Homosexuality and Christianity

Homosexuality is an issue many Jews, Christians, Muslims and Bahais simply don’t know how to deal with. However, Buddhists, Pagans and Osho Rajneeshies seem to be alot more accepting and tolerant.

Lately, science has been indicating that homosexuality is something people are born with. With my discussions with homosexuals, I tend to agree with this. What many homosexuals tell me is that when they were children they were inclined to feel attracted towards the same sex even before they knew about sex and/or the physical expression of that attraction. From what I can gather, God doesn’t create any more than 5% humans as gay, perhaps as a challenge to promote spiritual maturity through the life experiances they may go through. Whatever.

The Bible talks about the sinfulness of Sodom and Gomorrah (where the word sodomy comes from).
In Genesis 18, God informs Abraham that he plans to destroy the city of Sodom because of its wickedness.
Perhaps we can assume that more than 80% of the inhabitants were either gay or bisexual. Now that is a whole lot more than 5%. Why? Maybe it is because the gay and bisexual aspects are a symptom rather than a cause. We’re talking about two towns where peoples sexual appetites are out of control. The only way to get homosexuality from 5% to well over 80% is because it all started with sex with the children and the fact that in these two places it was concidered ‘normal’ by their social standards (but not by God’s). So the children accept this behaviour as ‘normal’, and when those children grew up they passed on the behaviour to their children (and child prostitutes were most probably at premium prices – ask Gary Glitter!). Drugs can also send you into sexual overdrive, also. When we look at it in this way, it is obvious that these two towns had to go, as decreed by God.

Coming back to the present day. It is understandable that what gays do in the bedroom seems abhorant and abnormal from a ’straight’ point of view, and to be misinterpreted by general society, especially from religious communities. But, from the gays point of view, what we might concider ‘abnormal’, is normal for them. They feel they were born that way; some feel that God created them that way. So, they are rejected by the religious communities; they feel, persecuted for what they are. Out of their feeling of rejection, the more immature of the gays say, “*** you religious stuck-up fools and *** your God! We are going to be what we are, so up yours –!!!”

So, when we understand why immature gays react that way then we are not going to take offence, especially if we know or know of more mature gays who don’t try to react to the perceived social persecution around them in the same manner. I have met many gays who I have felt were very spiritually mature people. But, gee, I don’t know: Only god knows what they are like at the very core of their beings, so let God do the judging.

Read more and post discussion or debate: Homosexuality and Christianity

Or, visit: Islamfactor.org

Please vote for us!

Whether you are a member or not, please give us your vote of confidence!

As you may be aware, we have been awarded the Top 40 Muslim Forums award 2008.  It is a new consortium of Muslim forums that compares Muslim forums from all over regardless of school of thought or be they conservative, liberal or like ours a multifaith forum, etc.  This is an astounding achievement for a forum that has only been online since March of 2008!

Whether or not you have been active significantly, we would like your vote of confidence in a special vote being held for the Top 40 Muslim Forums on the internet.  If you feel that our forum might be beneficial to others, shows potential or you are active and participate in the discussions or debates, please vote for us!!

The vote is taking place now and has 39 more days.  Just visit this link and choose “Islam Factor” and press the “vote” button:

http://topmuslimforums.blogspot.com/

Thank you!

Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss

In August 1954, there appeared in America a remarkable book, written by an author named Muhammad Asad and bearing the title The Road to Mecca. The book, a combination of memoir and travelogue, told the story of a convert to Islam who had crossed the spiritual deserts of Europe and the sand deserts of Arabia, on a trek that brought him ultimately to the oasis of Islamic belief. The book immediately won critical acclaim, most notably in the prestige press of New York, where Simon and Schuster had published it. One reviewer, writing in The New York Herald Tribune Book Review, called it an “intensely interesting and moving book.”¹ Another reviewer, on the pages of The New York Times, placed the book in the pantheon of Arabian travel literature: “Not since Freya Stark,” he wrote, “has anyone written so happily about Arabia as the Galician now known as Muhammad Asad.”2

Read his biography and post discussion or debate:  Muhammad Asad, Leopold Weiss

Or, visit: Islamfactor.org

White Muslim Converts acting like Arabs

Question:

I find that a lot of White American Converts try to emulate the Arab culture. They change their names, wear the garb, and want to live in an Arabic country. If I was an Arab I would be insulted. I think it makes a mockery out of Arab Culture. Mostly I see this with High School kids who are “rebelling” against their parents or college students who want to be “different”. I mean I couldn’t just wake up one day and pretend I am Chinese. Has anyone else noticed this?

Response:

Some of it is emulating the Prophet (pbuh).

I think Jon is on to something though. Many of us reverts tend to immerse ourselves in Arabic culture to an extreme extent.

I had a close friend once who did this. He was white American. He went to such an extent that even the Arabs told him to tone it down because he wasnt Arab, it wasn’t his culture.

We can emulate the Prophet (pbuh) without assimilating out of our culture and assimilating into another culture.

It is not required that we change our names (unless our name is a bad, vulgar or false god’s name). We are not required to wear Arabic clothing, eat Arabic food, or speak and think like Arabs.

We can be American and a Muslim or Irish and a Muslim, etc., without leaving our birth culture.

Read more and post discussion or debate: White Muslim Converts acting like Arabs

Or, visit: Islamfactor.org

Mosque Torture

Chain wrapped around ‘old man’s body’ found in mosque

BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) — “There are the bloodstains on the wall, and here it is dried on the floor,” Abu Muhanad said as he walked through a torture chamber in a Baghdad mosque where more than two dozen bodies have been found.

“And here, a woman’s shoes. She was a victim of the militia. We found her corpse in the grave.” Chunks of hair waft lazily across the floor in the hot Baghdad breeze.

“This was the torture room,” said Muhanad, the leader of a U.S.-backed armed group that now controls the mosque.

“This is what they used for hanging,” he said, pointing to a cord dangling from the ceiling. “Here is a chain we found tied to an old man’s body.”

The horrific scene at this southwestern Baghdad mosque is what officials say was the work of a Shiite militia known as the Mehdi Army. Residents who live near the mosque say they could hear the victims’ screams.

The militia had been in control of the mosque, called Adib al-Jumaili, from at least January 2007 until May of this year. Residents say coalition forces weren’t in the region and the torture and killings went unchecked.

Some of the victims were accused of being spies for U.S. forces. Other family members don’t know why their loved ones disappeared. The family members at the mosque who spoke to CNN were all Shiite, the same branch of Islam as the Mehdi militia. But, they say, some of the victims were Sunni as well.

Read more and post discussion or debate: Mosque Torture

Or, visit: Islamfactor.org

Islamic Rage Boy Sightings

Sighted at Islamfactor.org!

He has appeared on Islamfactor.  To view this pic and more, register at Islamfactor and visit the Cage section.

Modernizing Islam

Recently, we had a few trolls sign up for the forum with the intent to defame, declare takfir on us for sympathizing with kufar and disrupt the forum.  Alhamdulillah, Allah has protected us from their sin.

In the process, one of the accusation levied against us was that we were “modernist”.  Somehow, being called a “modernist” was a bad thing

We were modernist as opposed to what?  The opposite to “modern” is “primitive”.  So “primitive” is better than “modern”?  By this logic we should be living in a cave as opposed to a house.

What is “modern”?  It is relating to, or having the characteristics of the present or most recent period of development.

So, are we to believe that “primitive”, which is having the characteristics of the past, is better than modern?

Look at the world we live in.  Instead of using a stick we use a toothbrush.  Instead of riding a camel, we use a car.  Instead of hunting and gathering with stone tipped arrows and grass weaved baskets we go to the supermarket.

The hallmark of the Islamic religion is its pliability to the times.  Islamic Law, according to the Quran and Sunnah of the Prophet (pbuh) allows for this pliability in everything except one thing, the religious components of our lifestyle.  This fact is evident if one studies the seerah of the Prophet (pbuh) over the course of his life and the lives of the sahabbah during the first 100 years of the Islamic Empire, which is the rough timeframe in which our scholars extrapilate much of the rulings of Shariah.  Many more rulings of shariah are directed at the changing times and often do not even have a basis in Quran or Sunnah because the situations in modern times have changed and have not been experienced by the Prophet (pbuh) or the sahabbah.

For example, in modern times, we face issues of the harvesting of human stem cells from new born babies to correct diseases that may exist later in the childs life.  Is this acceptable in Islam?  Well, the Prophet (pbuh) and the Sahabbah did not experience science on this scale and such things were unheard of in their time.  Thus, our scholars work out a morally acceptable shariah on the topic.  They can draw off of what we do know of Quran and Sunnah that is totally unrelated to the topic and apply it to make a ruling.

Islam is not a primitive religion, nor is it meant to be.  Islam is for all time.

People who call us modernists because we stand for progress in society according to Islamic values are missing the purpose of Islam.  Islam is not a religion.  It is an entire way of life that includes religious doctrine.  It regulates much more than religion.  Religion is perhaps 10% of Islam.  The remaining 90% is Economy, Science, Governance, Military, Diplomacy and many many other things.

These “primitive” Muslims make the 10% seem like 90%.  It is these types that wish to rule a country without knowing how to build roads, schools, colleges, using diplomacy to avoid warfare, establishing justice systems for all people (muslim and not), bringing economic prosperity and many other essential aspects of our lives.

I have seen these “primitive” Muslims tout the Taliban as the model Islamic government….

Read more and post discussion or debate:  Modernizing Islam

Or, visit: Islamfactor.org

FBI Most Wanted

I read the FBI Most Wanted woman thread with interest and had some thoughts I wanted to post but that killjoy Admin closed the thread whilst I was getting my ducks in a row.

I have no idea if this Siddiqui woman is innocent or guilty. I think she stands a better chance of a fair trial in the US, despite its heightened paranoia than if she had ommitted a crime and been tried in say Afghanistan. However, the US stance of holding endlessly without representation and trial is reprehehnsible and a step backwards in terms of civilisation. in the abc news report there is no mention of her being detained and tortured although other articles suggest she was….we can only hope the truth will out and there will be justice rather than another case of wrong place, wrong time, oh I’ve ended up in Gitmo. I feel sorry for her kids as her young son is being held too. Note however news articles suggest that she as arrested by Afghan police and then handed over – does that make her arrest legitimate?

So I have a question. Having narrowly escaped being a vicitim of the 7/7 london bombings myself by about 15 minutes, I have very little sympathy, well none, for the brothers who wear strap ons. Misguided, stupid and murderous, whether they quote passages from the quran or not. If I had known about it beforehand, if I had known about 9/11 i would definitely have shopped those guys and tried to prevent it.

If I found out something was being planned anywhere I would definitely report it but it appears that preventing an act of murder because its being done in the name of Islam would earn me the enmnity of my fellow muslims. Does it make a difference if its being done in the West, in the land of the so called kuffars even though some of them may sympathise with your viewpoint and the cosmopolitan nature of many of the cities means fellow muslims will certainly be victims. Does it matter? What about attacks in muslim countries, take Pakistan and Iraq for example where muslim victims far outweigh the foreign soldiers (in Pakistan, they are all Pakistani victims). If you knew about it, what would you do?

I was extremely dismayed by the viciousness and hate spewed by some supposedly well educated posters in the previous thread – where have all the sane bros gone??

Read more and post discussion or debate:  FBI Most Wanted

Or, visit: Islamfactor.org

Islamic Rage Boy Sighting

He has appeared on Islamfactor, here!

Ramadan for New Muslims and non-Muslim Friends

Perfecting one’s Ramadan experience can be a lifetime achievement. We should not expect that we can perform the fasts perfectly or in their entirety when we have not had the benefit of many years of practice. To do so would undoubtedly be counterproductive as it would be overwhelming and cause burn-out. Even those who are born Muslim and those who have been Muslim for many years struggle in perfecting the important aspects of Ramadan.

It’s for this reason that for new Muslims, the scholars often agree that reverts (and those born Muslim who are rediscovering their Islamic faith) should “ease” themselves into it by whatever way possible. Allah is Most Merciful and Forgiving of our situations and does not hold it against us.

For those who are not Muslim but following the fast in solidarity or for the experience, it is beneficial to follow the same guidelines as new Muslims. It would take a serious effort for someone not already acclimatized to performing all 30 days of Ramadan fasts perfectly from dawn to dusk and is not necessary for you to benefit from Ramadan.

There are many things to discuss about Ramadan and many more suggestions but I will try to focus on but a few to get you started.

The following is some tips on preparing for Ramadan for those who are taking on the fast…. (Remaining article published at link below)

Read more and post discussion or debate:  Ramadan for New Muslims and non-Muslim Friends

Or, visit: Islamfactor.org