Debating Christianity vs. debating Islam
posted on September 25, 2012 03:20PM GMT
Having been born a Muslim, I was generally taught how to debunk Christianity in the light of Islam, which was equally ridiculous. After leaving Islam with a history of conversions and theology research, I started wondering why debating Islam is much more difficult than debating Christianity. Christianity was wrong as a given rule. It's so nonsensical that there's hardly a point to even begin a debate as it usually depends on god/demon/angel figures that you can easily figure out are nonsense, not even good enough to be enjoyable in the way mythology is. It depends on the supernatural almost entirely.
However, when it comes to Islam, you find that Muslims have already reached the level of mysticism in their approach. Allah is the absolute, the beginning and end, everywhere, all-knowing, etc. The incorporation of higher "beings" and Prophets is forbidden (in most cases). Imagining, visualizing, or even thinking that Prophets and Allah would lower themselves to the level of human life is highly discouraged. And so the idea of god in Islam mainly revolves around "The Absolute", which cannot be debunked because "The Absolute" could be anything, the ultimate reality, the universe, etc. This is why no matter how much philosophy or science advance, Islam will always find something to call "Allah". To some, it is whatever was before the Big Bang (a conscious being, however). To other Muslims, he is the balance in the universe, the "divine protection", the natural order. Of course, Muslims seldom ever express it in the way above. They express it in the typical religious way which is very similar to Christian doctrines: "God is all-loving, watching over us and wrathful nevertheless," and the supernatural things are minimized (not eliminated). This is why you would find that many educated Muslims refuse to practice certain rituals at graveyards or rituals of traditional witchcraft, dealing with "jinn", and the like. They realize that jinn, for instance, are untouchable and unreachable, but believe they exist nevertheless. They do so as they surrender to the social order that forces religion upon them.
Whenever I discuss Islam with Muslims, they will come up with all kinds of excuses. It's well-played media, a complete control over the masses, since any question anyone may ask about Islam has an "explanation", no matter how ridiculous. That is if you debate fiqh, and it could go as far with some Muslims as to think of Islam as a secular religion which is peaceful and respectful toward people of other faiths. The problem here is that no matter how protecting and harmless Islam may seem, it has definite negative effects on the long term, on masses on general, on individuals as well in some cases (such as myself).
Thoughts?
However, when it comes to Islam, you find that Muslims have already reached the level of mysticism in their approach. Allah is the absolute, the beginning and end, everywhere, all-knowing, etc. The incorporation of higher "beings" and Prophets is forbidden (in most cases). Imagining, visualizing, or even thinking that Prophets and Allah would lower themselves to the level of human life is highly discouraged. And so the idea of god in Islam mainly revolves around "The Absolute", which cannot be debunked because "The Absolute" could be anything, the ultimate reality, the universe, etc. This is why no matter how much philosophy or science advance, Islam will always find something to call "Allah". To some, it is whatever was before the Big Bang (a conscious being, however). To other Muslims, he is the balance in the universe, the "divine protection", the natural order. Of course, Muslims seldom ever express it in the way above. They express it in the typical religious way which is very similar to Christian doctrines: "God is all-loving, watching over us and wrathful nevertheless," and the supernatural things are minimized (not eliminated). This is why you would find that many educated Muslims refuse to practice certain rituals at graveyards or rituals of traditional witchcraft, dealing with "jinn", and the like. They realize that jinn, for instance, are untouchable and unreachable, but believe they exist nevertheless. They do so as they surrender to the social order that forces religion upon them.
Whenever I discuss Islam with Muslims, they will come up with all kinds of excuses. It's well-played media, a complete control over the masses, since any question anyone may ask about Islam has an "explanation", no matter how ridiculous. That is if you debate fiqh, and it could go as far with some Muslims as to think of Islam as a secular religion which is peaceful and respectful toward people of other faiths. The problem here is that no matter how protecting and harmless Islam may seem, it has definite negative effects on the long term, on masses on general, on individuals as well in some cases (such as myself).
Thoughts?
