T
TheBigQ
Guest
I was wanting to get some educated peoples’ opinions, hopefully even some priests’ opinions, on what you all think are some of the main real-world reasons (not supernatural type of things, like “Satan” is luring them, or anything like that) for this attraction to Islam amongst youths raised in Western secular cultures within Christian families.
My first cousin recently converted to Islam, and he’s really into it now, of course; the “convert’s zeal” as they say. But he was baptized Catholic, raised Catholic, his father I know went through a great deal of extra work to put him through all Catholic schools , including Catholic college (where, ironically, he met the Pakistani Muslim girl who is going to be his wife now). That’s way more Catholic education than I had. ( I only got it up until 9th grade / “freshman” year of hs). And MUCH MUCH more than my father , or my cousin’s father, ever had. They had absolutely zero Catholic education, except for a little “CCD” probably while young, and yet they’re definitely devout staunch Catholics. So, I don’t know, if it’s just something with the youth today, or something social, or does it in fact perhaps entail something more like a “rebellion” factor which some kids have and others just don’t ? For instance, I was thinking, if this kid, this cousin of mine, if he had been born into a devout strict Muslim family… maybe he’d be just the type who’d be looking into “other options” now that he’s 21 and grown .
Considering that Islam is IMO a much harder faith to live, and let’s face it it’s not really a religion but an entire “lifestyle” as they say, what prompts Western youth, so largely secularized and “me-first ’ ish” , for the most part, to even have any remote interest in joining a faith where they’re going to have to pray at least five times per day, fast dawn to dusk one whole month of the year, probably change their diet and drinking behaviors significantly, and make a trip to Mecca at least once ??
People convert to Catholicism, or Christianity in general let’s say, and some stay zealous and others wane. Some only go through , say, the RCIA for marital purposes w/ no serious intent of being a “devout Catholic”. That might sound untrue but it’s true; a buddy of mine just married a girl whose family is all part of a fairly anti-Catholic Protestant sect and he admitted to me she only did the whole thing to please his family. But, in Islam, there really is no such thing as being able to be just a “twice a year” Muslim, so to speak, or a “cafeteria Muslim”, or just a “cultural or INO” Muslim. Not unless you no longer want to really BE a Muslim that is. Because , and any Muslims here correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe that other Muslims are going to consider you to still be a true Muslim if you cease praying daily, cease attending Friday congregational prayer, eat and drink whatever you like, do not fast during Ramadan, don’t read the Qu’ran daily or ever study it in Arabic as prescribed, don’t give anything to Islamic charities as prescribed, and don’t even remotely seriously intend to ever go to Mecca. In that case, you’re NOT really a Muslim, right?? Even if you technically took the “shahadah” .
What is it that they’re seeing in Islam that they’re not seeing in Christianity?
My first cousin recently converted to Islam, and he’s really into it now, of course; the “convert’s zeal” as they say. But he was baptized Catholic, raised Catholic, his father I know went through a great deal of extra work to put him through all Catholic schools , including Catholic college (where, ironically, he met the Pakistani Muslim girl who is going to be his wife now). That’s way more Catholic education than I had. ( I only got it up until 9th grade / “freshman” year of hs). And MUCH MUCH more than my father , or my cousin’s father, ever had. They had absolutely zero Catholic education, except for a little “CCD” probably while young, and yet they’re definitely devout staunch Catholics. So, I don’t know, if it’s just something with the youth today, or something social, or does it in fact perhaps entail something more like a “rebellion” factor which some kids have and others just don’t ? For instance, I was thinking, if this kid, this cousin of mine, if he had been born into a devout strict Muslim family… maybe he’d be just the type who’d be looking into “other options” now that he’s 21 and grown .
Considering that Islam is IMO a much harder faith to live, and let’s face it it’s not really a religion but an entire “lifestyle” as they say, what prompts Western youth, so largely secularized and “me-first ’ ish” , for the most part, to even have any remote interest in joining a faith where they’re going to have to pray at least five times per day, fast dawn to dusk one whole month of the year, probably change their diet and drinking behaviors significantly, and make a trip to Mecca at least once ??
People convert to Catholicism, or Christianity in general let’s say, and some stay zealous and others wane. Some only go through , say, the RCIA for marital purposes w/ no serious intent of being a “devout Catholic”. That might sound untrue but it’s true; a buddy of mine just married a girl whose family is all part of a fairly anti-Catholic Protestant sect and he admitted to me she only did the whole thing to please his family. But, in Islam, there really is no such thing as being able to be just a “twice a year” Muslim, so to speak, or a “cafeteria Muslim”, or just a “cultural or INO” Muslim. Not unless you no longer want to really BE a Muslim that is. Because , and any Muslims here correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t believe that other Muslims are going to consider you to still be a true Muslim if you cease praying daily, cease attending Friday congregational prayer, eat and drink whatever you like, do not fast during Ramadan, don’t read the Qu’ran daily or ever study it in Arabic as prescribed, don’t give anything to Islamic charities as prescribed, and don’t even remotely seriously intend to ever go to Mecca. In that case, you’re NOT really a Muslim, right?? Even if you technically took the “shahadah” .
What is it that they’re seeing in Islam that they’re not seeing in Christianity?