John, you are so right that marriage can be a panacea for some. It isn’t ‘happy’ all the time, I probably shouldn’t have said that. It is a struggle to choose the other person’s best even when you don’t feel like it. Just getting married doesn’t solve any problem that was there before, you will still have times of loneliness. but it is the ultimate act of human commitment, a promise to love for life, which is why it is used as an analogy of God’s love and commitment to us.

Faith doesn’t mean unquestioning, I think it means trusting in God’s goodness (or ‘fairness’, as Shaden said)to the point that His character over-rides today’s reality. I believe God loves it when we wrestle through hard questions, as He reveals more about himself through it…like Jacob wrestling with God until God blessed him. But many times, when His answer is ‘no’ or ‘wait’ and we don’t know why, we trust His character for future good.

As far as that brittle-boned baby, it was God’s mercy to end his suffering. I believe that children who die spend eternity with God. I believe the root of all evil is rebellion against God (and the love of money). Israel has rebelled against God since the beginning…yet God chose to work through Israel as an example to us all that He can love even the worst of us. One day they will wake up and see how they have now become…as evil as Nazis were to them.

John, I’m glad you chose to stay in this discussion…it’s not too often you get a devout Muslim and Christian together to talk about these kind of subjects.

Shaden, you are delightful! See you tomorrow night!

do you question yourself why Israel does these terrible acts to your country folk? do Israelis really try to figure out why Hizbollah, Hamas etc. terrorise them? did Americans think much about the motives for 9/11?

– no it’s all “evil”.

such good unquestions. diligent unthinking.

is it a coincidence that each side is staunchly religious?

Yes

3) i would trust in your interpretation, you seem pretty smart. but i wonder at how that mechanism works for ppl like Osama, or the after Jewish settler extremist…

It’s all about how we interpret things, sometimes we interpret religions to our liking, and it’s so easy to do so for example, I can justify almost anything by using a Qura’anic verse. It’s scary I know but some people can be really stupid and/or lost.

As for justice, I believe that there are extremes as in murder, nothing justifies it, and unless it was in defense or the murderer was mentally ill, he should not be forgiven. Can you think of good reasons for murder? I can’t.

Is it fair that a new born suffers…well I’d say know but then I’m not God I’m only human and hence I know very little. We should believe that everything happens for a reason, for a greater cause. Maybe if that infant lived it would be unfair to him and others, maybe he was meant to kill someone or even kill himself. I don’t know.

Faith is all about unquestioning. When you believe in someone you don’t doubt, you just believe, and so is believing in God. It’s not easy, and it’s complicated but one can’t live without believing. I’m sure you believe in something or someone, everybody does, we were created like that.

I do.

>and that some evil acts should not go unpunished?

criminal acts should be punished.

I believe there is an underlying reason for every action - in the sense of cause and effect. i would rather understand the causes and ensure they don’t happen again, than labeling them evil and being none the wiser.

as for god and hell being the ultimate justice. the idea that villains can never escape God is comforting. however comforting it is to own such beliefs, doesn’t make them true.

>and if that happens it means God is unfair, and if that is true then He is not God.

is it fair that a new born baby is born with brittle bone disease, suffers incredible pain, and dies of pain a few months after?

is that justice? is that evil? no one has explained that to me.

2) sorry, just think that unmarried pin too much hope sometimes, that getting married is a panacea…

3) i would trust in your interpretation, you seem pretty smart. but i wonder at how that mechanism works for ppl like Osama, or the after Jewish settler extremist…

(that post ended a long week… need to relax head more…)

1) I do not believe that there’s anyone who is entirely evil or entirely good. You misunderstood me.

1/b) But don’t you believe in justice? and that some evil acts should not go unpunished? and if that happens it means God is unfair, and if that is true then He is not God.

2) I didn’t get it

3) Personally, I don’t have a problem with that. Because everything I’ve been ordered to do in the Qura’an is completely understandable and I’m really convinced by it. But I must say that I do my own thinking, and I choose the interpretation that makes sense to me.

Kinzi, thanks a lot for sharing that with me. At first I didn’t like the analogy of the bride and groom but I think I understand where you’re coming from, and I must say it’s a good way to think about it although does not answer all the questions, such as where do those who are unready go? and why is it good to be ready and experience the eternal love? but I don’t think anyone can answer these questions.