I'll tell you the tale of me and Islam. I think it would be fair to say that I hate Islam, but I don't hate Muslims.
When I was younger, late teens I suppose, I converted to Islam. Spent a few years in it, until I realized just how illogical it was, then I left. Gradually, I also became aware of just how dangerous it is to individual freedom and, well, life on Earth as we know it.
Flash forward several years, and while I was on one of my many tirades extolling the evils of Islam, engaging with Muslims and fellow travelers of Muslims on the utter bat-shit craziness of it, I garnered the focused attention of a Muslim, who began to engage me via private messaging.
I eventually married her. It was the only logical thing to do.
As part of the marriage contract (yeah, Islam still has 'em) I had to agree to not interfere with her worship in any way, which wasn't a problem for me. I'm all about individual freedom, and the freedom of worship is one of the more basic of those. So I agreed, and the deed was done.
In keeping my end of the contract, I never, EVER discussed religion with her, as I did not want to influence her or "interfere" with her mode of worship. So, I never even mentioned religion at all. Then a funny thing happened. She saw something in MY life that she wanted for herself, and so she started asking me religious questions, which of course as a dutiful husband I absolutely refused to answer, so as to keep interference to a minimum, and fulfill my end of the deal. As time progressed, my obstinate refusal to answer such questions got a bit.... dicey.
So, after a while and no small amount of pressure, I began to answer those questions, but kept the answers confined to only the particular question at hand, without further elaboration. A year or two later, Grace left Islam too, in favor of Christianity. it wasn't MY fault - honest! I can't control what other folks see in my world and may want a part of!
SO - I still hate Islam. Have for years. Grace does too now, and has convinced herself that Allah is actually some sort of demon masquerading as God. Christians know which one - only one is known by them as "The Great Deceiver" with a desire to replace The God. Oddly, I can't for the life of me see that hatred for Islam, in either case, as any form of jealousy. Islam is not something we pine away for, it's something we want no part of. We are not attracted to it, nor are we fascinated by it. We've both already been there, done that, checked it off and have the t-shirt... or, perhaps more accurately, the prayer rug. It holds no draw for us.
We hate Islam, but we don't hate Muslims. On the contrary, we tend to see them as deluded, and enslaved by their delusion, but it is THEIR delusion to entertain, not our business how they worship. It's THEIR choice, and only they can break their own chains, so we would prefer to just live and let live.
But we still hate Islam.
.
When I was younger, late teens I suppose, I converted to Islam. Spent a few years in it, until I realized just how illogical it was, then I left. Gradually, I also became aware of just how dangerous it is to individual freedom and, well, life on Earth as we know it.
Flash forward several years, and while I was on one of my many tirades extolling the evils of Islam, engaging with Muslims and fellow travelers of Muslims on the utter bat-shit craziness of it, I garnered the focused attention of a Muslim, who began to engage me via private messaging.
I eventually married her. It was the only logical thing to do.
As part of the marriage contract (yeah, Islam still has 'em) I had to agree to not interfere with her worship in any way, which wasn't a problem for me. I'm all about individual freedom, and the freedom of worship is one of the more basic of those. So I agreed, and the deed was done.
In keeping my end of the contract, I never, EVER discussed religion with her, as I did not want to influence her or "interfere" with her mode of worship. So, I never even mentioned religion at all. Then a funny thing happened. She saw something in MY life that she wanted for herself, and so she started asking me religious questions, which of course as a dutiful husband I absolutely refused to answer, so as to keep interference to a minimum, and fulfill my end of the deal. As time progressed, my obstinate refusal to answer such questions got a bit.... dicey.
So, after a while and no small amount of pressure, I began to answer those questions, but kept the answers confined to only the particular question at hand, without further elaboration. A year or two later, Grace left Islam too, in favor of Christianity. it wasn't MY fault - honest! I can't control what other folks see in my world and may want a part of!
SO - I still hate Islam. Have for years. Grace does too now, and has convinced herself that Allah is actually some sort of demon masquerading as God. Christians know which one - only one is known by them as "The Great Deceiver" with a desire to replace The God. Oddly, I can't for the life of me see that hatred for Islam, in either case, as any form of jealousy. Islam is not something we pine away for, it's something we want no part of. We are not attracted to it, nor are we fascinated by it. We've both already been there, done that, checked it off and have the t-shirt... or, perhaps more accurately, the prayer rug. It holds no draw for us.
We hate Islam, but we don't hate Muslims. On the contrary, we tend to see them as deluded, and enslaved by their delusion, but it is THEIR delusion to entertain, not our business how they worship. It's THEIR choice, and only they can break their own chains, so we would prefer to just live and let live.
But we still hate Islam.
.
Diogenes was eating bread and lentils for supper. He was seen by the philosopher Aristippus, who lived comfortably by flattering the king.
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’
Said Aristippus, ‘If you would learn to be subservient to the king you would not have to live on lentils.’ Said Diogenes, ‘Learn to live on lentils and you will not have to be subservient to the king.’