It's a hot button topic nowadays. Everyone is saying Islam is evil, blah, blah, blah. I don't care about this stuff. But....This scares me. A lot.
Let me start off by saying,
I don't believe that all Muslims are good, nor do I think everyone else is evil. There are a mix of both in every community and area.
In the news recently, there has been a lot of media coverage on Islam due to the Ground Zero Mosque. I don't care how far it is, people are going to have a problem with it no matter what. That is why I'm scared, that people have a problem with this. Muslims died during 9/11, so I don't see how it was a victory for their families or for those who perished. But the results of these protest have lead to one thing, people now are able to show publicly that they hate Islam. Because honestly it's not about the mosque anymore, it's about hating on Islam.
This scares me. Because soon enough, there are going to be protests that somehow become violent, and innocent people are going to get hurt. It is ridiculous that stuff like this happens.
There is a giant misconception about Islam in America. The general public has this image of the Islamic community in America to be powerful, and can overthrow the U.S laws. The Muslims are planning to implement Sharia law into the United States, and start a terrorist/socialist regime, blah. How can that even happen? There are an estimated 4 million Muslims(cair.com/aboutislam/islambasics.apsx) in America to an estimated 307,006,550 U.S citizens(U.S Census Bureau). Even if all 4 million were citizens, which some are not, that is 1.3% of the entire population. It's going to be hard to overthrow the U.S.
I have to take a step back. I'm generalizing here. I don't want to become part of the problem. Not everyone thinks like that, but it's much easier to make a point when you generalize. I guess the reason we do think that a whole lot of people think similar is because of the media. News channels need the ratings and nothing gets ratings like instilling fear into the public. The media is definitely part of the problem, but us individuals are also to blame.
Why do we hate each other so much?(Sorry for generalizing) Why do we have a problem with each others beliefs? I don't have the answers. It's not a rhetorical question, seriously. Why are we like this? It honestley puzzles me. It's not just Christians, and not just muslims, it's everyone. Everyone needs to have a say in what other people want to do. When people don't listen to others, discussions escalates to violence, and here is we get all our problems from. Wars come out of this.
(I have an assignment about wars, I'm going to elaborate more on this)
My beliefs:
- I like to think of myself as a humble guy.
- I like to acknoweldge other people's opinions, analyze them, and give my side.
- I don't think I'm better than anyone else, and I don't think anyone is better than me.
- I always try to look at the big picture in life, and always strive for more.Whether that be a little tidbit of information, or some extra change in my pocket.
- I don't like wasting time.
- I try to make everything I do for the sole purpose to better myself, or else I wouldn't do it.
- This is actually a recent phenomena for me, because before college I never thought like this. I would always waste time doing something stupid.
- Now, other than playing video games, I strive to do something to help me out.
Now what does that have to do with Islam... well nothing really, but it was a decent preface of who I am.
My beliefs about Islam may seem pretty non-conventional from an Islamic standpoint. Which is kind of weird to me, because from analyzing the translated text, my current beliefs is what I got out from it.
I think a lot of parents do a bad job of explaining religion and beliefs to their children. Many parents force their children into their religion, and many kids don't understand their religion. They are, and i am using this in the most non-evil sense of the word, brainwashed into the religion. This is scarier to me because some kids blindlessly follow a religion without asking questions, and that is a problem. But some parents force religion and rather than a lifestyle, religion becomes a chore for the kids and the kids don't care.
Now the parents want what's best for their child, and obviously saving your children from hellfire is as good as it gets, but forcing them is not the way you go about it. Nurture your child into religion. Show them why they should believe in what you believe in. That is the thing I noticed with "Muslim" kids. I see, a lot of them act out and go against their "beliefs". The only thing I can assume is that either their parents forced religion down their throats, thus leading them to not be interested, and this is how they rebel. Or they know too little about it to care. That is why I commend atheists for asking questions, obviously I don't agree with them, but still... Job well done.
I see religion to be between you, your god, and your community( group of people that believes in what you do.) I think the community part plays a really small part in the equation. The only one who knows if you are a good person or muslim, is you and God(my belief, not fact). It shouldn't be an individual's responsibility to impose his or her religion on others. Rather live your life to the best as you can live it, and set an example. Make people interested in your religion because they are genuinley interested, not because you told them to.
*The reason I don't take the community into account as much as you and God, is because you can be whoever you want to be in front of others. The only one who knows you is you and "God". You can be the best Muslim in the world at the mosque, and be the worst person at home. Also, the whole group mentality thing that comes along with the community may influence you and this may or may not be a good thing. That being said, I think it's important to have a genuine interest in others and to guide them down the right path*
I am a Muslim, if for some reason you could not tell. The reason for my belief is kind of weird. I think life is too coincidental for everything to be a coincidence. There are some magnificent things out in the world that humans don't know the answer too, but the thing that intrigues me are the little things. Just these little things that occur spontaneously and somehow drive all our actions one way instead of another. It fascinates me. I just don't think that all these littles thing that occur way to often life are left by chance. Now why this strengthened my belief in Islam and not in another religion, I don't know. I guess because Islam is all I really know and it makes sense to me.
Islam is a scholarly religion (which can be said really about any religion). That being said peasants can believe in the fundamental values of Islam. Very few can fully comprehend the religion to it's full extent. Which is what some people think they can do. Some people believe they ca I think the majority of Muslims are linear thinkers, those who read and implement their beliefs solely off the literal words of the text. Very few can interpret the Quran and Islam. Sadly, many people think they are smarter than they actually are and try I am a linear thinker when it comes to Islam because it's dangerous to interpret religion if you are not 100% qualified to do so. That does not only apply to religion, it applies to everything in life. Go ahead and listen, but don't take it to heart. Don't take anyone's word for anything, unless they are qualified to do so. I'm not advising anything here except for common sense, so you can take my word for it.
(Also, I checked in the Quran, there is no secret agenda to take over America.)
