Personal beliefs and disregard for others

Society Religion & Philosophy
1

I need some advice from all participants in this forum, so feel free. :slight_smile:

We all hold many beliefs about various religious issues. Many of our opinions are formed based on these beliefs. And, unfortunately many of these beliefs/opinions, go contrary to the beliefs of other people, and vice versa.

If we present our views with no regard to how these may enrage people of other beliefs, what kind of forum will this become? Won’t we end up reading and responding to endless insults on each others faith and hardly anything positive will come out?

2

that is why the phrase "respectfully disagree" was invented ...

3

Little knowledge of topics and a lot of lip service followed by arrogance does lead to endless insults on each others faith and hardly anything positive comes out.

Belonging to a certain faith is one thing but when you are passionately blind and deaf inspite of what faith has taught then it only leads to mockeries and insults.

People need to leave their bulldozing emotions and callus nature aside while assessing each others comments. Or properly execute a point across which can be reciprocated hence forth an interfaith dialogue.

Respect as chachoo mentioned, is the key for each other even if they have a mountain differences. The whole concept of "I'm right and you're wrong", needs to be tossed out the backdoor. Everyone needs to know, they will be judged by The Creator on their own conditions and guidelines. Whether the person is shi'ite, sunni, jewish, roman catholic etc etc. Once, we get that out of the way, there is hope to carefully plant a seed of hope amidst the trenches.

4

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by ChaChoo: *
that is why the phrase "respectfully disagree" was invented ...
[/QUOTE]
Yes. And it is fine to disagree, because that is why we have the forum. To disagree and discuss.

But if someone posts a comment like "your fraud prophet", the reader is blown off rightaway, so what possible discussion can flow from that point?

5

^^ Faisal bhaijaan, I think Muslim Majority (90%) believe that Prophet:saw: was the last prophet. Now if some one else comes in and states that they believe in a prophet after Muhammad:saw:, than 90 % are justified to say “Your false prophet” unless of course you want to be politically correct…mind you I said politically correct not religiously correct. :slight_smile:

6

Kaleem... I understand the point, however, pls suggest how would we engage in any kind of positive discussion when we are careless about our words. Also, on the flip side, if a christian comes in and says the same about muslim Prophet (Peace be upon him) or an aetheist talks the same way about all prophets and all faiths... how will the discussion progress?

Everyone will lose temper all over the place.

7

I agree, but then I go the same old argument, what is the purpose of this site ....What do you want this site to represent? Remember, at the end of the day Allah is not going to ask you if you spent your days politically correct? It will probbaly along the lines of what did you do to promote and spread Islam.
There are plenty of other websites where you can learn about other religions and sects.

8

In a forum like this where we can communicate only through words, words are very important. Using the word fraud will be offensive but using a word like false is perfectly fine. Words have to be chosen carefully if one wants to engage in a positive discussion and open mind will go a long way.

9

This is not a sole reference to ahmadi threads. This goes all over the place. If shia members start posting what they believe in without any regard for feelings of sunnis.... u will see how quickly the discussion will be wasted in curses and insults back and forth. Help me understand how that spreads Islam?

We will only realize if our words hurt another person, if we pause before posting and think how will we feel if someone else uses the same words about some one we hold in esteem.

10

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Kaleem: *
Remember, at the end of the day Allah is not going to ask you if you spent your days politically correct? It will probbaly along the lines of what did you do to promote and spread Islam.

[/QUOTE]

So you think Mother Theresa is being raked over hot coals because she did not promote and spread islam?

11

Dear Faisal,

Personal beliefs are personal beliefs and not religions.

If I say that my personal belief is that god is one, then that is what my personal belief is. Personal beliefs are personal views on things out there. We can discuss them for comparison to good or bad effects. There is nothing wrong with being critical of each others beliefs, for that is the only way we can keep each other in check or move together in the best possible direction.

If we want our world to be a better place for all of us then we must accept that all ideas and beliefs are open to critical analysis so that we could weed out the bad ones for their badness and bring in the good ones for their goodness. If we protect ideas and beliefs against criticism then how would we know which ideas or beliefs are good and which are bad?

Moreover if we read the holy books, they are very negative about other people and their beliefs in order to show those things are bad eg read the holy quran or for that matter the holy bible and see what these books say about pagans and their gods etc etc.

Just emphasising some positive points does not work, for it then seems all ideas and beliefs are qually good, which they most definitely are not.

For example, muslims believe in oneness of god in a different way than the chrisitians. Each condemning the other. Likewise is the case between sects within each and every religion. It is silly to not to let people talk about these differences openly and clearly as well as decisively so that falsehood could be proven false and the truth could become obvious.

By eliminating critical discussion we are effectively trying to cover up the truth with falsehood whether we like it or not.

What cannot be allowed is that people throw abuse at each other instead of discussing the problematic isues between them.

In the beginning people are very hot because each side thinks the truth is what they say because they have never really faced each other openly and unhindered. Once all of us put all our cards on the table by saying everything we want to say to each other, you will see all of us will run out of our steam. This has already happened in open forums and medias.

Only weaker side runs to moderators to intervene because it has lost the argument. People who throw abuse at others have no real argument at all to defend their points of views. They are the ones who try to mess up things for the rest as well. So criticisn of ideas and beliefs, yes but throwing abuse at each, no.

Regards and all the best.

12

If this section is only about Islam why is it called religion? Should it not be renamed Islam? Then I will stop visiting it as I have stopped visiting muziquepakistan.com.

13

Dear Arvind,

As a member of human race, you have every right to be where people are. It is time to demand openness and not let people become isolated and exclusive, for that spells danger for all of us.

By talking to each other we help each other see our points of views, our aspirations and concerns. So it would be better if religion section reflects all sorts of views about all sorts of religions. Only by showing wider world view to less fortunate therefore narrow minded people we can aspire them to see biggher picture through reason and thereby help them open up to real world.

In fact this is the best way to re-educate our brethren who have ended up as religious extremists if you ask me. So please stick around and contribute to help people be better human beings.

Regards and all the best.

14

MMughal,

What surprises me is that among my many many muslim friends, there isn't one that shows the single-minded hatred of India in general and Hindus in particular that I see in these threads. So where does this sample of muslims come from? Is it just that anonymity of an internet connection encourages them to spout the venom they do without taking personal responsibility for it? I certainly never experience it on a personal level and I am taken aback by constant denigration of other faiths in these threads.

Honestly, as I did with another muslims site (muziquepakistan.com) I stopped visiting for this reason and I have just about reached the conclusion that GS is not far from the same level of intolerance.

You on the other hand have contributed in a very positive way to GS.

15

Arvind,

Unfortunately there are narrow minded people everywhere you go. It's a sad case of affairs but believe me, such behaviours of intolerance will one day ruin our world for life.

16

Diva4U,

More people have to express themselves as you did to stop intolerance. But please don't think I condone Shivsena type of intolerance from my co-religionists. Such people win when we keep quiet.

17

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Arvind: *
Diva4U,

More people have to express themselves as you did to stop intolerance. But please don't think I condone Shivsena type of intolerance from my co-religionists. Such people win when we keep quiet.
[/QUOTE]

Dear arvind

Extremist are everywhere. on this board as well. but does it means that every muslim or every hindu or of other faith are the same?
Islam do not teach EXTREMISM. not at all. like other faiths it teaches brotherhood.
I lived with hindus whole my life, i studied in Delhi school & college with hindus. there were so many who use to call me MALEECHH MULLA.
but there were also who were fighting with them on this comment.
the point is that if in hindus you will find shiv senik & bajrang dal people you will also find the people who are tolerant. the same theory applied to the muslim community.

thanks

18

Very good points indeed dear Arvind and Mirza.

We surely need tolerance because hopefully through that will develop postive cooperation between all of us, I do realise that all this will take some time yet as well as some positive effort on our behalf.

Regards and best wishes.

19

Mirza Ruswa,

I guess one lives and one learns. When I grew up in Mumbai, there was just no question of making disparaging remarks on other religions. The blunt truth was that half the customers of my father were Muslim businessmen, a good number were Parsis. My father was in investment business and his Musilm customers used to bring grocery bag full of money and ask us to count it. They trusted him so completely that the fact that he was a Hindu simply did not enter the equation. needless to say, they were very welcome in our house (for crying out loud they paid for my education!).

I can only say that those Hindus that called you mlechcha were ignorant and insensitive. We learned to be tolerant from my father who used to say, forget what Aurangzeb did or did not do. Tumhare padhaike paise in logonke business se aa rahe hain. You see, tolerance does pay!

20

[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Arvind: *
Mirza Ruswa,

I guess one lives and one learns. When I grew up in Mumbai, there was just no question of making disparaging remarks on other religions. The blunt truth was that half the customers of my father were Muslim businessmen, a good number were Parsis. My father was in investment business and his Musilm customers used to bring grocery bag full of money and ask us to count it. They trusted him so completely that the fact that he was a Hindu simply did not enter the equation. needless to say, they were very welcome in our house (for crying out loud they paid for my education!).

*I can only say that those Hindus that called you mlechcha were ignorant and insensitive. * We learned to be tolerant from my father who used to say, forget what Aurangzeb did or did not do. Tumhare padhaike paise in logonke business se aa rahe hain. You see, tolerance does pay!
[/QUOTE]

Dear Arvind

That was my point & thats what i wanted to say that those muslims who can not respect the feelings of other are from the same lot.
Tolerance Is the key of peace & a tool for living together Harmoniously. THATS MY BELIEF.

THANKS