Lorne,
Being a Jewish-Christian (a very small minority), I follow what I believe to be true, not what I was born with. My Jewishness is by blood, and by what I feel to be the true tenants of Judiasm (most of modern day Judiasm is man made, and not true Judiasm). Most Jews would not consider me a Jew because of my Christian belief (and not believing in a lot of modern day Jewish traditions and man made tenants). But I believe in Christianity, because I studied it deeply and found it to be true. I also studied many other religions and beliefs, and found them not to be true. And I still study different religions and beliefs today.
Why one must ask why, if I know my belief to be true, why continue to study others? And the answer is, (and why I have been studying Islam for a long while), is so I am able to understand other beliefs and religions, other to my own, so I can speak to others intelligently and with some sort of education behind me. I am what you call a Christian apologetic. (apologetics: 1 : systematic argumentative discourse in defense (as of a doctrine); 2 : a branch of theology devoted to the defense of the divine origin and authority of Christianity). To defend Christianity with non-Christians, you must understand what the non-Christian believes to better relate to others, and defend Christianty. Many times it is done by comparision of different faiths to Christianity.
I must tell you, I do not believe in ANY religion. To me, all religions are man-made and a mass form of controlling people. I believe there is no true religion. I believe in one true belief. And that true belief can contain any one from any religion. And the religion I mean is one of the blood, what religion you are born in to. For example, I am Jewish by blood, but do not practice mainstream Judiasm. I am a Christian by belief.
The reason I currently study Islam so closely, and know a lot about it, is that is where the dire need is right now. This is the group that needs to be spoken to now, for some of the reasons you have spoken about.
(And the reason I did go sort of off topic here was to honestly explain to you and others my motives and where I come from. I apologize to those who read this and did not care.)
Hope that clarifies my study of Islam to you. On this thread, I am here not to defend Christianity. I am here to study Islam, for everyone to truly understand it. As I invited others on this thread, if any one is ever interested in the Christian side of things, I will private message or discuss it with them on another thread. This thread is for Understanding Islam only.
God Bless,
IGIT |
