[Faith-talk] Religion in moderation.

[Mostafa]

        Dear all, upon you be peace and blessings.

On today’s post, I would like to address the subject of the religion, and the way it reflects on our everyday lives.

Many people today, in either in eastern or western countries, they find religion very annoying.

They think it is quite extreme to be religious. For them, religion is the source of retarded in intellectual development.

It is the main cause of backwardness, they say.

They constantly refer to the west as a vivid instance of modernity, whilst emphasizing the fact, that religion therein hasn’t been a major lifestyle.

There are many people who chose to perfectly deviate from the panel of faith, claiming that it is nonsensical to follow an organized religion.

      For them, religion is the sickest system which causes asperities in this world.

Well, before we investigate this broad phenomenon of religion abandonment, we first need to ask the question, what does the word religion mean?

I have looked the word up in three major academic dictionaries, and I actually wasn’t satisfied with the definitions given there.

  They all are somehow centered around the embracement of a particular faith.

Or, the adherence of a system of belief.

Well, that somehow sounds inaccurate, and quite imperfect for me.

I may need to redefine the word religion.

I will include my Islamic perspective in defining the word religion.

  In basic terms,religion is a lifestyle.

That’s it?

Yes, that’s it in a not  shall. Easy enough.

I don’t need to stress on academic complications for just now.

Religion is the ritual ruling system which you implement on your daily life.

Of course, it involves core beliefs and major spiritual factors but, that has nothing to do with communicating with others, as long as you don’t put them in significant practice.

Islam is a complete system of beliefs implemented by practice.

Someone can’t claim he is a true Muslim, whilst he doesn’t follow what he chose to believe in, or at least, he trys to.

Some people like to fool themselves by following the dilusion of religion based on redemption.

Well in Islam, someone wouldn’t be saved, unless he believes in the oneness of God, and proves his faith with acts, with good deeds.

Faith without righteous deeds is insufficient, and righteous deeds based on no faith are insufficient.

Islam demands both of them simultaneously.

Islam condemns the worship which doesn’t stand on moral values and duties.

Islam is critical of hypocrisy.

The sound foundation of objective moral duties is the moderate practice of religion, as defined in the section above.

Islam grounds objective morality and spirituality altogether.

Islam systemizes the society, and it organizes the relationship between one another, essentially on strongly firmed ethical landscape.

  But, what about if that doesn’t count for those who happened to inhabit the west.

For many of westerns, and particularly, those who identified themselves as Atheists or Ignostics, morality is a biological concern.

It depends on how he desires to behave.

If following a moral value fits in his interest to reach a particular purpose, he would do so for just that.

Well, for instance, if someone lies or cheats, he would probably lose his job, so he tend not to lie, to keep his job.

In another occasion, it might be applicable for him to lie, so he lies, as for politicians, for instance.

  What is forbidden and obligatory is now determined by parental conditioning.

If this act would serve my purpose, I will pretend to be for the time being.

For many people nowadays, right and wrong have been rearranged for innovating new foundation of ethical principles, which is based on private interest.

People are detached of religion because, they chose to substitute the common religion with another religion that pleases them.

They constituted its parameters  and preferences according to their own desires and self-objectivity.

As we just defined the religion, it is the lifestyle of someone.

Well, someone chose to follow his desire and what pleases him, that’s what he worships, he submits to that, he obeys his desire of drinking, dating illicitly, and so forth.

     I am not judgmental of them. I am just reporting a case.

I would like to ask those who chose to follow that lifestyle, are you satisfied?

You constantly claim that religion is the cause of misery.


How about the life you chose to live?


  Is it filled with flowered gardens and prosperity?

Are you satisfied with the way your life operates? In spite of our beliefs, everyone of us has some joys and some tragedies shaping his life.

Religion is involved in someone’s life, even if he denys it does.

For those who chose  not to believe in God, I would like to ask them; how they possibly would explain the perfect construction of this universe?

Have this perfectly sustainable orbit come together by chance?

Could this milkyway run by its own?

How all of these numerous galaxies are circling around in a perfect harmony without a Creator?

Could that be logically possible my friends?

Well, it seems to me, that the denial of God has much to do with philosophical motivations and legendary development.

So, for instance, someone who sells Marijuana, will strive to convince you, that Marijuana  is actually a medicine.

He will argue for Marijuana, whilst he recognizes that it is merely a poisonous crop, smoked or chewed for essentially euphoric effect.

      I knew, that some people are somehow convinced of what is irregularly classified as medical Marijuana. But I am afraid, that’s not my cup of tea.

   Similarly, the one who tend to decline the believe in God is mentally motivated.

He likes to follow the way of life that gratifys his desire.

But that doesn’t mean that we as devout religious people should stay away from them.

To the contrary, we are expected to treat them decently and leniently.

We may criticize them constructively but, we are not ought to assault them.

I have many friends who identify themselves as godly, and another friends who like to consider themselves as godless.
Each one I’m ought to deal with nicely and respectfully, without involving any mental gymnastics.

We may converse on intercultural basis, whilst expecting to agree and disagree.

But, I just would like to convey this sentimental statement to my godless friends.

The adherence of religious beliefs is not the cause of the troubles you often see in the world.

The problem would rather be with the radical apprehension of religion, whilst forcefully imposing its principles on uninterested individuals.

This is the eminent threat, which we all  ought to firmly stand against.

Religion is vagrantly taught by inadequate theologians across the glob.

Before we engage in interfaith dialogs with godless people, we must research the barriers and the longstanding gaps between us, whilst attempting to intelligently fulfill them.

   That will never be achieved, unless we listen to each other standpoints with open-mindedness.

Let the religious tolerance be acted, rather than being just spoken.

This is what I mean by entitling this message as religion in moderation.

Moderation in everything.

Conveying concepts, preaching in respect, appreciating other opinions, seeking for common grounds, creating counterbalance thoughtful engagements, whilst intending to live in harmonious coexistence with each other.

I constantly ask my Muslim audience, to regularly put this Koranic verse before their eyes.

“Oh ye mankind, we indeed have created thee from a male and a female, and we made thee into nations and tribes, so that thou can recognize each other. Indeed, the most precious of ye in the side of Allah, is the one,  who is the most pious. Indeed, Allah is All Omniscient, All Aware”.

This brilliant verse, has clearly stated the origin of the Muslim, and the non-Muslim relation.



Initially, it establishes the fact, that we as human beings, were all created from a male, and a female.

This is a factual information, which all human beings will definitely agree with.

At its provenience, we all are descending from Adam and Eve. This is a denotative fact, which no one can even argue with.

Afterwards, the Koran states another explicit fact, and that we all were made into nations and tribes.

Why?

Why we were made into nations and tribes?

To oppose each other?

To assault each other?

To invade each other lands?

No, The Koran has actually summoned the cause, and that is; to know each other.



How about implementing the social faculty which this verse has suggested?



And that’s to know each other.



I am really proud that such a verse is in the Koran. It has to be the humanrights official slogan.



Well, that is what I have got for the time being.



I hope you enjoyed reading today’s post.



I am inclined to hear from you.



Please, feel free to either agree, or disagree.



Upon you be peace and blessings.



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