New one

[sally2]

Although religion is no longer dominates everyday life in Western society, Islam becomes the fastest-growing religion in America and in the world?

A NATION CHALLENGED: AMERICAN MUSLIMS; Islam Attracts Converts By the Thousand, Drawn Before and After Attacks
By JODI WILGOREN
Source: The New York Times: October 22, 2001, Monday
Section: National Desk

geocities.com/Pentagon/3016/fastest.htm

“Islam is the fastest-growing religion in America, a guide and pillar of stability for many of our people…” Hillary Rodman Clinton, Los Angeles Times, May 31, 1996, p.3

Famous people are affected too:

Singer “Cat Stevens” Hear his story as told him
islamtomorrow.net/converts/yusuf_islam.htm

 

[sally2]

From what I’ve heard from different friends of mine who have converted to Islam, there are a few main reasons for most conversions.

1. Islam is a religious lifestyle, not just a quick Sunday morning church visit and a label. Although some Christians do pray before each meal and spend much time with their Bible, etc.many don’t in the USA. Islam is something that can’t be shunted into a few spare hours. You pray five times a day. Your dress code is affected; even your food choices are explained in the Qur’an. Many converts like it because they feel actively involved and as if they are truly religious.
2. For women, it is a big and welcome change from the “in your face” sexuality of western culture. Women are not required by the Qur’an to veil. They are required to dress modestly and it is recommended that they cover their hair. However, most do veil and some go farther with niquab (the face screen) or other traditional clothes. Women dressed like this consider themselves marked as religious women, not easy dates. They don’t get hit on. No one gawks at their bodies. They are clearly off limits sexually and many that I personally know say it is liberating not to have to conform to western standards of sexy dress, makeup and spending so much time and money on appearance. You buy a five-dollar hijab, put your hair in a ponytail and cover, wear long skirt and a tunic shirt -you’re set.
3. Islam is also growing because many people are not satisfied with Christianity. They feel it is too liberal, too fluid and changes for the culture. Islam on the other hand is more rigid and does not as a whole allow much for modern changes and the whims of society. Many like it because they feel other religions have loose standards.

That’s what I got from the new Muslimah’s group at Yahoo, Islamway women’s board and a few other friends of mine. Stats taken by many college groups say that women convert 4 times more often then men.

 

[Katholikos]

Interesting thread, but “new one” doesn’t tell what it’s about.

 

[Vincent]

This is from “Muslims in Illinois: A Demographic Report” by Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus, a professor of sociology at SUNY:

"Evidently, Muslims of Illinois seem to be least observant of the single most important (and the easiest) duty i.e. five daily prayers although fasting, perhaps the most difficult to practice while living and working in the American society, is observed by almost half of the eligible population. Relatively more people are involved in Jum’ah congregation on Fridays. Still such a scant attendance of the Jum’ah prayer (about ten percent) is, according to our respondents, due to three major reasons. First, many if not all adults can not get away from their work on Fridays which is a working day. Secondly, most if not all women do not leave home to go to the mosque because Jum’ah prayer is not mandatory on women. Thirdly, a number of men aged 16-18 are still in schools attending classes on Fridays. Hence, a small fraction of the total eligible population attending Jum’ah congregation. . . .

“. . . .compared to a total of 122 in our sample who had accepted Islam as their religion during this period, 76 or close to 41% had rejected it. This shows that the initial impact of Islam upon non-Muslims exposed to Islam in Illinois may be far greater than their will to continue as Muslims in future.”

It seems that American culture poses challenges to living out the Islamic faith, just as it poses challenges to those who profess Christianity.

For example, Catholics, can, if they so choose, participate in daily Mass, daily one-hour Eucharistic adoration, Liturgy of the Hours five times a day (Office of Readings, Morning Prayer, Daytime Prayer, Evening Prayer, Night Prayer), daily rosary, daily Divine Mercy chaplet, Angelus, and so on. However, as many of us have found out, it can be challenging to sustain such a life of prayer in the face of the intense pressures of American culture.

For this reason, I’m not surprised why Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus found out that his sample of Illinois Muslims “seem to be least observant of the single most important (and the easiest) duty i.e. five daily prayers” or that 41% of the Muslim converts in his sample left their faith. I heard that there are similar attrition rates among converts to Catholicism, but I haven’t seen the data, myself.

 

[sally2]

I really don’t like misunderstanding of my intentions in this post .It is not an assault on Christianity or any other religion. It is indispensable for me to look for the truth and study comparative religion because if I would like to know whether a religion is true or false, I should not depend on my emotions, feelings, or traditions. Rather, I should depend on my reason and intellect. When God sent the prophets, He supported them with miracles and evidences, which proved that they were truly prophets, send by God and that the religion they came with was true.

"Verily Allah will not forgive the joining of partners with Him, but He may forgive (sins) less than that for whom so ever He wishes"(Soorah An- Nisaa 4:48 and 116)

Buddha was a reformer who introduced a number of humanistic principles to the religion of India. He did not claim to be God nor did he suggest to his followers that he be an object of worship. Yet, today most Buddhists who are to be found outside of India have taken him to be God and prostrate to idols made in their perception of his likeness.

God revealed a holy book to Jesus called the Injeel, some parts of which may be still available in the teachings of God to Jesus in the New Testament. But this does not mean that the Bible we have today because it is not the original scriptures that were revealed by God. They underwent alterations, additions, and omissions. This was also said by the Committee charged with revising The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version). This Committee consisted of thirty-two scholars who served as members of the Committee. They secured the review and counsel of an Advisory Board of fifty representatives of the co-operating denominations. The Committee said in the Preface to The Holy Bible (Revised Standard Version), p. iv, “Sometimes it is evident that the text has suffered in transmission, but none of the versions provides a satisfactory restoration. Here we can only follow the best judgment of competent scholars as to the most probable reconstruction of the original text.

The Committee also said in the Preface, p. vii, Notes are added which indicate significant variations, additions, or omissions in the ancient authorities (Mt 9.34; Mk 3.16; 7.4; Lk 24.32, 51, etc.).

My question is do we believe in the information declared in the following sites or not:

THE REAL STORY OF MARY

http://geocities.com/SoHo/Gallery/3001/storyofmary.htm

THE TRUTH ABOUT JESUS

http://sultan.org/articles/Jesus.html

Who Was Jesus According to Jesus?

https://islaminfo.com/

IS THE BIBLE GODS WORD?

jamaat.net

Women in Christianity and Islam

http://www.beconvinced.com/women/CH_IS.htm

The Bible - A Closer Look!

http://www.todayislam.com/bible.htm