Nuray - interesting answers, but still more questions

Submitted by PCMadness (New Zealand), Jun 1, 2006 at 23:57

"Submitted by Nuray, May 31, 2006 at 18:56

1. can you tell us who God is? just My Creator, I don´t need to know much. Creatures can´t imagine God. "

Okay – You acknowledge that God exists but you can't imagine him/her/it. So How did man know that it was God issuing these words, if you can't imagine what god looks like/feels like/sounds like?? Do you believe in angels? An angel gave the word of God to mohammad, why couldn't god do it him/her/it..self? How did Mohammad know what an angel was? How? Who told him? God or the Angel?

1. Why is his alias Allah? Wrong Question. There is only one God, Allah.

Do you think that all religions worship the same God? Or all other religions are false even though they've been around longer than Islam?

1. where did he come from? Wrong question. God don´t need to be created so no need to ask this question.

Well no….you just don't know. God may have had his/her/it's own creator, and so the question would continue…. The question does need to asked but noone can answer it.

1. does he talk to the animals? Acoording to Islam all creates pray to Allah. We can´t observe this.

This one's great…. All creatures pray to God, or is it just Allah? Two things here. You believe this on the basis of words written in a book. Did old Gabriel whisper this old nutshell into mohammads ear? Secondly, are they saying they final words before the slaughterman slits their throat? Or before they kill another animal for food? Basically you're saying that all animals are aware of God. By that token all carnivores are murderers…no? …including us! God's word states that thou shalt not kill, or is it alright for us because we are the apex predator and need to eat?

1. Why do so many religions have different words or different Gods? It has nothing to do with God. It is all about power war of men.

So you're saying that religion is the vessel of war and conquest. That must be all religions yeah? Or are you saying that all religions bar Islam are warmongers and using religion to further themselves? There is more conflict in the world due to religion than anything else.

1. Are there more than one? No. If so God should have been created like us.

So there's only one God, so all religions must worship the same God, yes?

1. why does God let good people suffer? We have freedom. We suffer from the decisions we made. God don't impose any rule over us. Allah says Quran is an advice for us.

You are only talking about people who have done wrong. What about innocents? For instance those who were vaporised when an airliner plunged into their building one morning, or the thousands killed every time there is a major earthquake, or tsunami, or babies that die of TB and other illnesses, cancer sufferers. How can you sit there and say that it was because of a bad decision that they made?

1. Is there hell? I believe so. There must be if not where will evil people suffer

Where indeed……?

1. who lives there? Non-Muslims

Whoah!!.... This can be taken two ways either all non muslims will go to hell. So that's more than 4 million people condemned to hell because they don't follow Islam. This is a very bigoted view but it is the view I believe you believe. Maybe this is what Islam is about. Maybe this is what every muslim is being taught. Maybe this shows that Islam is not a religion of compassion or peace, at least not the version you believe in.

Or you are saying that a muslim that is evil is not actually a muslim. This is the easy cop out for muslims. "but he is not a true muslim" …..but then you go to say that Hilter was a Christian and have a go at anyone who says he wasn't.

Plus, are you sure there are no muslims there? I think the list of potentials is growing by the day. Are you on that list? ….you could be you know!!!

1. who decides which way you go? Allah is the owner of Judgement day.

Really?! Did he/she/it tell you? Or did you read it on the internet?

1. what if they've mixed up your paperwork and you end up in hell? Life is not a game. If we choose wrong path we will pay the price. This world seems to be free restaurant but not. We will pay the bill here after.

What about the people who didn't choose the wrong path, just the wrong religion? You assume that if you are not living a totally submissive life in Islam, flagellating yourself every second of your sorry existence, you are damned? You're right, life is not a game, life is a gift, a very short gift and some would say that you waste most of yours thinking of the next life. Back to my other question. What if there isn't a next life?

1. can you appeal? I hope Allah forgive me.

Why I thought you couldn't do any wrong? You have to choose the right path or you're damned to hell? What have you done????….you sound guilty to me???? But you said if you choose the wrong path you will pay the price. If you need forgiveness you must have chosen the wrong path…..wotcha do????

1. or...what happens if you die and then ..................... nothing?????????? Too risky to assume like that. Life is not a free restaurant. Nothing is free.

MMMMmmm yes I agree, too risky. Has someone come back to tell you? What are you afraid of? You seem to miss the point? Even if you don't believe in God as such, i.e. a god of a religion, how could you possibly be damned if you lived a good life?? It would be an unjust God indeed if these people were damned to hell. If he/she/it does damn them then he/she/it is a bad entity and should be condemned to hell his/her/it..self. Then who would preside??

Islam also seems to miss the point of grace. You make great show of your praying, so everyone can see how good you are, you quote the manual, I mean Quran for every aspect of your life. Maybe you won't be judged on this but how you live, you actions, how you treat others, how you speak of others. Only you know this. Personally I have found people who make an open show of their actions, to be noticed, hide behind a very thin veneer. If you openly say or show one thing but do another, that is what you will be judged upon. It's your choice if behind the veneer is darkness or light.

Are you a light person or a dark person???

1. Will you feel stupid for not living your life to the full and experiencing as much as you possibly could, but you couldn't because you'd be dead?

Suppose that I could. Let me give an example. I don´t drink. I have never lost my control. What would I do if I loose my control? I have no idea. Perhaps many things that I haven´t done before. Why not more freedom on this issue? Because I like having power over my behaviours. I do crazy things when I feel so, not because of the effect of beer or wine. Our body is an organic machine. If some special chemicals are given to us more or less we will behave same. Therefore,I would not be sorry if drinking was ok.

There are many things that stops me living at full capacity (1) not to take correct lesson from my mistakes, (2) laziness, (3) comparing myself with others, (4) living with assumptions, (5) taking not many risks, (6) delaying my dreams, (7) finding all possible excuses not to start or finish. None of them is religious.

But it is life. You only have one shot. If you believe in something after then fine, but you cannot judge people for not sharing your same beliefs. There are people in the world who don't believe in God that are better people than most muslims or Christians. You base your beliefs on what some people would argue as pure fantasy, if someone worships life as a wondrous thing, that can be quantified far more than believing in something than no one has every seen, or that science can find any evidence of. BUT that is a personal choice, you or your priest cannot judge. Some would argue all you have is BLIND faith, very strong, but blind all the same.

One more question: How will God judge us? Do we need a lawyer? According to Islam our body will tell us everything. Our hand will speak if we steal? No lawyer. Just records of our actions will be used against us. Interesting isn't it?

Sounds like someone was on an acid trip actually!!!

---

Note: Opinions expressed in comments are those of the authors alone and not necessarily those of Daniel Pipes. Original writing only, please. Comments are screened and in some cases edited before posting. Reasoned disagreement is welcome but not comments that are scurrilous, off-topic, commercial, disparaging religions, or otherwise inappropriate. For complete regulations, see the "Guidelines for Reader Comments".