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Oberon1 · 61-69, M
Because of what they see, hear, and read. Monotheistic religions tend to be targeted because of the behavior of a minority of their adherents, and sensationalism from the media. I used to be really down on Islam until I understood the historical context of what Mohammed dictated in Medina and what he dictated in Mecca. People are people. They are kind, compassionate, hospitable, family oriented, hard working, studious, productive, etc etc, and they are also the opposite of all these things, regardless of their belief systems.
Oberon1 · 61-69, M
@helenS Simply put. In Mecca Mohammed spoke as a prophet. In Medina he spoke as a warlord. A person can take everything Mohammed said in Medina from the Quran and say, "Oh my! Islam is a horrible violent religion!" or they can read passages from the Torah, and say. "Oh my! Judaism and Christianity are horrible violent religions!" It is the historical context of the scripture, and the motives of the adherent that determines the behavior, not particular verses and excerpts from a book. Is that good?
SW-User
@Oberon1 Exactly. And I think it's in the interest of religious people to not take other religions' texts and teachings out of context, if they don't want their own religion to be interpreted incorrectly. People who've never read the Qur'an shouldn't criticize and condemn Islam the same way people who've never read the Bible criticize and condemn Judaism/Christianity.
Oberon1 · 61-69, M
@helenS Well, Mohammed is an unquestioned historical figure, but a person could actually pose an argument about the rest. I'm not saying they would be right, I am just saying an argument could be made. I am a fundamentalist Christian but I belong to the Primitive Baptist denomination, and we believe that God's children exist in every religion and place on earth, and everyone's spiritual journey is God's business and none of ours.
SW-User
@Oberon1 [quote]we believe that God's children exist in every religion and place on earth, and everyone's spiritual journey is God's business and none of ours.[/quote]
That sounds like a good outlook and more or less my belief that I've come away with especially from traveling the world and visiting Hindu and Buddhist temples, mosques, Catholic and other Christian churches, etc. It's hard to come to the conclusion that certain religions are "wrong" when you've witnessed other people's devotion and spirituality.
That sounds like a good outlook and more or less my belief that I've come away with especially from traveling the world and visiting Hindu and Buddhist temples, mosques, Catholic and other Christian churches, etc. It's hard to come to the conclusion that certain religions are "wrong" when you've witnessed other people's devotion and spirituality.
Oberon1 · 61-69, M
@helenS That's odd. He couldn't read or write and had 45 people recording him while he was alive. The Sunni and Shia sects formed over a disagreement about his successor and that has caused a kind of guerilla war that has been waging since 632 AD, and hundreds of accounts have been written. That is above and beyond the Quran, Hadiths, and Sunnah.
