This might be something to ponder over, Lee ! All true ( read : Truth intoxicated ) " originators of the faith " have nothing really to do with the " religion " that follows in their name.
It is reasonable to conclude that when the originator himself engages at establishing ' his ' religion, he is already being ' worldly,' more or less. On Jul 23, 3:46 pm, "[email protected]" <[email protected]> wrote: > All in all I sorta agree with the OP here. > > It is my contention that all religion says the same thing, any > differance then is the fault of the interpretore, or perhaps the the > leaders of the organised church that springs up around the originator > of the faith. > > Heh but then I am of course biased. > > On 22 July, 20:15, deripsni <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > Are you sure you are responding to my post? > > > On Jul 22, 7:14 am, GarrieMushet <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > The only reason you think that other people have interrpretted the > > > Qur'an wrongly is because you have compared it you YOUR > > > interpretation. And what makes you so sure that YOUR interpretation is > > > correct? > > > > Well, first of all, YOUR interpretation is more moral, yes? Well if > > > morality is supposed to come FROM the Qur'an, then where is this > > > morality that you are using to judge your interpretation OF the > > > Qur'an? That's right, somewhere else. > > > > The fact of the matter is that morality is a subjective thing, and so > > > is your interpretation of the Qur'an. There are no guidelines that > > > come with the Qur'an which tell you how to interpret it. Without such > > > guidelines, anything goes. Even if there were guidelines, there would > > > be different types of people interpretting the guidelines in different > > > ways. This inability to get a 'correct' interpretation of the Qur'an > > > makes it a really bad source of morality, and it also makes any > > > statement about what the Qur'an is supposed to be about if you > > > interpret it 'correctly' are meaningless and void. > > > > The only thing we can say is that religious texts have a far higher > > > frequency of violent readers than non-religious books. The conclusion > > > I can draw from this is that there is something inherently wrong with > > > treating religious texts in the way that people treat them. Part of > > > the 'wrong' way we treat is, is the presupposition that there is a > > > 'correct' way to interpret it - this just leads to extremists being > > > able to justify their extremism, and anybody else being able to > > > justify anything else. > > > > On Jul 22, 11:29 am, deripsni <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > There have been many wars and attrocities carried out in the name of > > > > one religion or another. That should be a big hint to stay away from > > > > religion!!! The "holy source" that you refer to is simply another book > > > > written by humans. I cannot fathom how anything 'holy' could be found > > > > in a book. Yes, the Bible and Qur'an give some good life-lessons. So > > > > do a lot of other books. I believe the problem isn't the words of the > > > > books, but the very fact that they represent a religion. Religion > > > > often breeds fanaticism which consequently leads to many attrocities. > > > > If everybody tried to be a concerned and helpful citizen, religion > > > > would become less relevant in my opinion. > > > > > On Jul 21, 11:09 pm, ""SeeMaa"" <[email protected]> > > > > wrote: > > > > > > Hi .. > > > > > Read this .. Give me your opinion > > > > > > Islam Condemns Terrorism > > > > > > Some people who say they are acting in the name of religion may > > > > > misunderstand their religion or practice it wrongly. For this reason, > > > > > it is a mistake to form any idea of that religion from the activities > > > > > of these people. The best way to understand Islam is through its holy > > > > > source. > > > > > > The holy source of Islam is the Qur'an; and the model of morality in > > > > > the Qur'an is completely different from the image of it formed in the > > > > > minds of some westerners. The Qur'an is based on the concepts of > > > > > morality, love, compassion, mercy, modesty, self-sacrifice, tolerance > > > > > and peace, and a Muslim who truly lives according to these moral > > > > > precepts is highly refined, thoughtful, tolerant, trustworthy and > > > > > accommodating. To those around him he gives love, respect, peace of > > > > > mind and a sense of the joy of life. > > > > > > Islam Is A Religion Of Peace And Well-Being > > > > > > The word Islam has the same meaning as "peace" in Arabic. Islam is a > > > > > religion that came down to offer humanity a life filled with the peace > > > > > and well-being in which God's eternal mercy and compassion is > > > > > manifested in the world. God invites all people to accept the moral > > > > > teachings of the Qur'an as a model whereby mercy, compassion, > > > > > tolerance and peace may be experienced in the world. In Surat al- > > > > > Baqara verse 208, this command is given: > > > > > > You who believe! Enter absolutely into peace (Islam). Do not follow in > > > > > the footsteps of Satan. He is an outright enemy to you. > > > > > > As we see in this verse, people will experience well-being and > > > > > happiness by living according to the moral teaching of the Qur'an. > > > > > > God Condemns Mischief > > > > > > God has commanded humanity to avoid evil; he has forbidden immorality, > > > > > rebellion, cruelty, aggressiveness, murder and bloodshed. Those who do > > > > > not obey this command of God are walking in the steps of Satan, as it > > > > > says in the verse above, and have adopted an attitude that God has > > > > > clearly declared unlawful. Of the many verses that bear on this > > > > > subject, here are only two: > > > > > > But as for those who break God's contract after it has been agreed and > > > > > sever what God has commanded to be joined, and cause corruption in the > > > > > earth, the curse will be upon them. They will have the Evil Abode. > > > > > (Surat ar-Ra'd: 25) > > > > > Seek the abode of the hereafter with what God has given you, without > > > > > forgetting your portion of the world. And do good as God has been good > > > > > to you. And do not seek to cause mischief on earth. God does not love > > > > > mischief makers.' (Surat al-Qasas: 77) > > > > > > As we can see, God has forbidden every kind of mischievous acts in the > > > > > religion of Islam including terrorism and violence, and condemned > > > > > those who commit such deeds. A Muslim lends beauty to the world and > > > > > improves it. > > > > > > Islam Defends Tolerance And Freedom Of Speech > > > > > > [COLOR="rgb(255, 0, 255)"]Islam is a religion which fosters freedom of > > > > > life, ideas and thought. It has forbidden tension and conflict among > > > > > people, calumny, suspicion and even having negative thoughts about > > > > > another individual. > > > > > > Islam has not only forbidden terror and violence, but also even the > > > > > slightest imposition of any idea on another human being. > > > > > > There is no compulsion in religion. Right guidance has become clearly > > > > > distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false gods and believes in God > > > > > has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way. God is > > > > > All-Hearing, All-Knowing. (Surat al-Baqara: 256) > > > > > So remind, you need only to remind. You cannot compel them to believe. > > > > > (Surat al-Ghashiyah: 22) > > > > > > To force anyone to believe in a religion or to practice it, is against > > > > > the spirit and essence of Islam. Because it is necessary that faith be > > > > > accepted with free will and conscience. Of course, Muslims may urge > > > > > one another to keep the moral precepts taught in the Qur'an, but they > > > > > never use compulsion. In any case, an individual cannot be induced to > > > > > the practice of religion by either threat or offering him a worldly > > > > > privilege. > > > > > > Let us imagine a completely opposite model of society. For example, a > > > > > world in which people are forced by law to practice religion. Such a > > > > > model of society is completely contrary to Islam because faith and > > > > > worship have value only when they are directed toward God. If there > > > > > were a system that forced people to believe and worship, people would > > > > > be religious only out of fear of the system. What is acceptable from > > > > > the point of view of religion is that religion be practiced in an > > > > > environment where freedom of conscience is permitted, and that it be > > > > > practiced only for the approval of God. > > > > > > God Has Made The Killing Of Innocent People Unlawful > > > > > > According to the Qur'an, one of the greatest sins is to kill a human > > > > > being who has committed no fault: > > > > > > ...If someone kills another person - unless it is in retaliation for > > > > > someone else or for causing corruption in the earth - it is as if he > > > > > had murdered all mankind. And if anyone gives life to another person, > > > > > it is as if he had given life to all mankind. Our Messengers came to > > > > > them with Clear Signs but even after that many of them committed > > > > > outrages in the earth. (Surat al-Ma'ida: 32) > > > > > Those who do not call on any other deity together with God and do not > > > > > kill anyone God has made inviolate, except with the right to do so, > > > > > and do not fornicate; anyone who does that will receive an evil > > > > > punishment. (Surat al-Furqan: 68) > > > > > > As we can see in the verses above, those who kill innocent human > > > > > beings without a cause are threatened with evil punishment. God has > > > > > revealed that killing one person is as great a sin as killing all > > > > > mankind. Anyone who respected the prerogatives of God would not do > > > > > harm to even one individual, let alone murdering thousands of innocent > > > > > people. Those who think that they will escape justice and punishment > > > > > in this world will never escape the account they must give in the > > > > > Presence of God on the Last Day. So, those believers who know they > > > > > will give an account to God after their death, will be very careful > > > > > about respecting the limits God has established. > > > > > > God Commands Believers To Be Compassionate And Merciful > > > > > > In this verse, > > ... > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
