melika969 wrote:So why did you choose Islam? you can choose all other religions and just take the parts you find logical. Or you can develop your new logical religion!
My reply:
shafique wrote:Excellent question Melika.
For me, I choose to follow Islam because it is the most logical path I've discovered so far. I've read up and discussed what other religions teach (and learn from the original sources and adherents of those religions where possible) and then compare it with the religion I'm currently following.
My logic works as such:
1. is there a God?
2. If the answer to 1 is no - then one can indeed choose to live how one wishes and adhere to humanistic teachings only.
3. If the the answer to 1 is a 'yes' then logically God will communicate His presence to mankind.
4. We need to be able to recognise God's communication with mankind and even establish direct communication with Him (so reject any religion that says God doesn't speak any more)
5. Look at all the claimants of revelation from God and look at the claims logically - reject if they fail some basic tests (eg. the tests of Prophethood found in the Bible in Deut 18.20 are a logical set of tests for assessing whether a claimant of prophethood is true).
6. See what the religion offers - spiritually and socially
7. test against logic
8. Reject any answer that says 'but you should have faith and not seek to understand'
9. Once satisfied that a set of commandments is from God and is logical, don't pick and choose - follow.
Thus far, Islam satisfies all the above criteria - provided one believes there is a God. (There is another set of logical arguments for deciding whether there is a Creator - but I've glossed over that, one has to decide whether you stay at 2 or jump to 3 and then on to 9 ).
Cheers,
Shafique