Islam

[LordKenwyne]

I found this odd in something I'm reading.

Mohammed in 610 had those revelations in the cave in arabia. The angel Gabriel told him he was the chosen one and all that jazz.

At the time in Mecca the leaders were polytheistic, they believed in multiple gods.

When the leaders of mecca, the pagans, realised Mohammed was preaching doom and death to the non believers, they wanted him gone.

Mohammed and his small group of followers flee to medina. After attacking tribes and merchant camel trains, gaining more wealth, they gained more followers. Divine protection they played it off as.

In 624 the leaders of Mecca realised they were getting too big so decided to negotiate a truce.

My question is that Mohammed was the messenger, yet up until 625, Muslims were instructed to pray towards Jerusalem, not Mecca??.

Coincidentally, the centre of Islam moved from Jerusalem to Mecca in 628, after the negotiations.

Not only that, The Kaaba in Mecca, the "house of allah" is said to be Islam's most holy point. This was there prior to Mohammed. It was pagan.

After this the pagan leaders of Mecca pledged allegiance to Islam. Who'd have thunk it?.

It doesn't so much come across as being some divine intervention, more a power grab from mohammed to gain followers.

[Rjk]

Undoubtedly, there are similar things you could say about the growth of Christianity too

[LordKenwyne]

Undoubtedly, there are similar things you could say about the growth of Christianity too

Yep.

I don't understand how people can follow them with such certainty.

There could well be something more after death. Believe in a higher being, carry on.

But all the petty squabbling about the rest of it is baseless.

They're lucky technology was so poor at the time. If only we could go back by written information or something, it'd be proven as mainly lies and nipped in the bud. Then maybe people would get some perceptive - That they haven't a clue what they're believing in. And they're as dumb as the next person. So scared of death they'll believe anything.

[Taunton Blue Genie]

Let's be honest: if you strongly indoctrinate a very young child with religion you have a pretty good chance of keeping him or her for life, especially if you don't expose them to scientific theory and an evidence-based way of thinking.

[Rjk]

Let's be honest: if you strongly indoctrinate a very young child with religion you have a pretty good chance of keeping him or her for life, especially if you don't expose them to scientific theory and an evidence-based way of thinking.

There are probably strong evolutionary reasons as to why as children we Believe what our parents tell us, and also We tend to maintain old customs that we don't necessarily understand.

This though leaves us vulnerable to being controlled and over the years religions have mostly been about wielding power over the masses.

[LordKenwyne]

Let's be honest: if you strongly indoctrinate a very young child with religion you have a pretty good chance of keeping him or her for life, especially if you don't expose them to scientific theory and an evidence-based way of thinking.

Yep.

If they didn't do that the followers would absolutely plummet.

When I was in school I'd put Christian down on that information sheet they sent around. The census thing.

I have never been a christian but I assumed I was one. As did everyone.

When they release the figures of how many christians there are in the UK, how many are in the same boat?.

[Wales-Bales]

You just have to understand that humans collaborate through shared ideas, not reality. You can get people to do anything you want if you can make them believe in your story.

[goslow]

Morehamhead was a robber baron (and child abuser) who came up with a cracking idea to do what he wanted,his successors then had to continue with the fairytales to keep the faithful murdering and robbing in the name of god.

[life on mars]

I found this odd in something I'm reading.

Mohammed in 610 had those revelations in the cave in arabia. The angel Gabriel told him he was the chosen one and all that jazz.

At the time in Mecca the leaders were polytheistic, they believed in multiple gods.

When the leaders of mecca, the pagans, realised Mohammed was preaching doom and death to the non believers, they wanted him gone.

Mohammed and his small group of followers flee to medina. After attacking tribes and merchant camel trains, gaining more wealth, they gained more followers. Divine protection they played it off as.

In 624 the leaders of Mecca realised they were getting too big so decided to negotiate a truce.

My question is that Mohammed was the messenger, yet up until 625, Muslims were instructed to pray towards Jerusalem, not Mecca??.

Coincidentally, the centre of Islam moved from Jerusalem to Mecca in 628, after the negotiations.

Not only that, The Kaaba in Mecca, the "house of allah" is said to be Islam's most holy point. This was there prior to Mohammed. It was pagan.

After this the pagan leaders of Mecca pledged allegiance to Islam. Who'd have thunk it?.

It doesn't so much come across as being some divine intervention, more a power grab from mohammed to gain followers.

So where does the mosque in Grangetown fit into all this

[Eric Cartman]

Can anyone work out what the point of this thread is?

[LordKenwyne]

Can anyone work out what the point of this thread is?

It really isn't hard.

Not you, but the religious get awfully defensive when you begin to question the formation of their religion.

If they say and think that I will burn in hell for eternity for sinning, I can question their religion.

[Eric Cartman]

It really isn't hard.

Not you, but the religious get awfully defensive when you begin to question the formation of their religion.

If they say and think that I will burn in hell for eternity for sinning, I can question their religion.

Questioning it won't get you anywhere though. Obviously you can pick holes in any religious text but the believers will always have an excuse.

[LordKenwyne]

Questioning it won't get you anywhere though. Obviously you can pick holes in any religious text but the believers will always have an excuse.

Ye that's what I mean.

If only we could go back.

It won't get you anywhere no. But there are so many people than impose their religion on others, they put it out their to question.

They speak with such certainty. Saying others are living their lives the "wrong" way. Yet they can't even handle you questioning their own beliefs.