Allah and the Last Day. And their husbands have more right to take them back in this [period] if they want reconciliation. And due to the wives is similar to what is expected of them, according to what is reasonable. But the men have a degree over them [in responsibility and authority]. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise."
Bukhari (6:301): "A cautious sensible man could be led astray by some of you." The women asked, "O Allah's Apostle! What is deficient in our intelligence and religion?" He said, "Is not the evidence of two women equal to the witness of one man?" They replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her intelligence. Isn't it true that a woman can neither pray nor fast during her menses?" The women replied in the affirmative. He said, "This is the deficiency in her religion."
The Quran also states that the majority of hell is made of women, the only women in heaven mentioned by Muhammad are virgins who serve as sex objects for me.
There is more than just these few examples, but the idea is clear. Women are essentially likened to immoral, deceiving, and sex desiring. They are counted as vastly inferior to men.
This doesn't surprise me, as the Quran was written during a time period when this was the general opinion about women. But, like I said earlier, in modern times women are considered equal to men, and possess the same potential reason, logic, intelligence, and moral present in men. If anything women are more moral and mature, as modern psychology shows they develop self control and inhibition far faster than men (women around age 20, men around age 35). Obviously, this is not true for everyone, but women posses the same ability to form intelligent thought as men.
How could doctrine written by God be so sexist? Shouldn't he of all people promote tolerance and acceptance, especially when the group that is being discriminated against does have the same ability to think as that of the oppressor?
So those were my main questions about Islam. I am in no way trying to offend anyone, I am simply curious about Islam and how it would answer these questions. I've tried my hardest to articulate these thoughts as best as possible, but I'd be happy to clarify anything.
Thank you in advance to anyone who read this, it turned out way longer than I expected, and I look forward to any replies and discussion
