[Faith-Talk] Thank you, Mustafa

[BRUCE&JOY BRESLAUER]

Mustafa,

Well, this is one of the most intelligent and cogent messages I have ever read 
from you.  You seem like a very well educated person with very strong 
convictions.

I don't think debating religious beliefs is what this list is for.  I know 
sometimes we have done it, myself included, but that's off topic in my 
understanding of the purpose of this list.  So even though we have done it at 
times, we try to keep it down to a dull roar.  Or at least I do.  Probably not 
in this message, though.

Debating religious beliefs has probably gone on forever.  Some people have been 
killed because of their religious beliefs.  Wars have been fought.  Kingdoms 
have been built and destroyed.  Attempts have been made to annihilate certain 
groups of people from the face of the earth.  The motivation for entering into 
a debate is crucial to the outcome.  Is it to learn something you didn't know 
before, or to prove that the other person's beliefs are incorrect and why.

Regardless of the merits of debating religious beliefs, that is probably 
something best done elsewhere, especially if it turns into a long or 
argumentative process.  Not everyone is interested, and as I said, I don't 
think that is what this particular list is for.

I am glad to hear that you do not have problems getting to and from your 
worship space, and that others around you don't mind helping you.  That is 
something many of us would like to experience.  I also think it is wonderful 
that you have access to the Koran, in both Arabic and English, no less.  Just 
think of how many people do not or have not had access to the writings of their 
particular faith that they can read in their own language, either because the 
information is not available or because the powers that be think it is so 
sacred that it cannot be read or understood correctly by the average 
individual.  Also, that is a good way to retain power over others.  What a 
wonderful invention was the printing press, and after that, the Braille 
printer, and organizations that have made the Koran and the Bible available in 
Braille for the average person to read and study on their own or in study 
groups and universities.

Your opinions about Ali Sina or Trump or any other person or group of people 
are not appropriate for this list.  Most of us probably had no idea who you 
were talking about, and why you were posting it to this list.  However, I will 
say thank you for at least letting us know who this Ali Sina person is, and 
where to go if we are interested in what he has to say.  I absolutely agree 
with you that if you want to learn about a faith, or anything else for that 
matter, you should go straight to the source rather than listening to other 
people's opinions or ideas about the matter.

Some people consider themselves very well educated in a particular faith, and 
they may be, but as they study and learn more, they may stray ever so 
imperceptibly at first, and over time end up causing a disaster for themselves 
or others.  I am thinking of people like Jim Jones or David Koresh, and other 
cult leaders.  Even within a particular faith, there is enough variation that 
one denomination of Christianity disagrees with another denomination of 
Christianity, for example, sometimes to the point where one group will 
determine in their own minds that the other group is not truly Christian.  I'm 
sure the same thing happens in other religious communities.  So we would all do 
well to use our God-given spiritual discernment and seek the truth where it may 
be found.  If I worked at a bank and were around real money all the time, it 
would be easier for me to spot counterfeit money because of my familiarity with 
the real thing.

   Back to lurk mode.  Thank you again for writing and explaining where you 
live and how you came to Islam.

God's continued blessings to you and your wife.  Joy