I have a blog, I may as well use it! I read this article on the Jerusalem post about people converting to Islam, and I had this to say about it:
All the people they interviewed sound like crazy zealots: "Once an ultra-Orthodox Jew from Brooklyn, today Yousef is a fervent and fully devoted Muslim." He could be a fully devoted cult member. To me, really orthodox anything -- American Evangelical Christians, hard-right orthodox Israeli settlers, hard core muslims -- are all the same. I liked that they highlighted the idea that muslim != arab.
these are all people who believe they are right and everyone else is wrong. they are also idealists, who think that there is something perfect out there. 'Yousef's wife also converted to Islam, he says, after understanding "that it is the only correct path in life."'
when something looks perfect, is is only because you don't see the cracks beneath the surface. '"Everyone who compares Judaism and Islam understands that Torah was forged, that the words and interpretations of a man substituted the words of God. All these rabbis - there is no unity among them, there is no one opinion, there is a shop of opinions," says the recent convert.' This person would be a perfect army soldier. That's my favorite thing about Judiasm -- you have to think for yourself! You're not spoonfed something to regurgitate, you're forced to analyze. To be Jewish is to analyze.
'"The situation is also quite gruesome in all the other Arab and Muslim states - unfortunately the pure Islam exists today only on the 'net."; I.e. it isn't real, it's a fantasy you quack! '"Of course, there is no one simple answer to the question of why people convert to Islam, and the reasons vary from individual to individual, but perhaps one of the reasons is the alienation of Western society - the frustration and disillusion by modern theories, such as communism, socialism etc., whereas Islam gives simple and clear answers."' People looking for one-dimensional answers to a 4 dimensional world... well I can't say I blame them, given people like me make no effort to help them out.
me, i prefer buddhism -- suffering begets enlightenment. which illustrates what i see as a problem of jews leaving their religion: the practice of being a jew is spirtually unfulfilling for many, including me.
1 comment:
Yeah I guess there's the key distinction between organized religions and what the original texts have to offer. I'm fond of saying that if most people who claimed to be Christians actually followed the teachings of Christ, it'd be a whole different world.
When I went to Kyoto, I was a little surprised and a little disappointed to see exactly what you describe: massive temples brimming over with gold everything. Since I have no cultural context for Buddhism, I just have the books and images I've assembled from 60's Samurai movies, which is where I get most of my spiritual inspiration from anyway.
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