Lastly, I discovered the beauties of Science That really opened my mind to new possibilities. There was just so much wonder in the world that Islam seemed too petty and small. Why would Allah who creates the Universe worry about little things us humans do? Surely he has better things to do, and don’t tell me he watches over us because he cares for us and loves us. Have you read the Quran? If anything, Allah hates us considering the only ability he has shown in the Quran is the ability to find any excuse to torture you and bring you pain. Islam seemed to diminish the beauty of the Universe by teaching that you are born into a pointless test which is rigged to make you fail. Allah apparently created us, just to see if we’ll worship him and find out which of the hundreds of religions was the real one. That began to seem if not absolutely pointless, then to be honest, rather stupid. What kind of a test is it in which most people only pass just because they were born into the winning team? If life is a test, it seems the most unfair test imaginable. If that is the meaning of life, to pass a pointless quiz, I would rather live a meaningless life.
My view exactly. Why would a god create humans with some cognitive abilities and “test” us on our willingness to refuse to use them for the sake of “faith”? A god like that is a cheat; it’s an outrage to worship it.
Noshina Fawad, Leeds
I grew up in a household where my father was an atheist and my mother, a liberal Muslim. We were taught ethics and morality and were raised as Muslims. The more I learnt about Islam, the more I became aware of its many restrictions and how I was totally against them. Islam preaches peace and serenity and yet encourages the murder of ‘kafirs’, those who have said anything against it. Islam prohibits listening to music and yet many of the surats and ayats of the Quran are in musical form. Islam conveys equality for both men and women while men are allowed to have four wives, and this liberty is not mutual. Living in Pakistan, I witnessed how women were brainwashed to believe that they only existed to be of service to men, how children were scolded to memorise verses that they didn’t even understand. Religion limits an individual to a certain way of life; it restricts us to grasp any other possibilities of existence. I believe in justice and freedom and I am proud to say I have renounced religion!
No longer quivering.
The parallels between ex-Muslims and ex-Christians are startling. Congratulations to all these people for finding new lives filled with freedom and wonder.
These are happy stories! Thanks for sharing them.
It seems so much easier to be an ex-Jew that I almost feel guilty about it. (Although I’m sure it’s different if you were brought up Satmar or somesuch.)
…..Why would god/allah create and worry about the things small humans do?…
Well, how about this: …Because “the allmighty” is such a vain pompous prat!
The allmighty seems insatiablble for praise. Reading the schetchy outline of the blissful afterlife, humans and angels seems to spend most of their eternal time in said activities.
A rather strange field of interest for an omnipotent, benevolent and omniscient being, I dare say.
Cassanders
In Cod we trust
I’ve long held the opinion that if god IS real (which it absoluty is not) it’s a total cock.
It has long struck me that holy books from the two major religions, the Bible and Koran, both depict God, and particularly the actions and words of this God, in a very odd manner. Either God is a huge prick, and wholly unworthy and undeserving of worship, or God is being depicted in these books by a rather unsophisticated and childish human.
The thundering, petulant, peevish and arbitrary depiction of God is very like what a child might imagine a notional God might sound and act like. Some of these stories really seem to be half thought through childish fabrications that might best be written in a broken childish scrawl, using a purple crayon, on a rumpled brown paper wrapper.
Add in the observation that in this depiction of God he always shares the writer’s bias, assumptions, prejudices, knowledge base and I get the feeling that these Gods are creations of the writer’s own mind.
I find it probative that if the writer thinks the earth is flat or misunderstands simple geography then their God is just as mistaken. God doesn’t mentions knowledge or facts yet to be known in any specificity. What technology is mentioned is often depicted incorrectly. But usually incorrectly in exactly the same way and degree that people in the author’s time and place had it wrong.
Either God is a petulant asshole who throws fits and breaks his toys; or God is an imaginary construct invented and depicted by humans. The inclusion of entirely natural and human prejudices and errors in what is said to be the words and works of this notional God seems to say it is the later.
It is time to let go of the children’s books, written by and for children. Time to look around without assuming that the universe knows or cares what we do, or how we to it. That the universe is neither a loving and protective shepherd, nor a spiteful, angry supernatural father figure.
You may not be allowed to be an ex-jew, csrster. A lot of people- including people who you would call ex-jews- seem to regard ex-jews as logical contradictions, like ex-murderers.
I find it encouraging that (judging from above examples) some of these ex-Muslims sign their names to their essays. They seem to think that the self-appointed executioners of apostates active in the general zone between Morocco and Bangladesh won’t try to see if their luck has improved since the Great Danish Cartoonist Hunt.
One thing I have actually noticed is that there are plenty of myths regarding the banks intentions when talking about foreclosure. One fantasy in particular is that often the bank desires your house. The lender wants your cash, not your own home. They want the funds they gave you together with interest. Keeping away from the bank will only draw a foreclosed final result. Thanks for your article.