To participate, you must practice!

I agree. This is why I hate when people are “cultural” or “nominal” Christians or Muslims or whatever. It just means they aren’t serious about their beliefs usually. So when the stats say there are so many billion Christians or 1.59 billion Muslims, I think, “Uh huh…sure” because they count anyone who says they are Muslim or Christian regardless of how they live. Good post.

For me, it’s very difficult for some non practicant Muslims to say that they’re agnostic or, more radically, atheist, especially with other members of his community. I don’t how it’s the situation for them in the West (You know better than me ), but in Morocco, even the guy who doesn’t pray, drinks alcohol & swears (Not worthy to mention if he goes to brothels having good time), will tell you not only he’s Muslim but change radically during Ramadan & being zealous for a month and asking you to do things like fundamentalists. Willkomen in schizophrenia!
I’m Muslim, Jewish, Christian or Buddhist. I’m practicant, agnostic or atheist. No one judge will judge about myself on the ground that I’m member of the community. As a Moroccan alternative music band said: “Khellini n3ish hyati ou hsabi m3a Rebbi” “Let me live and I’ll have account with my Lord”

I’m practicing Monateism. hehehe.

Say it with conviction!!! We like it.

We’d love to hear some of your convictions on our site.

Recent posts:
“The Malaprops” (Our first comic strip)
“Bob the Vegan: Speed Dating(Weekly series)

Have a great day.

Those people are already atheists in their hearts, they fear the rejection of their family, death threaths, violence or abduction. Its safer to say you’re religious, even if you aren’t in your heart. Could Obama have become president, if he said he was an atheist? i think not.

If you really belief in a religion, the practising follows from it automatically, except the occasional giving in to temptations.

Btw I dont see how alcohol, swearing and prostitution are linked to atheism.

Neither Me nor you can say that these aren’t muslims unless they deny god or deny any of the practices and laws of Islam, The only thing we can say is to ask god to show them the right path and that he forgives them, In the quran it’s said: ‏إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَغْفِرُ أَنْ يُشْرَكَ بِهِ وَيَغْفِرُ مَا دُونَ ذَلِكَ لِمَنْ يَشَاءُ وَمَنْ يُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ افْتَرَى إِثْمًا عَظِيمًا ” this in sorat al-nesa ( the women ) verse 48, in case arabic isn’t shown it means god doesn’t forgive being an infidel( al shork) of him but forgives anything else.

Good post by the way

I totally agree, I just moved to England to go to University and there are so many so called “muslims” that walk around and say “I am a muslim” and then a few hours later you see them kissing on the front door steps, with someone you know they are not engaged or married to. And then when you go out later at night to the cold store because you ran out of food you see them holding a bear bottle on their way to a night club. And a day later, when you are heading out for your morning lecture you see this person coming out of a building that isn’t where they live.

I guess some of those people are just into this kind of life but still somewhere deep inside know that islam is right or they are just very insecure and want to live the life of the people who live here so they don’t feel left out. Another thing I noticed is that so many people don’t even know their religion at all, which is new to me since I lived in an arabic muslim country all my life.

Anyway, I have a new blog http://on-top-of-the-box.blogspot.com/
my old blog was “diary of an arab girl” but I moved out.

@maarten

From a christian perspective you could do all three and still be a follower of Christ, because it says that christ drank wine, although not excessively. It also says somewhere in one of the gospels, cant remember which one, that prostitutes will be forgiven, but of course the context suggests you must be repentant. Now as for cursing Yeshua (SAWS) says also somewhere in the bible that “Its not what goes into your mouth that defiles it, but what comes out of it” I think he was speaking about the kosher laws, but the point is that cursing definitely defiles your worthiness and character.
Now the reason a Muslim might attribute these things to atheism, is because they lead to non-belief based on the fact that what you practice becomes what you preach. I used to drink and i used to say that a little bit was alright, but then i started thinking about the younger generations. since I am a teacher i have to set a precedent for my students, and if they found out i was drinking then it might lead them down a negative path. Same thing with cursing. Prostitution comes with a whole slew of problems, like drug addiction and so on.
Basically if you don’t follow all of the tenants then why do you even call yourself a muslim?
Hope that was helpful.

@Brian

The forgiveness of the prostitute is when the Jewish authorities want to test him, and they bring a prostitute to him, and of course, according to the law, she has to be stoned to death. He then scribbles something into the sand (perhaps the sins of the ones calling for her death?) and says “you can stone her, but whoever of you who is without sin, may cast the first stone” So yes, he is forgiving. This piece of prose saved alot of women’s lives.
But if christianity was about sexual licentiousness it has been gravely misunderstood ever since, by all of its adherents, including Paul, which calls all sex sinful.

I get your point. Of course you’re a lousy believer if you do all kinds of things that are forbidden in your religion. But one can be a very moral person without religion, simply because the things you mention (alcohol, drugs, prostitution) are bad by themselves.

I think you’re a very wise man, setting a good example with not drinking.

@Brian

well, why call yourself still a muslim, there are dire consequences if you say you are no longer a muslim. In many countries, even the death penalty, based on the words of Muhammad: “whoever changes his religion, kill him”

There is often alot of social pressure and intimidation to remain within the fold.

It’s a cultural insecurity. We frown upon boyfriends/girlfriends, drinking and socializing in ‘shady’ places like nightclubs (which I am not condoning in any way) because we think it makes us look “morally pious” but yet we partake in backbiting, spying, emotional blackmail, financial deceit, etc. Why are these things not at the forefront of complaints made by Muslims? They are rampant, which explains why corruption and poverty is common from where we come from. A person who dates (i.e. interacts with a non-mehram) may not be religious or pray five times a day, but that in no way should be a judgement of their character. Claiming you are religious does not always make you pious, unless you are able to improve your day to day dealings with people, the environment around you, and other living things.

Right maarten and being fortunate enough to live in a free country, i can practice my faith without any outside pressure, and it gives me more of a reason to stay in line with the pillars of the faith. To be honest though i don’t pray five times a day, and sticking to the sunnah in this particular culture is a bit challenging, so by what i said earlier I’m not completely muslim, but it is the goal, the perfection of al-din and the sunnah.
The reason apostasy is punishable by death has to do with the notion of “Believe in this or pay the price of Hell-Fire” so killing apostates in Shar’ia run countries is a means of forcing people on the right path so as to ensure their safety in heaven.
@ Mona
Muhammad’s (SAWS) last words were “Fight until everyone is a Muslim” So that could imply a jihad, or yes I suppose it could also mean kill until all are within the din.
ana mota’asef Mona, btw, for getting off topic I’ll try to stay a bit more on topic.
I like how you don’t see a reason to commit to a hijab, but you instinctively stay within the rules, based on what you’ve said. So the hijab was a thing of royalty in Arabia and Persia, and slowly seeped into the wide culture through the religion. In western culture it is frowned upon, and in my opinion, I’m no cleric, but I think you’ve done the right thing Mona, because the culture doesn’t call for one, so in reality you are doing the Islamic thing which is practicing tolerance.

hah… the hijab thing was the last post. But i guess it was still a little pertinent…..maybe….lol

@Brian

Basically if you don’t follow all of the tenants then why do you even call yourself a muslim?

I don’t know about Islam, but anyone who followed all the tenants of Christianity would be without sin. And Christians believe that the only sinless person to have ever lived was Jesus. Therefore, following all of the tenants of Christianity is neither expected nor required for somebody to be a good Christian.

@maarten

I get your point. Of course you’re a lousy believer if you do all kinds of things that are forbidden in your religion.

Again, same answer I gave Brian. That really doesn’t work for Christianity. I suspect it doesn’t work for Islam either. What good would forgiveness be, if there was nothing to forgive? I’m not Muslim but I’ve discussed this with Muslims before and my understanding is that in Islam, there is some kind of balancing system. If you do more good than bad, you’re on the right side of the scale. Mona, please correct me if I’m wrong but that’s what I’ve been told… more or less. Christianity is totally different in that we don’t believe we can ever do enough good to merit salvation on our own account, and that’s why we rely on our faith in Christ to tip the balance in our favor. I personally think that faith has to be proven (with actions) but many Christians do not.

Mona,

I always get people asking me if I am “Muslim” or a “practicing Muslim.” I reply saying, “What the hell is the difference?” It’s like asking me if I smoke or practice smoking. It’s a stupid question!

lol. I agree with you. I know a lot of people who go to Church every Sunday and talk about religion all the time but they don’t make much effort to be the type of person that Jesus called upon them to be. I’ve had major problems with organized religion since I was a kid, and I don’t consider myself to be a religious person. But I do consider myself to be a Christian, and I do attempt to live by Christian values as much as I can. I don’t know how it is with Islam, but I don’t see much of what I read in scripture, when I go to Church. Seems like Christianity has drifted quite far from its roots, to me.

No really, im neither Arab nor Muslim, you’d be suprised what you can learn from reading books.

I didn’t make up quotes from Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon Him) but I am concerned about some of them. They come from the books of Buchari.
Apparently you interpret them in a more peaceful way.

@ Mona
Yah my hope was that Muhammad (PBUH) meant more of a jihad, or spiritual warfare, as he was very tolerant of other religions, and the Quran even says to let others have their beliefs and you yours.

@ Craig
Mark 6:10
“Why do you call me good?” answered Yeshua
“No-one is good but God alone.”

oops second mistake
not Mark 6:10 but Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19

@Brian

Thanks for the quotes, but I’m not sure what your point was? We are (now) agreeing that God does not expect people to be perfect?

@Brian

Oh! I see! You are disputing the notion that Jesus led a sinless life! Well, that’s one of the core principals of Christianity so if you want to debate it you’ll have to take it up with a much higher theological authority than me! But think of it this way… if it was as you say and even Jesus failed to live up to the tenets of Christianity then how could any lesser person be expected to?

As I assume you know he was speaking to the rich man and he wasn’t denying his own goodness, he was simply stating that one should rely on God’s higher authority and not his own.
This is along the lines of the topic of the intelligent creator’s post :p but its been on my mind lately, and Craig you said something akin to this in one of your last posts. Some people think that Christ is the way, which I’m not contending, but these so called believers will say they have Christ in their hearts and that they are saved, when in reality all Yeshua’s (PBUH) real purpose was to set a precedent for how people should act. It is not enough that you have him in your heart and mind, but that your action should reflect his in order to enter the kingdom in order to be Universally (very important) recognized as a good being.
woah…enough ranting. I hope this doesn’t turn into a debate as I’m trying my best to be Biblically correct.

what i understand from it was if u r a practicing muslim it means u pray 5 times a day n follow it 100% (quran) woman wear veil n everything n men act accordinally n if yr not a so called practicing muslim u dont pray 5 times a day n so yr maybe a muslim caz u were born a muslim ? practicing means u practice it (islam)praying,reading quran etc caz no 1 will ever know or understand it all (quran,islam)

Mona you rock, seriously sometimes i quote what you say and use it to shut up the stupid people. You bluntly said what ive been trying to sugar coat.

Be it Christian, Muslim, whatever your life’s ideology be … live your life the way you wanted it to be…. my parents are pure seventh day adventists, I grow up with Muslim social parents, I married a devout catholic, I advocate natives plight with animistic view … I ended up no religion at all… what I adhere?… sacred philosophy!