Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[RedRose]

I am in a dilemma about religion.

more than one year ago, my ex-schoolmaster sexually harassed me, he often said something flirting to me, and sometimes he would "subconsciously" touch me. after I warned him for several times, he was still very nasty. I couldn't stand his disgusting smile and his stupid voice, so I told him:"sorry, I can't go out with you, b-astard! if you keep harassing me, I will call your wife and policemen."

Later, in revenge he wasn't nice to me , and during that period, I talked to one of my friends, who was a Muslim, and he told me:"raise your hands up towards the sky to ask God to help you out!:

I told him:"but I am an atheist." he said:"try! now your schoolmaster harasses you that way, God will help you as long as you believe in him, please, try!"

I did! I asked God to help me out, make that nasty guy disappear, I thought to myself:"as long as that nasty guy is gone, I am gonna convert to Islam!" actually, at that moment, I was just desperate, and I just wanted that guy to leave, the sooner, the better! I wasn't serious about religion. however, my pray worked! helf a year later, my ex-schoolmaster was gone!! now he works in a hospital, not in my school anymore! and later I got a great new schoolmaster, and guess what? I even got a promotion after the new schoolmaster came!

Last month, my friend tried convincing me to convert to Islam, he said:"you asked God for help, and God did! that's why you should convert to Islam.!

Frankly, I don't wanna convert, and I think it's fine to be an atheist. but, if I don't convert to Islam, that means that I am breaking my promise.

I am in a dilemma indeed.

[CP]

Let me play Devil's advocate, Red Rose, all right?

How do you know that Allah / God got rid of the evil guy? If it took half a year to happen, maybe something else is the cause.

Why would Allah / God Almighty let you endure six more months of torture rather than have this miscreant leave the next day? Especially if an instantaneous answer to your prayer would be so powerful that you would have to convert to Islam as you promised?

Isn't Mr. Meathead better off at his present job? Didn't he leave the school and go to the hospital because of a better opportunity? If God Almighty helped you by getting rid of Mr. Meathead, why did he give him a better position?

Wouldn't a just and righteous Allah instead cast the man out of the school at once, perhaps on charges of sexual harassment, and mark him so that no one else wants to hire him?

If you wait long enough, either Mr. Meathead goes away or you do. He dies on his way home one evening, or he retires, or he gets another job (as he did). Or you are hired by another school, or decide to move to Hawaii and work on your tan, or win the lottery and quit your job forever.

Who gets the credit then? Why, Allah, God Almighty gets the credit, even if it takes years for you to be free of Mr. Meathead and his wandering hands. In the meantime, have faith.

So saith advocatus Diabolis, malleus maleficarum.
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[asterix]

Come on Rose, you are an intelligent woman. I can't see you being happy with Islam's supression of women.

The reason the guy left you alone, is because you told him you'd tell his wife and the cops.

It had nothing to do with God.
Have you noticed that God never actually does ANYTHING, unless some human is doing it in his/her/its name?

Before you go into any one religion, if you are looking for a philosophy of life, you owe it to yourself to do some reading on the ones you are interested in.
You can find much wisdom in Zen, the Dao, or Confucianism, before you look for a religion foreign to your culture.

[RedRose]

Dear CP:

You always show up when I need help!! whether english problem or religion! I can't thank you more!

Yes, as you said:

[RedRose]

and asterix, you are right! that has nothing to do with God!

and if I convert to Islam, I just can't stand if my man marries 4 wives. in that case I would cut his thing off.

yeah, asterix, if I have to read a lot before I convert, I would be very tired!! I read just for fun, sometimes I wanna know about the other cuture, but I don't think I should read just for religion.

[ad-miral]

It's forbidden in the Islam countries to have more than 1 wife!
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If I say "I love you" to someone, then I also have to say "I also love everyone else inside you, I love the whole world because of you, I also love myself inside you." -- Erich Fromm, the Art of Love

[CP]

Ad-miral: You said, "It's forbidden in the Islam countries to have more than 1 wife!"

According to Loulou79, Islam does not forbid polygamy. See:

http://www.eslcafe.com/forums/student/viewtopic.php?t=14507
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[garfield_jesse]

By reading what you wrote RedRose, i think u follow any religion by your believable in them not by promise, suppose you keep ur promise, i think you will follow Muslim in apparently, but your heart is not follow...Religion is the belief, u dont belive but you still follow it...Ridiculous behavior.

I think that is the contingent concide. If not i wonder why can Allah pay attention u kindly whereas he has a lot of believers, you are an atheist, not his believer...whether did u have priority? or are you a special person???

By the way i like all your posts . I wish i were good at English like you.
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I'm smart, that's why i'm single...haha(^_^)

[ad-miral]

http://www.diyanet-heilbronn.de/de/islam/faq/antworten/21.html

http://www.ahmadiyya.de/ahmadiyyat/nuur_fuer_frauen/polygamieImIslam.html

CP, the religious deliverance shows that many Prophets have more than one wife. The Koran gives men the permission to marry up tp four wifes, not to satisfy their desire, but to guarantee the supply of the widows after a war.

In Sura (It's one of the chapters in Koran) Mohammed tells about horrible wars against the enemy, where a lot of women become widows and a lot of children become orphans. For the difficulty caused by the war and to conceive the rights of the widows, the permission of marrying up to four wifes is given. In that society a woman can't survive alone without a family. Although there will be jealousy, but because all woman and the man are together to subdue the difficult situation after the war, this jealousy will be relativized.

And you have to understand the philosophy of Koran. "God" doesn't think in a capitalistic way. Prophet Muhamed has lived 20 happy years with his wife Hazrat Khadidjy, who had been a widow and who was 20 years older than him. And this in a time where 1. polygamy is allowed, 2. where women over 20 are seen as old, 3. where virgins are searched very much.
Allah told him in Koran: "You have high moralic qualities" (Sura 68: 5th verse)
And Muhamed should be a pattern for every Muslim: "Really, Prophet Muhamed is an example for all, who often believe in Allah." (Sura33.Verse22)
No marriage of Muhamed, exept of Aisha, had been with sexually desires. Besides of Hazrat Aisha, none of his wifes is virgin.
Muhamed said: If a man sees a woman to whom he is attracted, he should go home to sleep with his wife, there he can find the same thing."
(Sahih MuslimKitab-iul-Nikah)

The world population is about 50%men : 50%women, if the majority of men marry 4 wifes, then there will be a lot who don't have a wife. But the Islam prescribe everybody the marriage.
_________________
If I say "I love you" to someone, then I also have to say "I also love everyone else inside you, I love the whole world because of you, I also love myself inside you." -- Erich Fromm, the Art of Love

[RedRose]

[CP]

Ad-miral,

So you are saying that the Koran does not forbid polygamy, but in today's world, all Muslim countries forbid it. Correct?
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You live a new life for every new language you speak. -Czech proverb

[Bob S.]

Who did you make the promise to? Your friend or Allah? Can you make a bargain with Allah if you do not believe in Him?

[RedRose]

[ad-miral]

[Bob S.]