In Reply to: Re: The weirdness of a religion posted by ray on March 13, 2003 at 04:18:49:
Porcelein Doll, I often think how strange Christian belief must seem to Muslims, where we see Jesus as one with his Father and equally God. Mohammed said over and over again in the Koran to "not join gods to God" and he specifically had Jesus in mind. So that's a major stumbling block with Muslims.
But that fact that that aspect of Christian faith is strange to Muslims doesn't mean that they're right in their beliefs. Their religion is even more puritanical, self-righteous and harsh than rightwing Christians, and leaves them very unsatisfied. In Muslim countries like Pakistan women are in prison for being raped. Yes, THEY were raped but THEY go to prison, because male Muslim judges believe the man over the women so she's disgraced, disbelieved and goes to prison for the crime. Often for her own protection. Women prefer to stay in prison rather than be let out to be murdered by their puritanical families. Women in some Arab countries who commit adultery are killed outright or buried up to their chins in the sand. In West Africa they're stoned to death by their communities in the style of Old Testament Jewish laws. And when you consider that female circumcision (mutilation) is predominant in Muslim nations in Africa, women are again disenfranchised from the simple pleasures of life. In many Muslim countries they walk around completely covered except for their eyes. Muslims who ARE interested in Christianity are in fear of embracing it because their own zealous religious families would murder them if they did.
I realize that some of the above practices are aberrations of Islam, but they are an integral part of how Islam is practiced in most of the Muslim world. I've read the Koran and found little in it that appealed to me, sad to say. I've even glanced at Muslim "devotional books" in a bookstore, and found them very strange. For example, before you eat your food you must pray or else the demons will enter your body with the food. Perhaps parts of Christianity strike Muslims as strange, and I understand that, but many parts of Islam strike me as strange.
Buddhism and Hinduism are whole other subjects, but I gotta run. You didn't offend me with these questions & I hope I didn't offend you with my responses. :c)