Readers’ Responses to Our Question (606)

In response to Elizabeth,

You say that there is one true God which is true but you say that all religions are man made. Would it not be logical to assume that God would not leave us comfortless or without any words by which we could be guided. Would not God send word to His children to teach them to do right? There must be one true religion upon the face of the earth containing a fullness of His words, unless you believe God would abandon His children. I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints which I believe to be the one true church of Jesus Christ on earth containing all the known truths which have been revealed by God to man.

look around you? how can you explain our world? How was it created? Do you really think evolution or man was able to create this? Of course not. There is a God who is and was not man made. there are man made religions and there is one that is not. For the people who believe in these religions, it is the truth and what they beleive. Why are people so against religion? What is the porblem with allowing Christians, Jews, and Muslims believe in ther faiths with out being ridiculed. Being a Christian myself, I feel offended when some one laughs at what I believe. Relgion is man made, but the one true God is not.

Of course religion is man made. But God isn't. God was created by three superbeings from the fifth dimension. They had intended to make God omnipotent but they screwed up. They have followed God's progress and tweaked their program every so often (which means nothing because they don't have a time dimension in their universe), which is why God was jealous and vindictive in the original testament but became loving and caring in the later revisionist Roman edition. Their universe in turn was created by ...

religion: man reaching up to a god
true Christ centered 'Christianity": GOD reaching down to man

simple, plain..sometimes the simplicity of GOD eludes mankind

The short answer is YES - It seems to me that religious behavior in all it's manifold dimensions is inherent in the human psyche - this is not my theory by any means. On the one hand, it serves to explain the inexplicable, and is seemingly based on what we observe regarding our external, materially based experiences - this was of course particularly true before science entered the picture.

Religion provided a template for living in former times, and still does among many pre-technological, pre-industrial societies (often referred to as 'primitive' cultures).

Well, that's the rough externals of religion anyway. But somewhere along the way, someone noticed that the basis for all experience in the human realm is what we call 'consciousness'. Quite a self-reflective feat you must admit.

When this first occured is anybody's guess, but let's say this discovery tended towards becoming the center-piece of religious experience sometime around 5000 BC in the Indus Valley cultures that gave rise to the religious forms of Vedanta and Hinduism - and later on, Buddhism. A little mythology please!

It was discovered that through the self-reflective techniques of contemplation and meditation, consciousness became free of its fetters, and began to see itself for what it was. Of course not everyone could do this - but let's skip over the entire cultural evolution of the 'inner traditions' and see what we're left with - religion in the West largely ignores the foundation of all human experience and prefers to concentrate on the 'material' externals to this day. It's always 'the Other' that counts in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. Pure dualism, we might say.

Everything about the Abrahamic religions of the Old Testament is still centered on forms and phenomenology, divine or otherwise. Science in the West is emerging from a dependency on forms however - quantum physics is delving into the depths of formlessness, and is leaving religion behind, unless you're still paying attention to those Indus Valley religions that discovered the importance of Consciousness - without which, we have nothing.

Consciousness also happens to be formless and without known dimensions - it's nature remains a mystery. We experience consciousness on a virtual non-stop basis, but have no idea what it is.....in dreams, consciousness is said to attend to our ego needs in mysterious ways. As the covert Creator of dreams, unique universes of experience are created and destroyed one after another - and we typicall have no control over the manifestations of this clever and novelty-loving alter-mind (lucid dreams being another matter).

But when we try to find the basis for all these experiences, we find nothingness (of course, you must also buy into the idea that consciousness is independent of brain functions to get the 'numinal' sense of these inner experiences - the brain is a complex receiver and is in that sense similar to a computer. It receives and organizes, but does not create on it's own.)

No shape, no form, no attributes, no qualities - an invisible and ineffable foundation for all of these 'inner' experiences. We wake up, and think we're back in the 'real' world - where all the answers are logical and make perfect sense. While dreaming, some unknown part of us is the master of the universe - which abruptly ceases functioning upon waking - or does it??

Religion to my way of thinking is finding the master of the universe that we all possess but know so little about - external man calls it God, but looking within, we find out where God lives.

I find it troubling that so much discussion and band-width is being wasted on such an inane topic. It's almost as troubling as the fact that we apparently have a deist leading the Human Genome Project....

The bible, the koran, all religious texts were written by humans for humans with nothing but their own self-interest in mind. Some of you ask those who don't believe "why don't you read the 'scriptures' and then come talk to me?" I have to ask YOU: have you actually read and thought about the 'scriptures'? If any of those books were written by or inspired by an omniscient "god" why is so much paper wasted in the bible on ridiculous and silly skirmishes (not to mention genocide) between meaningless - in a historical sense - tribes of people whose lives do not seem to go beyond a geographic area the size of Texas? Surely "god" would know about North America and native Americans. Where are the stories about them? Why would most of the ten commandments deal with ridiculous things like not worshiping other gods (if the Christian god is the 'true' god, why is he so insecure?) if they weren't all about control of people for power/wealth? And why in the heck are you so eager to accept that you're a sinner and not worthy of life?

Religion was created by man at a time when he was incapable of understanding the universe around him and he needed something to help him go to sleep at night and explain why the sun kept rising in the east. Now, as science has steadily eaten away at the chains holding our minds back, it has 'evolved' into a self-propagating industry designed to control you and your wealth - men controlling other men. We're past that folks. Grow up.

I am glad to have found your site and feel invited to share my thoughts.
My idea of the phenomenon of religion tendency is that it gains its validation and power because we have a have a biomorphic template for it. The structure of the human brain is the template.
Spiritual is the word the left brain gives to its awareness, awe and respect for the non-verbal activities of the right brain with its photographic visual and emotional memory of events, beauty, trauma, contradictions, pain and betrayal, as they are experienced. The right brain must organize these in its own terms and tries to to offer the wisdom of its experience to the left brain via the corpus callosum. It is the action within the corpus callosum we identify as GOD? When we sit in silence with our eyes closed, in a religious setting we are vulnerable to receiving our own valuable information. It helps us make decisions that seem right to us. However, when we close our eyes in those same religious stettings, we make ourselves vulnerable. Over the years religious organizers have figured out how to exploit this and make their followers fearful. Hence the fear-based intensity of religious warfare. It is not all bad, we are also able to be inspired to do good works.
An example in Christian theology of my theory are the ideas of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, as biomorphic manifestations of interactions within the three parts of the brain.
Which is which can be debated. Is the Father the left brain that knows how to censor things for its own safety; is the Son the right brain who hasn't yet learned to do that; and is the corpus callosum the holy spirit. Is the Holy Spirit the right brain or the activities of the corpus callosum? Together they add up to be one's personal God.
Other ideas present themselves.
Is the right brain the basis for the idea of extra-sensory perception, is that what goes on in a room full of right-brains in prayer and the powerful feeling of community that ensues.
Is the "devil" the template provided by the snake brain or just lack of discipline?
Is the tradition of speaking in tongues a means of giving a voice to the right brain? Or are those believers just playing the Beatles backward?

In response to US online:

You mention that because of death men have invented God in their minds to lessen the fear associated with it. I think that you are right in a way but from the wrong view point. Death does force us to ask questions regarding our existance, what happens to us after we die.But what would be the point in inventing a God to comfort us if we knew He didn't exist because we would know He was of our own invention, we would still feel anxious not knowing.There is a God and there is life after death. I do not say this just to comfort myself. I know because i have studied the scriptures and prayed and have been given reassurances through the Holy Ghost.
It all comes down to faith and the desire to want to know. Read the scriptures and pray, you may be surprised.
regards,
sb

Is religion man-made?

Most religions are man-made. How is it possible to identify true religion?

1. True religion practices love. True worshippers are not divided by race, or culture, and display ‘love among themselves.’

“By this all will know that YOU are my disciples, if YOU have love among yourselves.””
(John 13:35)

“At this Peter opened his mouth and said: “For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.”
(Acts 10:34,35)

Rather than killing one another, true worshippers are willing to die for one another.

“But whoever has this world’s means for supporting life and beholds his brother having need and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him, in what way does the love of God remain in him?”
(1 John 3:16)

2. True religion trusts God’s Word. Instead of teaching tradition and man’s philosophy as doctrines, true religion bases its doctrines on God’s Word, the Bible.

“And so YOU have made the word of God invalid because of YOUR tradition. YOU hypocrites, Isaiah aptly prophesied about YOU, when he said, ‘This people honors me with their lips, yet their heart is far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, because they teach commands of men as doctrines.’”
(Matthew 15:6-9)

“All Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial for teaching, for reproving, for setting things straight, for disciplining in righteousness,”
(2 Timothy 3:16)

3. True religion strengthens families and upholds high moral standards.

“In this way husbands ought to be loving their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself,”
(Ephesians 5:28)

“Nevertheless, also, let each one of YOU individually so love his wife as he does himself; on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband.”
(Ephesians 5:33)

“Children, be obedient to YOUR parents in union with [the] Lord, for this is righteous: “Honor your father and [your] mother”; which is the first command with a promise: “That it may go well with you and you may endure a long time on the earth.” And YOU, fathers, do not be irritating YOUR children, but go on bringing them up in the discipline and mental-regulating of Jehovah.”
(Ephesians 6:1-4)

4. Those entrusted with positions of authority must have exemplary morals.

“If any man is reaching out for an office of overseer, he is desirous of a fine work. The overseer should therefore be irreprehensible, a husband of one wife, moderate in habits, sound in mind, orderly, hospitable, qualified to teach, not a drunken brawler, not a smiter, but reasonable, not belligerent, not a lover of money, a man presiding over his own household in a fine manner, having children in subjection with all seriousness; (if indeed any man does not know how to preside over his own household, how will he take care of God’s congregation?) not a newly converted man, for fear that he might get puffed up [with pride] and fall into the judgment passed upon the Devil. Moreover, he should also have a fine testimony from people on the outside, in order that he might not fall into reproach and a snare of the Devil.
Ministerial servants should likewise be serious, not double-tongued, not giving themselves to a lot of wine, not greedy of dishonest gain, holding the sacred secret of the faith with a clean conscience.
Also, let these be tested as to fitness first, then let them serve as ministers, as they are free from accusation.”
(1 Timothy 3:1-10)

5. True religion produces good fruit.

“Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit;”
(Matthew 7:17)

6. True religion also honors God's name.

“That people may know that you, whose name is Jehovah,
You alone are the Most High over all the earth.”
(Psalms 83:18)

Jesus made God's name, Jehovah, known to others.

“YOU must pray, then, this way:
“‘Our Father in the heavens, let your name be sanctified.”
(Matthew 6:9)

“ “I have made your name manifest to the men you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have observed your word.”
(John 17:6)

“And I have made your name known to them and will make it known, in order that the love with which you loved me may be in them and I in union with them.””
(John 17:26)

True worshipers make known God’s name.

“For “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” However, how will they call on him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach?”
(Romans 10:13,14)

7. True religion looks to God’s Kingdom as the solution to all mankind’s problems.
God’s Kingdom will bring true peace and security to the earth.

“Do not put YOUR trust in nobles,
Nor in the son of earthling man, to whom no salvation belongs.
His spirit goes out, he goes back to his ground;
In that day his thoughts do perish.
Happy is the one who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in Jehovah his God,
The Maker of heaven and earth,
Of the sea, and of all that is in them,
The One keeping trueness to time indefinite,”
(Psalm 146:3-5)

True worshipers preach about God's Kingdom. Jesus did so. He always talked about the Kingdom.

“Shortly afterwards he went journeying from city to city and from village to village, preaching and declaring the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him,”
(Luke 8:1)

He commanded his disciples to preach this same message in all the earth.

“And this good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations; and then the end will come.”
(Matthew 24:14)

“Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit, teaching them to observe all the things I have commanded YOU. And, look! I am with YOU all the days until the conclusion of the system of things.””
(Matthew 28: 19, 20)

8. True religion is no part of this wicked world.

“They are no part of the world, just as I am no part of the world.”
(John 17:16)

They do not get involved in the world's political affairs and social controversies. They avoid the harmful conduct, practices, and attitudes that are common in the world.

“The form of worship that is clean and undefiled from the standpoint of our God and Father is this: to look after orphans and widows in their tribulation, and to keep oneself without spot from the world.”
(James 1:27)

“Adulteresses, do YOU not know that the friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever, therefore, wants to be a friend of the world is constituting himself an enemy of God.”
(James 4:4)

Yes

The Deceit of Religiosity

Positive conclusions of an Octogenarian.

As the human mind is fundamentally prone to the generation of illusions, (anything that takes one’s fancy) we must try to visualize in a realistic manner, the birth & ramose nature of Religiosity. Everyone is infected with an imaginative ‘spiritual’ tendency that is nothing more than the natural wonderment of our existence & surroundings. Elemental reasoning is needed to put all ‘fantasial’ thoughts in true perspective.

‘Heavenly’ visions need to be truly assessed & not allowed to sabotage the prevalent common sense & research that seeks to counter Life’s ongoing problems. Unrealistic ‘Beliefs’, the cause of so much mayhem & mortality of past & present, are all very basic Man-made creations - - - devious proclamations of a false & tedious nature, incessantly filling shallow minds with absurd religious dogma.

Unease can result in the mind having a very distorted & tormented view of one’s situation, with an urge to look skywards for help. In order to form a valid judgement on ‘figmentary Gods’ & ‘Heavenly’ matters, a reasonably healthy state of mind is essential.

Nearing the end of a long life, not without bother, the need to rely on any absurd ‘belief’ has never really entered my consciousness! It’s all too apparent that religious ‘Faiths’ are pure humbug, blessed with existence by Impostors & their largely naive followers.

To date - 'Beliefs' I have ignored
They've never really struck a chord
But ageing - Getting more a wreck
I deemed it wise to run a check

Pondered long - Way back in time
& I declare with thoughts sublime
Faith's nebulous starting point was found
I was correct the first time round

Following are my DEEP reflections
All plain FACT - NO DECEPTIONS!

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/bill45690/bb.html

The Deceit of Religiosity

Positive conclusions of an Octogenarian.

As the human mind is fundamentally prone to the generation of illusions, (anything that takes one’s fancy) we must try to visualize in a realistic manner, the birth & ramose nature of Religiosity. Everyone is infected with an imaginative ‘spiritual’ tendency that is nothing more than the natural wonderment of our existence & surroundings. Elemental reasoning is needed to put all ‘fantasial’ thoughts in true perspective.

‘Heavenly’ visions need to be truly assessed & not allowed to sabotage the prevalent common sense & research that seeks to counter Life’s ongoing problems. Unrealistic ‘Beliefs’, the cause of so much mayhem & mortality of past & present, are all very basic Man-made creations - - - devious proclamations of a false & tedious nature, incessantly filling shallow minds with absurd religious dogma.

Unease can result in the mind having a very distorted & tormented view of one’s situation, with an urge to look skywards for help. In order to form a valid judgement on ‘figmentary Gods’ & ‘Heavenly’ matters, a reasonably healthy state of mind is essential.

Nearing the end of a long life, not without bother, the need to rely on any absurd ‘belief’ has never really entered my consciousness! It’s all too apparent that religious ‘Faiths’ are pure humbug, blessed with existence by Impostors & their largely naive followers.

To date - 'Beliefs' I have ignored
They've never really struck a chord
But ageing - Getting more a wreck
I deemed it wise to run a check

Pondered long - Way back in time
& I declare with thoughts sublime
Faith's nebulous starting point was found
I was correct the first time round

Following are my DEEP reflections
All plain FACT - NO DECEPTIONS!

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/bill45690/bb.html

The Deceit of Religiosity

Positive conclusions of an Octogenarian.

As the human mind is fundamentally prone to the generation of illusions, (anything that takes one’s fancy) we must try to visualize in a realistic manner, the birth & ramose nature of Religiosity. Everyone is infected with an imaginative ‘spiritual’ tendency that is nothing more than the natural wonderment of our existence & surroundings. Elemental reasoning is needed to put all ‘fantasial’ thoughts in true perspective.

‘Heavenly’ visions need to be truly assessed & not allowed to sabotage the prevalent common sense & research that seeks to counter Life’s ongoing problems. Unrealistic ‘Beliefs’, the cause of so much mayhem & mortality of past & present, are all very basic Man-made creations - - - devious proclamations of a false & tedious nature, incessantly filling shallow minds with absurd religious dogma.

Unease can result in the mind having a very distorted & tormented view of one’s situation, with an urge to look skywards for help. In order to form a valid judgement on ‘figmentary Gods’ & ‘Heavenly’ matters, a reasonably healthy state of mind is essential.

Nearing the end of a long life, not without bother, the need to rely on any absurd ‘belief’ has never really entered my consciousness! It’s all too apparent that religious ‘Faiths’ are pure humbug, blessed with existence by Impostors & their largely naive followers.

To date - 'Beliefs' I have ignored
They've never really struck a chord
But ageing - Getting more a wreck
I deemed it wise to run a check

Pondered long - Way back in time
& I declare with thoughts sublime
Faith's nebulous starting point was found
I was correct the first time round

Following are my DEEP reflections
All plain FACT - NO DECEPTIONS!

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/bill45690/bb.html

The Deceit of Religiosity

Positive conclusions of an Octogenarian.

As the human mind is fundamentally prone to the generation of illusions, (anything that takes one’s fancy) we must try to visualize in a realistic manner, the birth & ramose nature of Religiosity. Everyone is infected with an imaginative ‘spiritual’ tendency that is nothing more than the natural wonderment of our existence & surroundings. Elemental reasoning is needed to put all ‘fantasial’ thoughts in true perspective.

‘Heavenly’ visions need to be truly assessed & not allowed to sabotage the prevalent common sense & research that seeks to counter Life’s ongoing problems. Unrealistic ‘Beliefs’, the cause of so much mayhem & mortality of past & present, are all very basic Man-made creations - - - devious proclamations of a false & tedious nature, incessantly filling shallow minds with absurd religious dogma.

Unease can result in the mind having a very distorted & tormented view of one’s situation, with an urge to look skywards for help. In order to form a valid judgement on ‘figmentary Gods’ & ‘Heavenly’ matters, a reasonably healthy state of mind is essential.

Nearing the end of a long life, not without bother, the need to rely on any absurd ‘belief’ has never really entered my consciousness! It’s all too apparent that religious ‘Faiths’ are pure humbug, blessed with existence by Impostors & their largely naive followers.

To date - 'Beliefs' I have ignored
They've never really struck a chord
But ageing - Getting more a wreck
I deemed it wise to run a check

Pondered long - Way back in time
& I declare with thoughts sublime
Faith's nebulous starting point was found
I was correct the first time round

Following are my DEEP reflections
All plain FACT - NO DECEPTIONS!

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/bill45690/bb.html

The Deceit of Religiosity

Positive conclusions of an Octogenarian.

As the human mind is fundamentally prone to the generation of illusions, (anything that takes one’s fancy) we must try to visualize in a realistic manner, the birth & ramose nature of Religiosity. Everyone is infected with an imaginative ‘spiritual’ tendency that is nothing more than the natural wonderment of our existence & surroundings. Elemental reasoning is needed to put all ‘fantasial’ thoughts in true perspective.

‘Heavenly’ visions need to be truly assessed & not allowed to sabotage the prevalent common sense & research that seeks to counter Life’s ongoing problems. Unrealistic ‘Beliefs’, the cause of so much mayhem & mortality of past & present, are all very basic Man-made creations - - - devious proclamations of a false & tedious nature, incessantly filling shallow minds with absurd religious dogma.

Unease can result in the mind having a very distorted & tormented view of one’s situation, with an urge to look skywards for help. In order to form a valid judgement on ‘figmentary Gods’ & ‘Heavenly’ matters, a reasonably healthy state of mind is essential.

Nearing the end of a long life, not without bother, the need to rely on any absurd ‘belief’ has never really entered my consciousness! It’s all too apparent that religious ‘Faiths’ are pure humbug, blessed with existence by Impostors & their largely naive followers.

To date - 'Beliefs' I have ignored
They've never really struck a chord
But ageing - Getting more a wreck
I deemed it wise to run a check

Pondered long - Way back in time
& I declare with thoughts sublime
Faith's nebulous starting point was found
I was correct the first time round

Following are my DEEP reflections
All plain FACT - NO DECEPTIONS!

http://hometown.aol.co.uk/bill45690/bb.html

In response to TTWSYFAMDGGAHJMJ:

"Is it mental illness to believe in God? Was Aristotle mentally ill. Are the billions of believers in God throughout the world today delusional, paranoid, and schizophrenic?

There is an old saying that those who believe everyone else is insane but them, is a good sign that they are insane."

The short answer is: of course not. There's a big difference between ignorance and insanity. The entire world was once ignorant of the many things, including planetary orbits, the chemical compositions of everything, the dynamic system that produced and sustains life, etc. We are all still ignorant about a great many things, but we are not all insane. Nor can a large amount of ignorance imply insanity. The two simply don't equate.
In analogical terms, the entire world right now (except for me) is ignorant of the colour of my boxer shorts. This does not mean that I am the only sane person. If I told you the colour of my boxer shorts is red and blue check, you might not believe me because I have a reputation for lying, you suspect I'm colour blind, etc. If I showed you my boxer shorts, and seeing the red and blue check, you refused to accept the fact of the matter, I'd be at a loss to explain that. Insanity would be one possible explanation among others. In general though, the more information you acquire, the more difficult it becomes to sustain false ideas.
There is no necessary place for god(s) in our knowledge about the cosmos and everything in it so far. There is, however, much we don't know, and there's only room for god(s) in the zones of our ignorance. These zones are still large, but they're shrinking fast. Even if there was some evidence or theoretical necessity for god(s) in the future, the zone of ignorance left would probably so small as to make his/her/its/their role much less consequential than most religious hypotheses predict. Of course, even this is very unlikely, because knowledge of the natural is steadily devouring the territory of the supernatural, and the need for god(s) in our cosmology is becoming less over time, not more. More and more of the boxer shorts are becoming visible, and the question of ignorance vs. insanity will be resolved when their status is incontrovertible.

Incidentally, I believe it was Michael Oakeshott who said, "Reality is not what I choose to believe; it is what I am obliged to believe."

God is just the excuse man cretaed trying to give an answer to what he cant explain or accept, is just the way to deal with the fatatlity of DEAD! To not exist anymore is what scare us the must, believing in afterlife is the answer.... Religions and gods are only an obstacule

God is just the excuse man cretaed trying to give an answer to what he cant explain or accept, is just the way to deal with the fatatlity of DEAD! To not exist anymore is what scare us the must, believing in afterlife is the answer.... Religions and gods are only an obstacule

I believe in a God who is the Father of us all. I do believe that there are religions that have man made elements or doctrines within them but i do believe that there is one true church on the earth today, that is 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints'. Read the scriptures, read the Book of Mormon, ponder and pray and ask that by the power of the Holy Ghost you might know the truth. One of the greatest questions one can ask oneself is whether there be a God. Some may quickly conclude that there is no God but i suggest that it would be far wiser to spend a significant time in humble prayer and in thought on this matter and turn to God who is your Father in Heaven and He will answer your prayer only if you have faith in Jesus Christ, are humble and ask sincerely. I asked and i found the answer, i knocked and let Him in to my life and now He is changing me from the inside. I have felt joy that i never before experienced, I have a higher hope than i ever before had (i am a convert and was a so-called atheist). Look within yourself and you will find evidence of the hand that created you.
I know these things to be true by the power of the Holy Ghost and say so in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

IN REPLY TO (IRT):
JOOP KAASHOEK :
“Of course religion is man-made as al the 'holy' book are clearly written by people, no matter how mystical the content. The notion that they the books are inspired by a god does not hold up, mental illness was not widely understood back then.”

ANS:
Is it mental illness to believe in God? Was Aristotle mentally ill. Are the billions of believers in God throughout the world today delusional, paranoid, and schizophrenic?

There is an old saying that those who believe everyone else is insane but them, is a good sign that they are insane.

Religion is an innate part of man’s nature that draws him to his Creator for whom he was made. And so, in the beginning man looked to a God and sought Him in man’s needs and necessities.

The one true religion is not man made; it was created by God when he gave man an intellect and the gift of reason. Out His love, God came down and created man to his image and likeness and man was made so as to love freely the Beloved who is God.

Since man is made to the image and likeness of God, namely, made immortal and spiritual, man is naturally drawn to the love of his neighbor through a vicarious love for God.

However, through the sin of Adam, sin, suffering, and death entered into the world and God promised to send a Redeemer to redeem man from this offense against God.

Since it was God who was sinned against, man could not make reparation because man had nothing to give to God. Hence, since God loved man so much, that man return to the arms of God, who Created man, God sent His only Son who died as a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind in order that the gates of Heaven would be open.

Jesus, instituted a Universal, a.k.a. Catholic, Church, on Earth to guide man to eternal happiness with God in Heaven. Moreover, He gave His Church infallibility in its teachings and beliefs so that man could rest in its certitude. Since God is All-Omniscient, He cannot be contradictory. Therefore, all other religions that deviate from the One Universal Church are instituted by man. Consequently, they are not God's one true religion.

There are some 26,000 different denominations of religions in the world. They either contradict each other in part or in whole. Only one can be the one true church. That One is the One founded by Jesus, that is One in its beliefs and doctrines set down by Christ, and therefore unchangeable by mankind. It is the Church that has the unbroken authority given to the apostles, and is Universal joined by all who are baptized in the name of Jesus.

Moreover, eternal salvation can only be attained through the Catholic or Universal Church that holds the keys to Heaven. This means man cannot enter into Heaven unless the sin of Adam is removed through Baptism ("Baptism is the external ablution of the body, performed with the prescribed form of words."). All baptized people of all religions (if it is done properly) receive the removal of Original Sin through Christ's Church since it is a Universal Church for all humanity.

There are three ways to be baptized; one is by water, one by desire, and the third is by blood. They are fully explained in the link below.

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02258b.htm

This does not mean those who practice other religions are damned. It means that those who practice other religions, who sincerely seek to love God with all their hearts, minds, and souls, but do not have the gift of faith can enter into Paradise by their sincere desire to do God’s will.

It is also true, that those who do not know God by refusing to seek Him, or by omission or through their own volition, refuse to seek and acknowledge the Truth, will not be saved. All men have a moral obligation to endeavor sincerly seek the truth to the best of their ability, or they cannot be saved. God will not hold back the truth from anyone who sincerely seeks him.

Of course religion is man-made as al the 'holy' book are clearly written by people, no matter how mystical the content. The notion that they the books are inspired by a god does not hold up, mental illness was not widely understood back then.

All possible kind of questions asked by non Muslims about Islam answered on below web sites:

ALL MISCONCEPTIONS AND FALSE MEANINGS ARE ANSWERED:

1-www.irf.net/irf/faqonislam/index.htm (on this site you will get all answers about Islam, CHRISTIANITY, JESUS, JUDAISM , ETHEISIM, HINDUISM and all other religions).
2-www.islamalways.com/
3-www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/quran/
4-www.jamaat.net/deedat.htm
5-www.islamtomorrow.com/yusuf.asp
6-www.justaskislam.com/index.php
7-www.witness-pioneer.org/vil/Books/Q_LP/ (The Lawful and Prohibited in Islam)

God is alive and well but man-made religions are dead or dieing. All religions, no exceptions, were started by people for people based on belief, faith, and hope at best, lies and deceptions at worst. Truth has proof, belief does not is why belief is called belief. BELIEF can not change truth but TRUTH can change belief. TRUTH is the only right answer to ALL questions. God is truth with proof, religion is belief without truth-proof.

Humans rate themselves on the basis of their associations. We all want to believe that we're part of the best group, whether it's family, nationality, religion or species. It's all entirely subjective and impossible to prove. Invoking the "almighty" seems to be a prelude to and a justification for the use of force to resolve the argument over who's best. (Insert Bronx cheer here.)

My religion to me is very personal and is at the centre of my life. I can not imagine what it would be like without it. It gives me a sense of happiness,a deeply satisfying happiness that the world cannot offer.I believe that all men should have the right to worship whom and what they may as long as it doesn't oppose on others.A man's religion can be based on a belief that God does not exist but we all believe in something.So let us please examine the good in the differing religions and not waste our time criticising.

regards,
sb

If someone had not indoctrinated you or given you the book you readily quote, you would not have "god." Every religion is comprised of a woven tapestry of all of the mythology, politics, and superstitions of its time. Historically, literally. You can trace the pieces of each to the prevalent myths and needs at the time. No refrigeration? Kosher laws. Don't waste 'seed'? Mortality rates. Give unto Caesar? Needed tax money. They are instruction manuals written by humans, used often to coerce, to give meaning, to explain. They're fairytales.

I never understand why that point is missed on so many. I have heard the argument that it is "proof" that so many experience the same sensory perceptions relating to religion. That's not interesting. We are all human, and our bodies and brains have a limited range of experience and perception; we can only see a certain spectrum of colors and hear a certain spectrum of noise. The "light at the end of the tunnel" is a perfect example.

I believe religion is a fear of being insignificant, a need to belong, a desperation to feel there is order and a point to everything, or just as a tool to get people to fall in line. To quote the Dread Pirate Roberts, "get used to disappoinment."

Is religion manmade? Just read these posts and you will come to the conclusion that the people who are religious are completely insane. If there were a god, would he allow so many of his people to make such fools of themselves?

Religion is man-made, which is why we have over 2,000 of them, not even counting the old ones that went away. Someone here said god is not man-made, but again, we have thousands of "gods." Which one is not man-made? Why? What makes whichever one you pick better than the other 1,999 gods? How did you reach that conclusion? It can't be faith, because everyone has their own faith and they're all different. Heck even Christianity has between 300 and 30,000 DENOMINATIONS, for crying out loud. Even people in the same religion can't decide what to believe. Why? Because it's all made up. Nobody can prove a dang thing in religion. You don't have to "believe" in gravity to avoid the edge of a cliff. You don't have to "believe" in fire to avoid being doused in gas and lit up. Gravity and fire are real things, though the scientific theories around them may change from time to time, the theories are good enough to be called fact. Why? Because ANYONE can verify them. With religion, only certain, selected people can tell you what to think, or people that quote from some sacred text.

And finally, someone said why don't we all just pick a religion and be happy? Because religion (or psychotic anti-religion like communism) is the primary reason humans kill each other these days. It's time to grow up and drop religion willingly. Look to science not for some docrine but to define the world you live in. Find spirituality in the vastness of the universe, or within yourself and your loved ones, or people on the planet, or animals, or medicine, or whatever your thing is. But drop the religion. It makes no sense at all, it's holding back the human race, and it could very well be our ultimate demise, because it hinders our ability to understand the technologies we're creating at exponential rates, technologies that far outweigh and outpace our ability to control them.

Read Bloom and Rosenthal's The Book of J.

Bloom makes a case for the author of Genesis, Exodus and Numbers (known by scholars as J or the Jahwist) being a highborn Jewish woman who survived the Solomonic Enlightenment and whose Yahweh is, therefore, a fictional character with an all-too-human personality, much of which got tossed out by later moralistic, bureaucratic priests. Kind of wonderful, more than kind of ironic, that the Jews, the Christians and the Moslems all worship a literary figure.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeZB2EsPqGE&feature=related

Religion is what man does to be closer to God.
Relationship is why God came to earth, to restore a relationship the was lost.
That why I don't believe in religion but a relationship with God through his Son
"Jesus".

Is religion man-made? Well, is math man-made, or would it exist even if there were no humans to codify it? Not exactly a one-to-one fit with most religions, which are not based on universals, but take for example, classical Deism, or more modern PanDeism, both religious positions which try to discern the religious undercarriage of the Universe from those principles we know to be true mathematically and logically, and the information that we have attained about our world through science. Deism and PanDeism flow with science instead of against it, and are much closer to mathematics, and so are universal even absent man making them up.

Is religion man-made? Well, is math man-made, or would it exist even if there were no humans to codify it? Not exactly a one-to-one fit with most religions, which are not based on universals, but take for example, classical Deism, or more modern PanDeism, both religious positions which try to discern the religious undercarriage of the Universe from those principles we know to be true mathematically and logically, and the information that we have attained about our world through science. Deism and PanDeism flow with science instead of against it, and are much closer to mathematics, and so are universal even absent man making them up.

Is religion man-made? Well, is math man-made, or would it exist even if there were no humans to codify it? Not exactly a one-to-one fit with most religions, which are not based on universals, but take for example, classical Deism, or more modern PanDeism, both religious positions which try to discern the religious undercarriage of the Universe from those principles we know to be true mathematically and logically, and the information that we have attained about our world through science. Deism and PanDeism flow with science instead of against it, and are much closer to mathematics, and so are universal even absent man making them up.

Is religion man-made? Well, is math man-made, or would it exist even if there were no humans to codify it? Not exactly a one-to-one fit with most religions, which are not based on universals, but take for example, classical Deism, or more modern PanDeism, both religious positions which try to discern the religious undercarriage of the Universe from those principles we know to be true mathematically and logically, and the information that we have attained about our world through science. Deism and PanDeism flow with science instead of against it, and are much closer to mathematics, and so are universal even absent man making them up.

Sigmund knew:

Man made God because he needed to project a big Daddy in the sky to make him feel secure and alleviate his nerosis in regard to everyday life.

Of course man made God.

God can be no other than a figment of man's imagination.

Possibly there is some force that spurns creative activity and has brought about our evolution, but to call this force God is hideously anthropomorphizing the situation.

Just think about it. Please!

If the willingness to die for a religion makes that religion real, then how do you explain this? Buddhist monks burned themselves to death during the Viet Nam war. A feminist set herself on fire to protest pornography in a downtown Mpls bookstore back in the '80s. Kamikazes. Muslim Martyrs. That American pilot who flew his plane into a Japanese cruiser at the battle of Midway. If there is only one true religion then how do you explain the variety of beliefs that people are willing to die for?
I've had this debate before. A devout Christian once observed that if no one believed in God, he wouldn't exist. He made my point for me. Depth of belief is no indicator of truth.

All possible kind of questions asked by non muslims about Islam answered on below web site:
http://www.irf.net/irf/faqonislam/index.htm

Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims

POLYGAMY

Question:

Why is a man allowed to have more than one wife in Islam? i.e. why is polygamy allowed in Islam?

Answer:

Definition of Polygamy

1. Polygamy means a system of marriage whereby one person has more than one spouse. Polygamy can be of two types. One is polygyny where a man marries more than one woman, and the other is polyandry, where a woman marries more than one man. In Islam, limited polygyny is permitted; whereas polyandry is completely prohibited.

Now coming to the original question, why is a man allowed to have more than one wife?

2. The Qur’an is the only religious scripture in the world that says,"marry only one".

The Qur’an is the only religious book, on the face of this earth, that contains the phrase ‘marry only one’. There is no other religious book that instructs men to have only one wife. In none of the other religious scriptures, whether it be the Vedas, the Ramayan, the Mahabharat, the Geeta, the Talmud or the Bible does one find a restriction on the number of wives. According to these scriptures one can marry as many as one wishes. It was only later, that the Hindu priests and the Christian Church restricted the number of wives to one.

Many Hindu religious personalities, according to their scriptures, had multiple wives. King Dashrat, the father of Rama, had more than one wife. Krishna had several wives.

In earlier times, Christian men were permitted as many wives as they wished, since the Bible puts no restriction on the number of wives. It was only a few centuries ago that the Church restricted the number of wives to one.

Polygyny is permitted in Judaism. According to Talmudic law, Abraham had three wives, and Solomon had hundreds of wives. The practice of polygyny continued till Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah (95% C.E to 1030 C.E) issued an edict against it. The Jewish Sephardic communities living in Muslim countries continued the practice till as late as 1950, until an Act of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel extended the ban on marrying more than one wife.

3. Hindus are more polygynous than Muslims

The report of the ‘Committee of The Status of Woman in Islam’, published in 1975 mentions on page numbers 66 and 67 that the percentage of polygamous marriages between the years 1951 and 1961 was 5.06% among the Hindus and only 4.31% among the Muslims. According to Indian law only Muslim men are permitted to have more than one wife. It is illegal for any non-Muslim in India to have more than one wife. Despite it being illegal, Hindus have more multiple wives as compared to Muslims. Earlier, there was no restriction even on Hindu men with respect to the number of wives allowed. It was only in 1954, when the Hindu Marriage Act was passed that it became illegal for a Hindu to have more than one wife. At present it is the Indian Law that restricts a Hindu man from having more than one wife and not the Hindu scriptures.

Let us now analyse why Islam allows a man to have more than one wife.

4. Qur’an permits limited polygyny

As I mentioned earlier, Qur’an is the only religious book on the face of the earth that says ‘marry only one’. The context of this phrase is the following verse from Surah Nisa of the Glorious Qur’an:

"Marry women of your choice, two, or three, or four; but if ye fear that ye shall not be able to deal justly (with them), then only one."

[Al-Qur’an 4:3]

Before the Qur’an was revealed, there was no upper limit for polygyny and many men had scores of wives, some even hundreds. Islam put an upper limit of four wives. Islam gives a man permission to marry two, three or four women, only on the condition that he deals justly with them.

In the same chapter i.e. Surah Nisa verse 129 says:

"Ye are never able to be fair and just as between women...."

[Al-Qur’an 4:129]

Therefore polygyny is not a rule but an exception. Many people are under the misconception that it is compulsory for a Muslim man to have more than one wife.

Broadly, Islam has five categories of Do’s and Don’ts:

‘Fard’ i.e. compulsory or obligatory

‘Mustahab’ i.e. recommended or encouraged

‘Mubah’ i.e. permissible or allowed

‘Makruh’ i.e. not recommended or discouraged

‘Haraam’ i.e. prohibited or forbidden

Polygyny falls in the middle category of things that are permissible. It cannot be said that a Muslim who has two, three or four wives is a better Muslim as compared to a Muslim who has only one wife.

5. Average life span of females is more than that of males

By nature males and females are born in approximately the same ratio. A female child has more immunity than a male child. A female child can fight the germs and diseases better than the male child. For this reason, during the pediatric age itself there are more deaths among males as compared to the females.

During wars, there are more men killed as compared to women. More men die due to accidents and diseases than women. The average life span of females is more than that of males, and at any given time one finds more widows in the world than widowers.

6. India has more male population than female due to female foeticide and infanticide

India is one of the few countries, along with the other neighbouring countries, in which the female population is less than the male population. The reason lies in the high rate of female infanticide in India, and the fact that more than one million female foetuses are aborted every year in this country, after they are identified as females. If this evil practice is stopped, then India too will have more females as compared to males.

7. World female population is more than male population

In the USA, women outnumber men by 7.8 million. New York alone has one million more females as compared to the number of males, and of the male population of New York one-third are gays i.e sodomites. The U.S.A as a whole has more than twenty-five million gays. This means that these people do not wish to marry women. Great Britain has four million more females as compared to males. Germany has five million more females as compared to males. Russia has nine million more females than males. God alone knows how many million more females there are in the whole world as compared to males.

8. Restricting each and every man to have only one wife is not practical

Even if every man got married to one woman, there would still be more than thirty million females in U.S.A who would not be able to get husbands (considering that America has twenty five million gays). There would be more than four million females in Great Britain, 5 million females in Germany and nine million females in Russia alone who would not be able to find a husband.

Suppose my sister happens to be one of the unmarried women living in USA, or suppose your sister happens to be one of the unmarried women in USA. The only two options remaining for her are that she either marries a man who already has a wife or becomes public property. There is no other option. All those who are modest will opt for the first.

In Western society, it is common for a man to have mistresses and/or multiple extra-marital affairs, in which case, the woman leads a disgraceful, unprotected life. The same society, however, cannot accept a man having more than one wife, in which women retain their honourable, dignified position in society and lead a protected life.

Thus the only two options before a woman who cannot find a husband is to marry a married man or to become public property. Islam prefers giving women the honourable position by permitting the first option and disallowing the second.

There are several other reasons, why Islam has permitted limited polygyny, but it is mainly to protect the modesty of women and men.

Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims

MUSLIMS ARE FUNDAMENTALISTS AND TERRORISTS

Question:

Why are most of the Muslims fundamentalists and terrorists?

Answer:

This question is often hurled at Muslims, either directly or indirectly, during any discussion on religion or world affairs. Muslim stereotypes are perpetuated in every form of the media accompanied by gross misinformation about Islam and Muslims. In fact, such misinformation and false propaganda often leads to discrimination and acts of violence against Muslims. A case in point is the anti-Muslim campaign in the American media following the Oklahoma bomb blast, where the press was quick to declare a ‘Middle Eastern conspiracy’ behind the attack. The culprit was later identified as a soldier from the American Armed Forces.

Let us analyze this allegation of ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘terrorism’:

1. Definition of the word ‘fundamentalist’

A fundamentalist is a person who follows and adheres to the fundamentals of the doctrine or theory he is following. For a person to be a good doctor, he should know, follow, and practise the fundamentals of medicine. In other words, he should be a fundamentalist in the field of medicine. For a person to be a good mathematician, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of mathematics. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of mathematics. For a person to be a good scientist, he should know, follow and practise the fundamentals of science. He should be a fundamentalist in the field of science.

2. Not all ‘fundamentalists’ are the same

One cannot paint all fundamentalists with the same brush. One cannot categorize all fundamentalists as either good or bad. Such a categorization of any fund amentalist will depend upon the field or activity in which he is a fundamentalist. A fundamentalist robber or thief causes harm to society and is therefore undesirable. A fundamentalist doctor, on the other hand, benefits society and earns much respect.

3. I am proud to be a Muslim fundamentalist

I am a fundamentalist Muslim who, by the grace of Allah, knows, follows and strives to practise the fundamentals of Islam. A true Muslim does not shy away from being a fundamentalist. I am proud to be a fundamentalist Muslim because, I know that the fundamentals of Islam are beneficial to humanity and the whole world. There is not a single fundamental of Islam that causes harm or is against the interests of the human race as a whole. Many people harbour misconceptions about Islam and consider several teachings of Islam to be unfair or improper. This is due to insufficient and incorrect knowledge of Islam. If one critically analyzes the teachings of Islam with an open mind, one cannot escape the fact that Islam is full of benefits both at the individual and collective levels.

4. Dictionary meaning of the word ‘fundamentalist’

According to Webster’s dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ was a movement in American Protestanism that arose in the earlier part of the 20th century. It was a reaction to modernism, and stressed the infallibility of the Bible, not only in matters of faith and morals but also as a literal historical record. It stressed on belief in the Bible as the literal word of God. Thus fundamentalism was a word initially used for a group of Christians who believed that the Bible was the verbatim word of God without any errors and mistakes.

According to the Oxford dictionary ‘fundamentalism’ means ‘strict maintenance of ancient or fundamental doctrines of any religion, especially Islam’.

Today the moment a person uses the word fundamentalist he thinks of a Muslim who is a terrorist.

5. Every Muslim should be a terrorist

Every Muslim should be a terrorist. A terrorist is a person who causes terror. The moment a robber sees a policeman he is terrified. A policeman is a terrorist for the robber. Similarly every Muslim should be a terrorist for the antisocial elements of society, such as thieves, dacoits and rapists. Whenever such an anti-social element sees a Muslim, he should be terrified. It is true that the word ‘terrorist’ is generally used for a person who causes terror among the common people. But a true Muslim should only be a terrorist to selective people i.e. anti-social elements, and not to the common innocent people. In fact a Muslim should be a source of peace for innocent people.

6. Different labels given to the same individual for the same action, i.e. ‘terrorist’ and ‘patriot’

Before India achieved independence from British rule, some freedom fighters of India who did not subscribe to non-violence were labeled as terrorists by the British government. The same individuals have been lauded by Indians for the same activities and hailed as ‘patriots’. Thus two different labels have been given to the same people for the same set of actions. One is calling him a terrorist while the other is calling him a patriot. Those who believed that Britain had a right to rule over India called these people terrorists, while those who were of the view that Britain had no right to rule India called them patriots and freedom fighters.

It is therefore important that before a person is judged, he is given a fair hearing. Both sides of the argument should be heard, the situation should be analyzed, and the reason and the intention of the person should be taken into account, and then the person can be judged accordingly.

7. Islam means peace

Islam is derived from the word ‘salaam’ which means peace. It is a religion of peace whose fundamentals teach its followers to maintain and promote peace throughout the world.

Thus every Muslim should be a fundamentalist i.e. he should follow the fundamentals of the Religion of Peace: Islam. He should be a terrorist only towards the antisocial elements in order to promote peace and justice in the society.

All possible kind of questions asked by non muslims about Islam answered on below web site:
http://www.irf.net/irf/faqonislam/index.htm

Most Common Questions asked by Non-Muslims

HIJAAB FOR WOMEN

Question:

Why does Islam degrade women by keeping them behind the veil?

Answer:

The status of women in Islam is often the target of attacks in the secular media. The ‘hijaab’ or the Islamic dress is cited by many as an example of the ‘subjugation’ of women under Islamic law. Before we analyze the reasoning behind the religiously mandated ‘hijaab’, let us first study the status of women in societies before the advent of Islam

1. In the past women were degraded and used as objects of lust

The following examples from history amply illustrate the fact that the status of women in earlier civilizations was very low to the extent that they were denied basic human dignity:

Babylonian Civilization:
The women were degraded and were denied all rights under the Babylonian law. If a man murdered a woman, instead of him being punished, his wife was put to death.

Greek Civilization:
Greek Civilization is considered the most glorious of all ancient civilizations. Under this very ‘glorious’ system, women were deprived of all rights and were looked down upon. In Greek mythology, an ‘imaginary woman’ called ‘Pandora’ is the root cause of misfortune of human beings. The Greeks considered women to be subhuman and inferior to men. Though chastity of women was precious, and women were held in high esteem, the Greeks were later overwhelmed by ego and sexual perversions. Prostitution became a regular practice amongst all classes of Greek society.

Roman Civilization:
When Roman Civilization was at the zenith of its ‘glory’, a man even had the right to take the life of his wife. Prostitution and nudity were common amongst the Romans.

Egyptian Civilization:
The Egyptian considered women evil and as a sign of a devil.

Pre-Islamic Arabia:
Before Islam spread in Arabia, the Arabs looked down upon women and very often when a female child was born, she was buried alive.

2. Islam uplifted women and gave them equality and expects them to maintain their status.

Islam uplifted the status of women and granted them their just rights 1400 years ago. Islam expects women to maintain their status.

Hijaab for men

People usually only discuss ‘hijaab’ in the context of women. However, in the Glorious Qur’an, Allah (swt) first mentions ‘hijaab’ for men before ‘hijaab’ for the women. The Qur’an mentions in Surah Noor:

"Say to the believing men that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty: that will make for greater purity for them: and Allah is well acquainted with all that they do."
[Al-Qur’an 24:30]

The moment a man looks at a woman and if any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he should lower his gaze.

Hijaab for women.

The next verse of Surah Noor, says:

" And say to the believing women that they should lower their gaze and guard their modesty; that they should not display their beauty and ornaments except what (must ordinarily) appear thereof; that they should draw veils over their bosoms and not display their beauty except to their husbands, their fathers, their husbands’ fathers, their sons..."
[Al-Qur’an 24:31]

3. Six criteria for Hijaab.

According to Qur’an and Sunnah there are basically six criteria for observing hijaab:

Extent:

The first criterion is the extent of the body that should be covered. This is different for men and women. The extent of covering obligatory on the male is to cover the body at least from the navel to the knees. For women, the extent of covering obligatory is to cover the complete body except the face and the hands upto the wrist. If they wish to, they can cover even these parts of the body. Some scholars of Islam insist that the face and the hands are part of the obligatory extent of ‘hijaab’.

All the remaining five criteria are the same for men and women.

The clothes worn should be loose and should not reveal the figure.

The clothes worn should not be transparent such that one can see through them.

The clothes worn should not be so glamorous as to attract the opposite sex.

The clothes worn should not resemble that of the opposite sex.

The clothes worn should not resemble that of the unbelievers i.e. they should not wear clothes that are specifically identities or symbols of the unbelievers’ religions.

4. Hijaab includes conduct and behaviour among other things

Complete ‘hijaab’, besides the six criteria of clothing, also includes the moral conduct, behaviour, attitude and intention of the individual. A person only fulfilling the criteria of ‘hijaab’ of the clothes is observing ‘hijaab’ in a limited sense. ‘Hijaab’ of the clothes should be accompanied by ‘hijaab’ of the eyes, ‘hijaab’ of the heart, ‘hijaab’ of thought and ‘hijaab’ of intention. It also includes the way a person walks, the way a person talks, the way he behaves, etc.

5. Hijaab prevents molestation

The reason why Hijaab is prescribed for women is mentioned in the Qur’an in the following verses of Surah Al-Ahzab:

"O Prophet! Tell thy wives and daughters, and the believing women that they should cast their outer garments over their persons (when abroad); that is most convenient, that they should be known (as such) and not molested. And Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful."
[Al-Qur’an 33:59]

The Qur’an says that Hijaab has been prescribed for the women so that they are recognized as modest women and this will also prevent them from being molested.

6. Example of twin sisters

Suppose two sisters who are twins, and who are equally beautiful, walk down the street. One of them is attired in the Islamic hijaab i.e. the complete body is covered, except for the face and the hands up to the wrists. The other sister is wearing western clothes, a mini skirt or shorts. Just around the corner there is a hooligan or ruffian who is waiting for a catch, to tease a girl. Whom will he tease? The girl wearing the Islamic Hijaab or the girl wearing the skirt or the mini? Naturally he will tease the girl wearing the skirt or the mini. Such dresses are an indirect invitation to the opposite sex for teasing and molestation. The Qur’an rightly says that hijaab prevents women from being molested.

7. Capital punishment for the rapists

Under the Islamic shariah, a man convicted of having raped a woman, is given capital punishment. Many are astonished at this ‘harsh’ sentence. Some even say that Islam is a ruthless, barbaric religion! I have asked a simple question to hundreds of non-Muslim men. Suppose, God forbid, someone rapes your wife, your mother or your sister. You are made the judge and the rapist is brought in front of you. What punishment would you give him? All of them said they would put him to death. Some went to the extent of saying they would torture him to death. To them I ask, if someone rapes your wife or your mother you want to put him to death. But if the same crime is committed on somebody else’s wife or daughter you say capital punishment is barbaric. Why should there be double standards?

8. Western society falsely claims to have uplifted women

Western talk of women’s liberalization is nothing but a disguised form of exploitation of her body, degradation of her soul, and deprivation of her honour. Western society claims to have ‘uplifted’ women. On the contrary it has actually degraded them to the status of concubines, mistresses and society butterflies who are mere tools in the hands of pleasure seekers and sex marketeers, hidden behind the colourful screen of ‘art’ and ‘culture’.

9. USA has one of the highest rates of rape

United States of America is supposed to be one of the most advanced countries of the world. It also has one of the highest rates of rape in any country in the world. According to a FBI report, in the year 1990, every day on an average 1756 cases of rape were committed in U.S.A alone. Later another report said that on an average everyday 1900 cases of rapes are committed in USA. The year was not mentioned. May be it was 1992 or 1993. May be the Americans got ‘bolder’ in the following years.

Consider a scenario where the Islamic hijaab is followed in America. Whenever a man looks at a woman and any brazen or unashamed thought comes to his mind, he lowers his gaze. Every woman wears the Islamic hijaab, that is the complete body is covered except the face and the hands upto the wrist. After this if any man commits rape he is given capital punishment. I ask you, in such a scenario, will the rate of rape in America increase, will it remain the same, or will it decrease?

10. Implementation of Islamic Shariah will reduce the rate of rapes

Naturally as soon as Islamic Shariah is implemented positive results will be inevitable. If Islamic Shariah is implemented in any part of the world, whether it is America or Europe, society will breathe easier. Hijaab does not degrade a woman but uplifts a woman and protects her modesty and chastity.

Various arguments are made in favor of a god that runs the universe. Extraordinary claims require very strong proof. Belief is not enough; nearly all American kids believe wholeheartedly in Santa Claus for several years of their lives. People used to believe that witches cast spells, that evil spirits caused disease, and that everything revolved around the earth.

There is absolutely nothing that proves the existence of a god or of gods. At least one author of a comment stated that the fact that people were willing to die for Christ shows that Christianity is true. Suicide bombers die just as willingly for their version of the Muslim religion. Does that make that particular religion correct? If so, Christianity must not be.

Religion posits intervention by a god, an intervention that goes outside the natural laws that already exist. To say that the occurrence of things we cannot explain proves that some god must have made them happen is absurd. The Bible teaches that human beings are the ultimate life form in this universe. This argument means that the most important reason for this universe’s existence, humanity, was not created until 13.7 billion years after the universe began. That makes no sense.

Modern man has been around for 100 thousand years out of 13.7 billion. The intelligence some call God must have made a strategic error. Why would any god create a gigantic universe for one species on one small planet, knowing that this species would not come into existence in his marvelous creation for many billions of years? The usual answer for questions about God is that humans just cannot be expected to read the mind of God. That is simply an evasion.

Another comment said that the order of the universe indicates a god. The universe is actually in a sea of disorder. The universe is constantly tending toward chaos and eventually reaches that state. When we die, our bodies decompose. Moons either crash into their planets or leave orbit over long periods of time. Stars burn out and either obliterate their planets or leave them as frozen wastelands. The universe itself has been on a path of ultimate destruction for the past 5 billion years. Its accelerating expansion will result in a cold, dead universe hundreds of billions of years in the future.

As a famous person once said, the universe does not care about you.

IN REPLY TO (IRT)
RICK TAFT :
"The desire to be revered is a human trait. Narcissists demand reverence. Brown nosers are happy to oblige. That is the root of religion."

ANS:
The desire to be revered and narcissism are remnants of Adam’s fall from the Garden of Eden; it’s called Pride. It is not a natural trait, but a faux pas of humility. If it were a natural trait, pride would be a virtue; unfortunately, it is a vice.

Sorry, but brown nosing, or a desire to be revered, or narcissism are not the root of religion; God is. How else can you explain a martyr who dies rather than offend God. How else can you explain Christians who remain faithful even in view of their persecution. They even lived in catacombs. They had to live under cover for fear of death. They were willing to die for their faith rather then to offend God and please man.

Man is imbued with a desire for the Good, the Eternal Happiness, who is God. The supplications of the intellect are Truth; God is All Truth. Thus, St. Augustine wrote, “Oh God, our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

There is fervor and a longing for complete contentment. Man has a natural aspiration for peace of mind, a hunger for a perfect love, and an innate passion for the Eternal Love who is God, and the final purpose of human life.

Man has rapacious love for God. This love is a God who is All Love. Religion is the passion to please the Beloved. Religion is a compass for man’s journey to his final destination eternal bliss, joy, and happiness. Nothing in the world can satisfy this desire for the perfect love but God.

Religion is not caused by vanity, or any of the wiles earth can offer; vanities and wiles dissipate and fade away in time. Man has a rapacious hunger to be with God for which he’s been created. God gives a woman a child that she might return him to God through her covenant in marriage.

The error of many is in their passion for God’s love, they find a false love, and a false God. Because of their pride, they become their own God, and refuse God’s graces He gives man to guide and sanctify man. When man attempts to seek eternal happiness on his own, without the help of God, he always ends in failure.

In Victor Hugo’s “Les Miserables,” the two protagonists of the novel were Jean Valjean, and Javert, the police inspector. Valjean put his trust in God; the inspector put his trust in the Law. The law failed Javert and he was hoisted on his own petard. He put his trust in man instead of God, and man visibly failed him.

IRT
"Frankly, the idea that an "intelligent designer" created the universe is beyond belief."

ANS:
The intelligent designer is beyond whose belief, that of the irrationalist? Is there no order in the Universe? It is self-evident that order, by necessity, presupposes intelligence, or a rational being. On the other hand, chaos presupposes a lack of intelligence. Since the world is ordered to the Natural Law, there must be a giver of law. That intelligence is whom we call the Intelligent Designer or God.

CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY
by Dr. Zakir Naik

I
Position of Jesus (pbuh) in Islam:

(i)
Islam is the only non-Christian faith, which makes it an article of faith to believe in Jesus (pbuh). No Muslim is a Muslim if he does not believe in Jesus (pbuh).

(ii)
We believe that he was one of the mightiest Messengers of Allah (swt).

(iii)
We believe that he was born miraculously, without any male intervention, which many modern day Christians do not believe.

(iv)
We believe he was the Messiah translated Christ (pbuh).


(v)
We believe that he gave life to the dead with God’s permission.

(iv)
We believe that he healed those born blind, and the lepers with God’s permission.

II
CONCEPT OF GOD IN CHRISTIANITY:

1.
Jesus Christ (pbuh) never claimed Divinity

One may ask, if both Muslims and Christians love and respect Jesus (pbuh), where exactly is the parting of ways? The ma