Catholic Considering Islam

  • Thread starter Thread starter IrishDude45
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
I

IrishDude45

Guest
I have a feeling that this thread is going disintegrate into a fury of arguments and harsh words but I pray not…

I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.

I have to say that I am impressed with Islam, very very impressed. The Qur’an is like a beautiful ray of light. Muhammad (pbuh) is a wonderful example. The Muslims I know follow Christ’s example better than most Catholics, they are more peaceful and loving than I thought possible. Their devotion to God is absolute. And the evidence for Islam is piling up for me. I know many here have negative opinions about Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad and I did too once but now that I have put a lot of time into studying the religion and talking to many people, I have discovered the true Islam. True Islam is not the fanatical religion of the media nor is it a woman-hating, gun-toting, violent mockery of religion as I had been taught. It very well might be the most peaceful faith on earth. God is in Islam, I can’t deny it any longer. Believe me I’ve tried!
I love the Church, but God has led me to Her and God may be leading me to Islam. I am willing to put everything else aside to follow God where He wills, even if I must put aside my beloved Mother Church. I will submit to God in all things, He will lead me where He wills.

I hesitate to ask…thoughts?

please keep it civil

pax vobiscum
Irish
 
IrishDude45 said:
I have a feeling that this thread is going disintegrate into a fury of arguments and harsh words but I pray not…

I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.

I have to say that I am impressed with Islam, very very impressed. The Qur’an is like a beautiful ray of light. Muhammad (pbuh) is a wonderful example. The Muslims I know follow Christ’s example better than most Catholics, they are more peaceful and loving than I thought possible. Their devotion to God is absolute. And the evidence for Islam is piling up for me. I know many here have negative opinions about Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad and I did too once but now that I have put a lot of time into studying the religion and talking to many people, I have discovered the true Islam. True Islam is not the fanatical religion of the media nor is it a woman-hating, gun-toting, violent mockery of religion as I had been taught. It very well might be the most peaceful faith on earth. God is in Islam, I can’t deny it any longer. Believe me I’ve tried!
I love the Church, but God has led me to Her and God may be leading me to Islam. I am willing to put everything else aside to follow God where He wills, even if I must put aside my beloved Mother Church. I will submit to God in all things, He will lead me where He wills.

I hesitate to ask…thoughts?

please keep it civil

pax vobiscum
Irish
Click to expand...
Wait a minute…weren’t you the one considering the priesthood?! :bigyikes:

Me thinks you’ve been doing too much reading. 😃

I think that the faith some Muslims exhibit is something to admire, but I also do not think that Islam contains the fullness of truth. Judaism and Christianity existed before Islam, which borrowed from both…sort of like how Joseph Smith took Christianity and made it into Mormonism.

Maybe the Muslims you personally know appear to be more devoted, but have you ever been to a Muslim country? I’m betting that there are lukewarm Muslims there too. Also, what you may be observing is a cultural thing. Cultures are different from each other. Someone coming from an American culture that emphasizes individualism and capitalism among other things may be surprised when they see individuals from a culture that emphasizes the importance of family, of love, of faith and hope. There are certainly many admirable things about Middle-Eastern cultures as is there in all cultures of the world.

If you are basing your opinion on Catholics from your experience in the United States, remember that the Catholic Church is in every corner of the world and individuals from the Western world are not representative of the Universal Church. The faith of Catholics is strong, especially in nations where they are persecuted, such as in the Middle East and China. These people have to hide and face persecution in order to practice their faith - they are our modern-day heroes. They can make their lives easier by leaving their faith - but no, they choose to suffer because they stand up for who they believe is the Way, the Truth and the Life.

The faith of Catholics in third-world countries continue to burn alive even amidst suffering and poverty. Do not make an assumption about the 1.07 billion Catholics worldwide based on a small sample of people. Also, do not forget that being a Catholic doesn’t mean you have to be perfect - Jesus and Mary were the only humans without sin.

Do not abandon Christ for a religion that doesn’t recognize Him as God, as the Savior of the world.

http://www.artlex.com/ArtLex/p/images/pieta_bouguer.lg.jpg

If you really feel strongly about leaving Christianity altogether, I will say that Judaism is the religion that God first revealed Himself to, and I think that it contains many truths compared to other non-Catholic faiths.

http://www.calvarius.com/ChristianArt/Guido-Reni-Ecce-Homo.jpg http://www.geocities.com/heartland/7202/jcatdoor2.jpg
 
Feelings are based on your mood, not truth. You have to really think about this and forget how you feel.

I have a question for you:

Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world and the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity?
 
I would also add that you shouldn’t base your faith by judging the devoutness and/or goodness of others. If I were to do that, I would say that many of the Protestants, agnostics and atheists I know are truly good people who may have a better shot at salvation than some Catholics I know.

I remain a Catholic believe it contains the truth. What others do is not a concern of mine…what matters is the relationship I have with God.
 
IrishDude45 said:
I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.
Click to expand...
I have no harsh words for you. I don’t know your background, I don’t know God’s plan for you.

But I do think you are relatively new to the Catholic faith. I wonder if you shouldn’t take more time to explore its depths and its riches. I think it offers a profound relationship with God, which you have to live out in your life to fully appreciate. The bright lights of something new are always alluring, but there is much to be said for commitment, because only such commitment will help you keep in touch with God when times are dark and you seem alone in the desert.
 
I will include in my rosary a prayer that you are guided by the Holy Spirit to make the right choice…

The first point I would make is that despite having (along with judaism) a common ancestory in Abraham, Muslims and Christians absolutely do not worship the same god. This is commonly misunderstood or conveniently overlooked by many modern catholics, but needs to be studied in order for due understanding to be possible of the consequences of rejecting Christ.

Like all questions of faith, Jesus, the stone that the builders rejected which became the cornerstone, provides the answer. In order to know which religion, Christianity or Islam, represents the truth, we have to address the question of who Jesus was and is.

Christians believe that Jesus, as the Son of God, was God incarnate and, along with the Father and Holy Spirit, part of the Trinity. Peter understood Jesus’ divine nature:

Matthew 16:15-16 “Jesus saith to them: But whom do you say that I am? 16 Simon Peter answered and said: Thou art Christ, the Son of the living God”

1 John 2:22-23 makes clear the implication for those who reject Jesus’ divinity:

"Who is a liar, but he who denieth that Jesus is the Christ? This is Antichrist, who denieth the Father and the Son. 23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. He that confesseth the Son hath the Father also

Islam relegates Jesus to mere prophet status. Per John, this is the spirit of the antichrist. Naturally, Islam could never have been as successful as it is, and will soon become, had it rejected Jesus altogether. I do believe that Mohammed was inspired and that the Quran reflects the words of this inspiration…where we disagree is on the question of who the inspirer was.

You therefore face a choice; if you choose Islam, then no matter how devout, peaceful, loving etc that you are, according to Christian teaching, you necessarily reject Jesus’s divinity.
 
Hi Pax :),

From your previous posts it seems you are too young to make such a decision by yourself, and it seems you’re getting a lot of temptations.

My advice to you is to spend more time reading the Islamic scriptures (Quran & Hadith) before taking such decision, search thoroughly within them to discover the true teaching of Islam.

Here is an English site for Quran & Hadith.

And keep visiting this forum to discover some hidden things about Islam which the Islamic clerics won’t tell you. 😛
IrishDude45 said:
  1. Gender male
  2. Age 17
  3. What religion are you? Roman Catholic
Click to expand...
40.png
IrishDude45:
I nearly stopped RCIA to become a pagan. Thanks be to God, I was able to resist the temptation and became Catholic. It has been a temptation at times even now. I have studied Asatru as well as other reconstructionist pagan faiths extensively but the fact is my friend that none of these paths can compare to Catholicism.
Click to expand...
IrishDude45 said:
I’m 17. Many of my friends have become agnostics or atheists even if they were raised in a religion. I think it is actually a psychological stage.
Click to expand...
 
IrishDude45 said:
I have a feeling that this thread is going disintegrate into a fury of arguments and harsh words but I pray not…

I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.

I have to say that I am impressed with Islam, very very impressed. The Qur’an is like a beautiful ray of light. Muhammad (pbuh) is a wonderful example. The Muslims I know follow Christ’s example better than most Catholics, they are more peaceful and loving than I thought possible. Their devotion to God is absolute. And the evidence for Islam is piling up for me. I know many here have negative opinions about Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad and I did too once but now that I have put a lot of time into studying the religion and talking to many people, I have discovered the true Islam. True Islam is not the fanatical religion of the media nor is it a woman-hating, gun-toting, violent mockery of religion as I had been taught. It very well might be the most peaceful faith on earth. God is in Islam, I can’t deny it any longer. Believe me I’ve tried!
I love the Church, but God has led me to Her and God may be leading me to Islam. I am willing to put everything else aside to follow God where He wills, even if I must put aside my beloved Mother Church. I will submit to God in all things, He will lead me where He wills.

I hesitate to ask…thoughts?

please keep it civil

pax vobiscum
Irish
Click to expand...
Hmmm. I may be able to add something to this discussion. I am a former Muslim, who is entering an RCIA program. I have a mixed view of Islam. It is, in my opinion, is not all bad and it is not all good. I would say that Islam reflects some divine truths, but not the whole truth. Please let me know if I can address any specific concerns.
 
Thanks for all the responses. First off let me make it clear that I have no intention of converting to Islam at the moment, Its simply overwhelming when you hear so many negative things and lies about a faith only to discover that none of them hold water.

I brought up the actions of the Muslims not to show that actions are what I use to judge the truth of a religion but because I had been taught that Muslims were violent people and its been a shock to realize they all aren’t.

I’m not going to do anything crazy, just continue to study Islam along with many other faiths.

Its still beautiful. 🙂

I am certain though that Muslims are worshiping the same God as Christians and Jews.
If you deny that, you start to get into whether or not the Jews worship the same God which could get pretty messy theologically.

pax
 
IrishDude45 said:
I have a feeling that this thread is going disintegrate into a fury of arguments and harsh words but I pray not…

I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.

I have to say that I am impressed with Islam, very very impressed. The Qur’an is like a beautiful ray of light. Muhammad (pbuh) is a wonderful example. The Muslims I know follow Christ’s example better than most Catholics, they are more peaceful and loving than I thought possible. Their devotion to God is absolute. And the evidence for Islam is piling up for me. I know many here have negative opinions about Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad and I did too once but now that I have put a lot of time into studying the religion and talking to many people, I have discovered the true Islam. True Islam is not the fanatical religion of the media nor is it a woman-hating, gun-toting, violent mockery of religion as I had been taught. It very well might be the most peaceful faith on earth. God is in Islam, I can’t deny it any longer. Believe me I’ve tried!
I love the Church, but God has led me to Her and God may be leading me to Islam. I am willing to put everything else aside to follow God where He wills, even if I must put aside my beloved Mother Church. I will submit to God in all things, He will lead me where He wills.

I hesitate to ask…thoughts?

please keep it civil

pax vobiscum
Irish
Click to expand...
IrishDude-
May I respectfully suggest that you are following your emotions. The issue is not who follows their religion better, nor which is more beautiful. The issue is which religion is True. I have studied Islam for approximately 15 years, and have taught Christian apologetics for approximately 12 years. The evidence for the truth of Christianity is far, far greater than the evidence for the truth of Islam. If you are interested, I’d be happy to discuss this with you. I have a course I give in Second Life. I would be happy to (virtually) meet you there and talk to you about the evidences for Christianity. If you don’t want to do that, I would refer you to the course webpage here:

geocities.com/stevelohr2001/
and the course outline here:
geocities.com/stevelohr2001/jesus-factorfiction06242008.html

If you are interested, please email me privately. My email address is on the course outline
 
** In the name of Allah , the Most Gracious , Ever Merciful **

http://theislampath.com/smf/Smileys/default/salam.gif
IrishDude45 said:
…just continue to study Islam along with many other faiths.
Click to expand...
That’s a good decision 🙂

Take your time , read holy Quran . If u have any question , pl. ask . InshaAllah ( God Willing) , Muslim participants will try to ans.

May God help you to find the Truth .

(Please Note: This uploaded content is no longer available.)
 
IrishDude45 said:
I have a feeling that this thread is going disintegrate into a fury of arguments and harsh words but I pray not…

I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.

I have to say that I am impressed with Islam, very very impressed. The Qur’an is like a beautiful ray of light. Muhammad (pbuh) is a wonderful example. The Muslims I know follow Christ’s example better than most Catholics, they are more peaceful and loving than I thought possible.

pax vobiscum
Irish
Click to expand...
Wow I hope you have read the koran! Cause I have , and Muhammad is anything from peaceful!
I know a lot of muslims, most are adulterers , in fact their wives often tell my wife that "your husband is a saint’
I do not drink, I do not fool around, dont smoke , work hard for my family of 7 , and I m a CHRISTIAN, a CATHOLIC!
Its how you are brought up , not what religion you are in! Besides Jesus is the king and anything else is pagan!
 
IrishDude45 said:
Thanks for all the responses. First off let me make it clear that I have no intention of converting to Islam at the moment, Its simply overwhelming when you hear so many negative things and lies about a faith only to discover that none of them hold water.

I brought up the actions of the Muslims not to show that actions are what I use to judge the truth of a religion but because I had been taught that Muslims were violent people and its been a shock to realize they all aren’t.

I’m not going to do anything crazy, just continue to study Islam along with many other faiths.

Its still beautiful. 🙂

I am certain though that Muslims are worshiping the same God as Christians and Jews.
If you deny that, you start to get into whether or not the Jews worship the same God which could get pretty messy theologically.

pax
Click to expand...
Speaking in regard to violence, I believe that Islam is NOT intrinsically violent. However, given human nature, it is understood violently. A gun is not intrinsically murderous, but if you give it to a lunatic it, likely, will be used for murder. Man in an his natural state will always misunderstand and misuse God’s gofts. So, for example, Islam encourages man to stand up to injustice; which is a noble quality. The Catholic faith also teachs us to stand up to injustice and oppression. There is a huge difference, though, in how this is practised. A suicide bomber is a martyr in Islam. I realize that there is some debate on this issue amongst Islamic scholars, but the proof texts on this issue support the idea of the Muslim martyr as one who is willing to take the lives of others, along with his. Martyrdom is Christianity is a different affair. It is a total giving of oneself, without the INTENTION of taking other lives. In Islam, mercy is understood from a position of power. This is, more specifically, magnanimity(derived from the Latin roots magn- great, and anima, soul). This is not the same a mercy, from the Christian view. This word is understood in Christian theology closer to compassion. In Islam, God forgives because He is magnanamous. In Christianity, God forgives due to His Compassion. That is, He shares in our suffering, by means of His Incarnation (Jesus).
This may seem to be quite academic and rhetorical, but I assure that I have seem this difference lived out in my many years as a Muslim.
 
** In the name of Allah , the Most Gracious , Ever Merciful **

http://theislampath.com/smf/Smileys/default/salam.gif
eichenb2 said:
… A suicide bomber is a martyr in Islam. .
Click to expand...
Not if s/he kills innocent people . killing any innocent person is a major sin in Islam . Fight on behalf of the oppressed people is a must.

And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, illtreated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is:

“Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.”

( سورة النساء , An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #75)
 
IrishDude45 said:
I have a feeling that this thread is going disintegrate into a fury of arguments and harsh words but I pray not…

I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.

I have to say that I am impressed with Islam, very very impressed. The Qur’an is like a beautiful ray of light. Muhammad (pbuh) is a wonderful example. The Muslims I know follow Christ’s example better than most Catholics, they are more peaceful and loving than I thought possible. Their devotion to God is absolute. And the evidence for Islam is piling up for me. I know many here have negative opinions about Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad and I did too once but now that I have put a lot of time into studying the religion and talking to many people, I have discovered the true Islam. True Islam is not the fanatical religion of the media nor is it a woman-hating, gun-toting, violent mockery of religion as I had been taught. It very well might be the most peaceful faith on earth. God is in Islam, I can’t deny it any longer. Believe me I’ve tried!
I love the Church, but God has led me to Her and God may be leading me to Islam. I am willing to put everything else aside to follow God where He wills, even if I must put aside my beloved Mother Church. I will submit to God in all things, He will lead me where He wills.

I hesitate to ask…thoughts?

please keep it civil

pax vobiscum
Irish
Click to expand...
I’m going to be very frank. This thread of yours is nothing but a hoax and reeks of propaganda. I think you’re just a Muslim troll doing some “dawa”.

Vickie
 
IrishDude45 said:
I have a feeling that this thread is going disintegrate into a fury of arguments and harsh words but I pray not…

I became Catholic in 2007 after a year of RCIA. I have struggled to be the best Catholic I could be, I studied theology like crazy, I went to Mass, and I followed God.

I have to say that I am impressed with Islam, very very impressed. The Qur’an is like a beautiful ray of light. Muhammad (pbuh) is a wonderful example. The Muslims I know follow Christ’s example better than most Catholics, they are more peaceful and loving than I thought possible. Their devotion to God is absolute. And the evidence for Islam is piling up for me. I know many here have negative opinions about Islam, Muslims, and the Prophet Muhammad and I did too once but now that I have put a lot of time into studying the religion and talking to many people, I have discovered the true Islam. True Islam is not the fanatical religion of the media nor is it a woman-hating, gun-toting, violent mockery of religion as I had been taught. It very well might be the most peaceful faith on earth. God is in Islam, I can’t deny it any longer. Believe me I’ve tried!
I love the Church, but God has led me to Her and God may be leading me to Islam. I am willing to put everything else aside to follow God where He wills, even if I must put aside my beloved Mother Church. I will submit to God in all things, He will lead me where He wills.

I hesitate to ask…thoughts?

please keep it civil

pax vobiscum
Irish
Click to expand...
Hey dude,

It was nice to read your post. I too was shocked, many years ago, to find out that Islam wasn’t a great evil thing like everyone kept saying it was, notwithstanding some very bad personal encounters I had with Muslims.

But like you, the weight of Islam for me was in the evidence, really. And the Qur’an, which you nicely described as a ray of light. That’s how it was for me.

I think you should pray to God, and ask for guidance. Ask as humbly and sincerely as you possibly can, and trust that He will guide you. 🙂
 
Muslim_Woman said:
** In the name of Allah , the Most Gracious , Ever Merciful **

http://theislampath.com/smf/Smileys/default/salam.gif

Not if s/he kills innocent people . killing any innocent person is a major sin in Islam . Fight on behalf of the oppressed people is a must.

And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, illtreated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is:

“Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.”

( سورة النساء , An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #75)
Click to expand...
What you fail to mention is that in Islam no unbeliever is considered innocent!

Vickie
 
Muslim_Woman said:
** In the name of Allah , the Most Gracious , Ever Merciful **

http://theislampath.com/smf/Smileys/default/salam.gif

Not if s/he kills innocent people . killing any innocent person is a major sin in Islam . Fight on behalf of the oppressed people is a must.

And what is wrong with you that you fight not in the Cause of Allah, and for those weak, illtreated and oppressed among men, women, and children, whose cry is:

“Our Lord! Rescue us from this town whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from You one who will protect, and raise for us from You one who will help.”

( سورة النساء , An-Nisa, Chapter #4, Verse #75)
Click to expand...
With all due respect, most contemprary Islamic scholars have stated that suicide bombing is permissible. I will gather proof if you need.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top