Catsmeow Posted February 17, 2003 Group: Royal Member Followers: 0 Topic Count: 439 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 7,315 Content Per Day: 0.93 Reputation: 356 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/21/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted February 17, 2003 Once I lived in another country, {one that didn't speak English} and experienced an entirely different culture, it changed my whole way of thinking. Everyone I've talked to who've lived in another country has been forever changed by that experience. You see everything differently once you leave here and go and live where nobody speaks your language or eats your food or thinks the way you think. Their values are so different than ours. We are human and in some ways we are alike but the things WE value are so different - it's amazing. For them, life is simply a matter of survival. They live for the day. They have absolutely no concept {in Indonesia} of things we take for granted - like saving money. Things like budgeting, being on time to an appointment, getting a good value for the money/saving money, and things like that are foreign to them. They live on "rubber time"...you just show up when you feel like it, {no concept of time} and virtues such as being a wise steward is totally beyond their comprehension. It's so strange how people differ from us so greatly. Culture is something we just don't stress enough but I can assure you - if you talk to anyone who's lived for any time outside the U.S., they'll agree that culture is perhaps a bigger issue than religion is. People simply DON'T think the same about many issues. Their whole outlook is entirely different than ours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IslandRose Posted February 24, 2003 Group: Royal Member Followers: 3 Topic Count: 476 Topics Per Day: 0.06 Content Count: 5,266 Content Per Day: 0.68 Reputation: 63 Days Won: 0 Joined: 02/22/2003 Status: Offline Birthday: 03/21/1954 Share Posted February 24, 2003 Catsmeow, I lived in Indonesia for 2 years, My parents were missionaries there for 10. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest yod Posted March 16, 2003 Share Posted March 16, 2003 . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ninja squirral Posted March 18, 2003 Share Posted March 18, 2003 It is simple, according to Islam the Christians and Jews have twisted and printed lies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brontosaurus Posted March 21, 2003 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 8 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 182 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/14/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/29/1977 Share Posted March 21, 2003 I LOVE the name "Ninja squirrel"!!! I think it is absolutely the coolest name I've seen yet. If I'd thought of it first, I'm not sure I would have picked "brontosaurus" But my motivation for liking both names is that they are so rediculously silly. (btw, on Ebay, I am crazybrontosaurus) Anyway, the Koran is SO fascinating!!! Has anyone read parts of it? When you read the opening page of it, it is BEAUTIFUL!!! Completely poetic, it blends together all the religions and philosophies of the known world and sums them up in saying they all saw part of the truth or different sides of the truth, but following is the final word on what the truth is, given by the servant of God, the prophet Mohammad. I was so amazed 'cause that's not what I expected. Also, the Muslim students on campus I was interviewing for my class assignment seemed gentler and sweeter than their Christian counterparts in Campus Crusade for Christ... All this caused me to look and think and ponder and pray deeply about what Islam actually is, where it came from, what specific elements of it are based on truth, which on lies, etc. beyond the obvious things like taking the Bible stories and doctoring them up falsely, which any Christian expert on Islam will tell you all about. But I wanted to know what spirit was at work behind this... why did this one man (or one spirit) completely change the entire Arab people in one generation, and turn them from Paganism to Monotheism, and are they specifically stronger or healthier before or after....? fascinating questions, aren't they? Still pondering and learning, of course, but here are some easy differences I came up with between Christianity and Islam, the Bible and the Koran... Koran: Completely in poetic form, divided into over a hundred stanzas, some are pages long, some only a few lines, telling the life of Mohammad, his teachings, and his version of the Judeo-Christian Bible. Bible: 66 Books, divided into chapters, divided into verses, some being history, some being prophecy (foretelling future), principles, teachings, anecdotes, and personal letters to friends and groups. Koran: mostly written in a mysterious intriguing style, drawing the reader in like a fly to it's deep mysterious charm and harsh scary doctrine, as well as basic principles and standards for conducting one's life. Bible: written in many different styles across the span of human thought and emotion, from mysterious spiritual poetry (Psalms and Ecclesiastes), to simple hard logic (Proverbs and Paul), from history to prophecy, from tragedy to comedy. It stabs down into the deepest recesses of the human heart at times, and at others, lightly paints pretty little pictures of nature and beauty. Koran: Written by one Arab man over the span of his life, in Arabic. Bible: Written by roughly 40 men over a span of roughly 1,400 years, living on 3 continents, in 13 different countries in 2-3 different languages - all Jewish (including Luke, who was probably a Gentile convert to Judaism). Mohammad: Appears to be a gentle and limitlessly thoughtful and sensitive person, very spiritual, and with a definite command of authority, led/expanded his religion as he got it from his "spirit-guide" through war (battles) and expounding (teaching). Within the first 100 years after Mohammad's death, Islam had spread like a title wave from India all the way to Spain. Jesus: unmatched before or since in ability to heal people, restore life, cut to the heart of a matter, and with lightening speed slice through any lie, falsehood, infirmity, enemy (though he rarely used his powers to oppose people physically), or force (even nature). Never started a religion, except for a small Bible-study group of roughly 12 men, who after his death went out to every corner of the world and laid the spiritual and physical foundation for the 21sh Century as we know it. Basically, the Koran is more comparable to one book of the Bible, but stretched out much longer... probably most similar in style to one of the Major or minor prophets of the bible, though the Koran contains no prophecy of future events. It is like one fluid block, whereas the Bible is choc full of every imaginably different style or type of writing. Notable strengths for the Arab people of Islam over previous paganism: -One God -One holy book -Definite purpose in life (sometimes ambiguous, but much more definite than Paganism or Hinduism/Buddhism) -Connection with and place in history (though that part was made by borrowing the books and history of the Bible and the Jewish people and then doctoring them up to fit the Arab people instead) -Abstainance from Alcohol -Abstanance from Pork -Laws against fornication or sexual immorality -Laws for how to govern family in a moral and responsible way -Rhamadan (which gives some form of practice of self control in fasting for set times) Notable Strengths of Christianity over anything: -incomprehensible, everything. Appearance of strengths of Islam over Christianity: Islam appears a much more macho, focused, man-oriented, strong, structured religion whereas modern Christianity often appears weak, pansy-like, more into talking and discussing than action, being nice rather than fighting for what you belive in, often more of a "woman's" or feminine religion. *(note: this may seem sexist or just false, but statistically, during the second half of the last century, women made up more than 70% of any church membership, and at prayer meetings, Bible studies and special events, that number often jumps to 90% women) Other than that, I see no other proof that Islam is in any way better. 99.7% of the Terrorists in the world are Muslim, even our recent little sniper-tragedy was a Muslim. Muslim countries are almost all horribly oppressive and repressive to the general population, and dirt poor. In comparison, all the most civilized, strong, rich, powerful, and high-character nations are Christian or Christian-originated. And that number takes an even higher leap if you separate out Protestant Christian nations (like America, Great Britain, etc.) from Catholic nations (like in South America, Italy, etc.). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brontosaurus Posted March 21, 2003 Group: Advanced Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 8 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 182 Content Per Day: 0.02 Reputation: 0 Days Won: 0 Joined: 11/14/2002 Status: Offline Birthday: 09/29/1977 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Another interresting note: A college friend of mine who doesn't believe in any particular religion but had to study a number of texts from the Koran and Bible for an Intellectual Heritage class, said this to me: "The Bible is much more easy to follow. It seems almost like it can't be right 'cause it's TOO easy. Yet, people in the stories often break the rules anyway. That can't be right - that's not being religious, that's being more like me... The Koran on the other hand is much stronger. It lays out harder messages that are more challenging, and seem like what a religion should be. But it's like impossible to do it. The Koran looks more appealing because that's what a religion should be: hard. But the Bible is more like real life." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ninja squirral Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Thanks for digging my name, try it with an Asian accent come out "ninja Sqaaw" lot of fun there. Even though that makes me insensative to the Asian community. yes I have read bits of the Koran, beautiful and enchanting in it's artistic style. there in lays the danger. "and angle of light" thingy happening there. The Koran is a great read, but not so great in application, as you so well pointed out, martyrs that kill, women that are 2nd class folks. And you said it well with one mans view of the Jewish and christian religion/religions (still confussed on that one a little). So what else can I add? Except the first point We Christians, Jews and alike are to some degree opening our selfves to their attacks by not being anywhere near to what the bible tells us to be, at least some of us (me too included) J M O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted March 21, 2003 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 38 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 572 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 26 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/22/2001 Status: Offline Share Posted March 21, 2003 Bible: Inspired word of God Qu'ran: Word of a liar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ninja squirral Posted March 21, 2003 Share Posted March 21, 2003 Bible: Inspired word of God Qu'ran: Word of a liar. Hope you don't seek to change Muslim minds with that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timothy Posted March 21, 2003 Group: Royal Member Followers: 1 Topic Count: 38 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 572 Content Per Day: 0.07 Reputation: 26 Days Won: 0 Joined: 08/22/2001 Status: Offline Share Posted March 21, 2003 The Qu'ran states that Jesus was a prophet of God. The Qu'ran teaches that prophets of God do not lie. Therefore the Qu'ran teaches that Jesus did not lie. Mark 14:61-62 But he held his peace, and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked him, and said unto him, Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed? And Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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