I believe it would not be out of context to say that all religions, did not suddenly sprang up in one day or in one night. Rather, evolved over time. And all religions are nothing but certain society's human administrative tools. Sustenance of human society must be the underlying thoughts of all religions. However, all of them have been framed out of contemporary knowledge and spirituality of the times when each one of them took their physical shape. So, you will see middle-eastern thoughts and life-style in Judaism, Christianity, and in Islam; and all their off-shoots. In hinduism the thoughts and reflections are the nature and in confusiusm and shintuism, the underlying thoughts and reflections are the individual protections and rising above the societal ills. Buddhism extremely respects all lives and leads to achieve Nirvana (ultimate human happiness). Still today in the middle-east, daughters are sold for money as bride to anybody who can pay the most, regardless of age or having 3 existing wives. Even though they are lot better today, they all culturally always have two dreams, fulus (money) and unsa (women). It is in their blood. For thousands of years they used to be married to the first cousins (when parents could not sell the daughters with more money outside). This custom made the girls as the goods and cousins produced low IQ children for thousands of years. So, their religious basis and social customs all are driven by the greeds of money, women, fruit, and scarce river water. Their absolute dream is money and women in this world and women, fruit and river in the Jannat in the hereafter. So, their religions have been shaped that way. Every other religions have their own reasons to be observed and/or practiced based on social norms.
But every religion makes one mistake, which is the belief of the SOUL. No living beings, including the human beings, have any souls. It is a misconception. All bodies become living by the body itself. Life is a combined function of all components of the body in a coordinated fashion. So, it would be really practical for all human-beings to accept the reality, avoid misguided and unfounded religious beliefs. Promote humanity and let all humans do good, get happiness, and peace of mind.
To: WideMinds@yahoogrou
From: mailbhejna@yahoo.
Date: Fri, 22 May 2009 18:17:38 +0000
Subject: [WideMinds] Re: What Differentiates Islam from other faiths?
Sorry you have been pained but exactly how are things "misrepresented, mistranslated and twisted out of context". Please give an example to substantiate each of these accusations as right now they seem to be empty claims.
--- In WideMinds@yahoogrou
>
> The author/forwarder cannot be more prejudiced and a hypocrite than the one
> who wrote "This is the sum of duty: do not to others that which if done to
> thee would cause pain." and doing exactly the same thing!!!
>
> Misrepresent, mistranslate and twist things out of context to the opponent's
> religion and then claim victory over the opponent!
>
> Shame on the hypocrite who wrote this and any muslims who think that is what
> Islam is.
>
> On Wed, May 20, 2009 at 8:47 PM, Kisan <mailbhejna@
>
> > http://www.annaqed.
> >
> > After God, What?
> >
> > By Louis Palme
> > May 20, 2009
> >
> > Many Christians and quite a few well-intentioned Muslims are trying to find
> > common ground between the two faiths as a starting point for realizing
> > peace, mutual respect, and cooperation. On both sides of the divide are
> > those who insist that both faiths worship the same God and so this common
> > faith in God should bring people together. Pope Benedict reiterated this
> > theme on his recent visit to the Middle East, where he told Muslims,
> >
> > Å©ere the paths of the worldÃÔ three great monotheistic religions meet,
> > reminding us what they share in common. Each believe in One God, creator
> > and ruler of all. . . . Those who confess His name are entrusted with the
> > task of striving tirelessly for righteousness while imitating His
> > forgiveness, for both are intrinsically oriented to the peaceful and
> > harmonious coexistence of the human family. For this reason, it is paramount
> > that those who adore the One God should show themselves to be both grounded
> > in and directed towards the unity of the entire human family.¡¦> >
> >
> >
> > If this concept resonates with you, then the following encounters recorded
> > in the sacred texts of the worldÃÔ two largest religions are quite relevant.
> > *First from Jesus, the founder of Christianity:
> > A teacher of the Law came up and tried to trap Jesus. ŵeacher,¡¦he asked,
> > ÅØhat must I do to receive eternal life?¡¦> >
> > Jesus answered him, Ÿhat do the scriptures say? How do you interpret them?
> > The man answered, ÅòLove the Lord your God with all your heart, with all
> > your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind¡¦ and Åove
> > your neighbor as you love yourself.Ãô
> > You are right,¡¦Jesus replied, ÅÅo this and you will live.¡¦> >
> > (This story from Luke, Chapter 10, will be continued below.)
> > *From Muhammad, the founder of Islam:*
> > AllahÃÔ apostle was asked, Ÿhat is the best deed?¡¦He replied, ŵo believe
> > in Allah and his apostle.¡¦The questioner then asked, Ÿhat is the next (in
> > goodness)?¡¦ He replied, ŵo participate in Jihad (religious fighting) in
> > AllahÃÔ cause.¡¦ (Al Bukhari, Vol. 1, No. 25)
> > Both of these major religions hold that reverence for God is the highest
> > act one can perform. But whatÃÔ next? In Christianity, it is love of
> > neighbor, while in Islam it is fighting. So right at the point of the
> > second most important thing in the two religions there is a juncture. One
> > might object that this may just be an indication of a small variation of
> > priorities, that priorities three and two may be reversed or something. Sadly,
> > this is not the case. The same reliable Al Bukhari hadith lists the third
> > most important thing for Muslims is to make the pilgrimage to Mecca ¡¦a
> > pagan ritual which from before Islam even came on the scene was the
> > principle source of revenue for the city. In Christianity, the third and
> > subsequent most important values after loving ones neighbor all came from
> > the ancient ŵen Commandments,¡¦
> > people ¡¦respecting parents, not bearing false witness, not committing
> > adultery, and not stealing. (See Matthew 19:16-22)
> > *Who is my Neighbor?*
> > Not only do Christianity and Islam disagree on the top priorities for
> > religious life, when it comes to defining ones neighbor, they couldnÃÕ be
> > *farther *apart. The story about Jesus, quoted above, continues with a
> > definition of who is my neighbor. Jesus tells the story of ŵhe Good
> > Samaritan,¡¦which is an expression known around the world. What may not
> > be appreciated is that, to Jesus¡¦Jewish audience, the Samaritan was
> > racially and religiously alien. (The Samaritans were those left behind
> > when the Jews were taken captive by the Babylonians in 586 BC, and they
> > built their own temple to God on Mount Gerizim to the north, in defiance of
> > the Jewish religion centered in Jerusalem.)
> > Jesus answered, ŵhere was once a man who was going down from Jerusalem to
> > Jericho when robbers attacked him, stripped him, and beat him up, leaving
> > him half dead. It so happened that a [Jewish] priest was going down that
> > road; but when he saw the man, he walked on by on the other side. In the
> > same way a Levite [the Jewish priestly order] also came there, went over and
> > looked at the man, and then walked on by on the other side. But a Samaritan
> > who was traveling that way came upon the man, and when he saw him, his heart
> > was filled with pity. He went over to him, poured oil and wine on his
> > wounds, and bandaged them; then he put the man on his own animal and took
> > him to an inn, where he took care of him. The next day he took out two
> > silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. Áµake care of him,¡¦he told the
> > innkeeper, ÁÂnd when I come back this way, I will pay you whatever else you
> > spend on him.Ãô
> > And Jesus concluded, Ūn your opinion, which one of these three acted like
> > a neighbor toward the man attacked by the robbers?¡¦> >
> > The teacher of the Law answered, ŵhe one who was kind to him.¡¦> >
> >
> >
> > Jesus replied, źou go, then, and do the same.¡¦ (Luke 10:30-37)
> > So the Good Samaritan was someone who reached across racial and religious
> > differences to help someone in need out of human compassion. What does the
> > Quran say about relationships with ones neighbor? Three commands stand
> > out:
> > Muhammad is GodÃÔ apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the
> > unbelievers but merciful to one another. (Surah 48:29)
> > Believers, make war on the infidels who dwell around you. Deal firmly
> > with them. (Surah 9:123)
> > Believers do not make friends with any but your own people. (3:118) (See
> > also 3:28, 4:139, and 5:51)
> > One will search the Quran in vain for any command to love or show
> > compassion for ones neighbor if that neighbor isnÃÕ a Muslim. Muhammad
> > never visited the grave of his own mother who died a non-Muslim, and
> > there is an entire Surah in the Quran condemning his uncle Abu-Lahab who
> > cared for him as a child, simply because his uncle never accepted Islam:
> > Å®ay the hands of Abu-Lahab perish! May he himself perish!¡¦(Surah 111)
> > *The Golden Rule*
> > The active demonstration of loving ones neighbor is embodied in the Ũolden
> > Rule.¡¦ The source of this command is Jesus¡¦first public sermon (Matthew
> > 5 and Luke 6), where He said, ťo for others just what you want them to do
> > for you.¡¦ The context of *others* includes enemies and people who curse
> > you. Jesus points out that even sinners are kind to fellow sinners, so
> > there is nothing meritorious about being nice just to colleagues.
> >
> > President Obama made the commencement speech at the University of Notre
> > Dame in May, 2009, emphasizing the need for all people to work together and
> > find common ground. He said, ŧor if there is one law that we can be most
> > certain of, it is the law that binds people of all faiths and no faith
> > together. ItÃÔ no coincidence that it exists in Christianity and Judaism,
> > in Islam and Hinduism, in Buddhism and humanism. It is, of course, the
> > Golden Rule ¡¦the call to treat one another as we wish to be treated.¡¦ Unfortunately,
> > the President may have missed the limited nature of the Islamic ÅÈolden
> > rule¡¦which is found in the Bukhari hadith, Vol. 1, Number 12:
> >
> > The Prophet said, ůone of you will have faith till he wishes for his
> > (Muslim) brother what he likes for himself.¡¦> >> > So in Islam, kindness is extended only to fellow Muslims. Is the Golden
> > Rule restrictive in other faiths? Here is a summary of the Golden Rule
> > statements for the other religious faiths that President Obama identified:
> > *Judaism*: What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow men. That is the
> > entire law; all the rest is commentary.
> > *Hinduism*: This is the sum of duty: do not to others that which if done
> > to thee would cause pain.
> > *Buddhism*: Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.
> > *Humanism*: DonÃÕ do things you wouldnÃÕ want to have done to you.
> > Based on the evidence available, the priorities in Islam are distinctly and
> > uniquely different from other religious views after their claim to worship
> > the same God. 1) Warfare takes precedence over love of neighbor; 2)
> > friendship differentiates believers from non-believers; and 3) kindness is
> > reserved for fellow Muslims only. If these conclusions are true, there is
> > little beyond the Islamic *claim* to be worshiping the same God that
> > demonstrates that Muslims truly share any common ground with the other
> > Abrahamic faiths. I welcome fact-based arguments by Muslims to the
> > contrary.
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