:bism: (In the Name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful)
To be fair, I think perhaps there would be somewhat an interest in "deconversion" if anyone were to venture into parts of the atheist boards as well. We, to varying degrees, all like who we (think) we are or otherwise we'd stop being that or at least definitely try our best to stop though of course I note some might give into their apathy to even try. That said, curiosity is a good thing, I'd say. If it didn't exist, we wouldn't have the inventions or advancements in science or wing of imaginations having birthed the literature we do. Curiosity really enables us to investigate and sometimes we come out of our comfortable spaces to find ourselves walking onto non-normative pathways. So, that's fantastic. Of course, if I wasn't curious and if I hadn't investigated, I wouldn't identify myself as a Muslim today; so, of course, I have my reasons for saying the good things about curiosity I've said. Yet I also note that certain types of curiosity should best be left to certain types of people with which to tinker such as in the case of a murder investigation for police to deal with or a doctor in the case of diagnosing diseases. Experts are experts for a reason, after all.
I think that's a good and fair expectation; as I'm sure you know though, the Internet is not known for being generally a place in which we can entertain those expectations as it's not known for meeting those expectations sadly enough most times. It seems to bring out the worst in many people as anonymity works in the same way intoxicants and opiates on some people.
That's actually a fantastic perspective to have and a fair one too. I should hate to think that in the pursuit of friendship someone leaves off disagreeing with me for fear of hurting my feelings; to be sure, disagreements are often undesirable, but sometimes they are necessary in the pursuit of truth and knowledge.
I can show you evidence that account for God, but the investigation is an onus that rests on you; I can point you in the right direction, but I cannot actually do the investigation for you as the entire point is then negated. Sort of like an individual doing the homework for someone else and completely ruining any possibility of real learning having taken place in that someone; that's not helping the someone else even though it may appear helpful.
I note that most people actually come to believe in Islam through reading the Quran. Did I? No. But that's not important. I think you should read the Quran more so from the point of being curious than anything else as...let's face it that we're all living in a time wherein Muslims and Islam is so much on the news that one rarely stumbles across news in the media that is not discussing one or the other or both.
I actually dislike reading most Old English translations because I find them hard to get through; there's a
Quran translation that I've been told is good which I haven't myself used but maybe it might be better for you to use due to its touted simplicity and therefore it is to that translation to which I'm linking you; in the beginning, it gives a background which lasts to about 23 pages with the actual Quran starting at page 26.
If after reading that you have questions or concerns or still don't believe, then I'll see if I can further point you in the right direction and even discuss with you further some evidences that I personally found convincing. But I don't want to start with that because I don't think you're a clone of me and I also don't want to treat you as one. Instead, if you will, I like to think of it all as a complicated kitchen cookbook recipe; we have to have the ingredients, but really, we also have to keep tinkering with it so we can get it to click just "right." I don't know what you'll find personally convincing; I just note that it's different for everybody. I notice though that many times you have to fail before you attain success.
Yes, you do have an immortal soul; however, it seems to me that the approach that many people take is so fantastically idiotic that I can't believe it still exists.
Let me say as an atheist I'd had theist friends who would talk to me sometimes about eternal damnation and hell. How well do you think I'd received their words? Since I didn't at that time believe in God, to me it seemed that they were saying that they thought I was worthy of damnation and hell and they were because of some inward piety seeing themselves as somehow better and me as worse. Can't say it did for me anything except to turn me off and make me believe that some people are outwardly religious but inwardly sadistic.
So, frankly, I'm going to follow the golden rule summarized with the words of Prophet Muhammad :saws:
(peace and blessings be upon him), “Do unto all men as you would wish to have done unto you; and reject for others what you would reject for yourselves.”
I'm going to tell you is that there is an
ayah (verse) in the Quran (2:286) that says, "God does not impose on any soul a responsibility beyond its ability."
What that should tell you and tells me is that if it truly is beyond your ability, then God cannot judge you; but my question to you not for answering in this forum but within yourself is whether it truly is beyond your ability and what could convince you and whether you even want to find out because this is directly tied to justice and mercy of divine judgment.
If you've asked God for an answer, then ask also God to grant you the wisdom and intelligence to understand what the answer is and to accept with serenity that answer when you're presented with that answer. Life is a journey, you know, and not a destination. Maybe the answer was/is delayed and you've been interpreting it as no answer. Maybe also you did receive an answer and you just didn't "see" it.
This humorous story illustrates at the least the foolishness of man when it comes to "seeing" answers from God: :statisfie
A man was once caught in rising floodwaters.
He climbed onto the roof of his house and asked God to rescue him. A neighbor came by in a canoe and said, “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll paddle to safety.”
“No thanks” replied the man. “I’ve prayed to God and I’m sure God will save me.”
A short time later, the police came by in a boat. “The waters will soon be above your house. Hop in and we’ll take you to safety.”
“No thanks,” replied the man. “I’ve prayed to God and I’m sure God will save me.”
A little time later, a rescue services helicopter hovered overhead, let down a rope ladder and said:
“The waters will soon be above your house. Climb the ladder and we’ll fly you to safety.”
“No thanks,” replied the man. “I’ve prayed to God and I’m sure God will save me.”
All this time the floodwaters continued to rise, until soon they reached above the roof and the man drowned. When he arrived at heaven, he demanded an audience with God.
Ushered near God’s throne he said, “Lord, why am I here in Heaven? I prayed for you to answer me and save me from the flood. You never answered me.”
“Yes, you did pray,” replied God. “And I answered you by sending you a canoe, a boat and a helicopter. But you never got in.”
Best Wishes, jabeady, :statisfie
P.S. I know you identify yourself as old but in my book you're young as you feel and youth is never a requirement to be curious and follow curiosity for curiosity's sake.
