Posted on 02/19/2006 10:25:18 AM PST by disraeligears
Mr. Moderator:
I realize this is a vanity, but this is a question that I've never seen really raised here on Free Republic either by article or by vanity and I don't think it should be relegated elsewhere until it is thrashed about on Jim's main board. I've been a Freeper since 2000, so please honor this one request.
What were the Muslims before the Prophet?
Riots everyday against non-muslim institutions because of, primarily, a series of cartoons.
As a nation that was founded upon Judeo-Christian ideals, but one that also founded upon the philosophy of accepting all religions as well as freedom of speech, there are certain to be large number of fellow citizens who are muslims who also believe in both freedom of religion and freedom of speech.
Therefore, is there a concerted effort by the muslim theocracy, both outside the United States, and within, to intimidate our muslim fellow citizens who disagree with this intolerant world view. The silence of those muslims is deafening and if they don't now, eventually, I believe that the clash of cultures will be so divisive that the Crusades will be viewed as a pre-season scrimmage to the upcoming violence between nations.
But hell, if you're guaranteed 70 bazillion virgins, who cares?
But the current geo-politico-religisio quagmire still begs the question. What religion did the ancestors of the followers of the prophet of Muhammad follow before he was born? Judaism? Christianity? Plural-Deism? Buddism? Hindusim? Just what the heck was the belief system of these folks?
disraeligears
Depends on what people you are talking about. Arabs before Islam were mostly Pagans, Christians, and Jewish. Persians were mostly Zoroastrnists, Bahai, and Mithras. South Asia was mostly Hindu. Southeast Asia like Indonesia were Pagans.
Bump it to kick around later
Unwashed and smelly ;-)
When Muhammad came along, they dumped all the minor demons and went straight to the bottom, Satan. Oh, they call him "Allah" instead of his real name, but he has no relationship whatsoever to the Hebrew/Christian God except that he once stood in His presence.
No need to apologize, it is quite common.
"Confusing" arabs with muslims, either deliberately or through ignorance is a convenient device. Zoroestrians are not arabs.
Arabs might have named our system of numbers and the constellations, but they invented or studied neither, in the sense that they are the intellectual originators.
They were at one time, consumate sponges of the learning and innovations of conquered cultures. The ultimate librarians.
I give them credit for that; cultural xerox machines.
It is no accident that only when ancient Greek and Oriental knowledge was reintroduced into Europe did science, and knowledge, explode.
Librarians, specially those hampered by the hate of individual initiative and innovation, have discovered nothing; created nothing and to this day their accomplishments (or lack thereof) of the last 900 years is irrefutable.
But thank you for playing.
Thanks. I do have Ibn's book "Why I am not a Muslim" and find it fantastic.
They were miscellaneous pagans. Notice how much Islam has copied Jewish and Christian tenets and practices. They were not interested in the temple mount until the Jews started returning to Israel.
But some good information is contained in it.
Exactly the 'Dome of the Rock' mosque was of little interest to Muslims until Israel started forming. You can look at roughly 1900-era pictures of the mosque and it looks more like a 'Classical Age' ruin then a functioning mosque !
It's not silly, because Islam has spread almost exclusively by forcible conversion. The notable exception is here in US prisons, of course.
"Not enough Christians around to convert them to Christianity. The problem the Jews have,is they don't try to convert people to Judaism like the Christians and Muslims do to their religion.
If you got 72 Jews in a town of thousands and nobody moves in, you won't have many more Jewsin 10 years. If you have 72 Christians in town you will have hundreds, maybe thousands of them in 10 years because Christians seek new members. "
Guess I am confused about Catholic converts. Jews must be born of a Jewish mother and recently I read something about original ancestors of the jews, "the jewish women" have special genes that all "real" jews have in their DNA. It was my opinion that Jesus wanted to include converts and that was the main reason for his arguement with judaism. Today there are Orthodox, Conservative; and now (fairly new) Reform (only division of the religon that non-jews can convert to).
As for Catholics, believe one must be catholic to marry catholic. Don't now how original catholics were organized. Today, it's not easy to convert or to marry catholic. The converts do not get full membership.
Even converts into Mormon have limited membership.
Would like history of converts with Muslims. Your opinion they either converted or were murdered on the spot? Maybe they were made into Eunuchs, sexless or into slaves for the harems?
So-called Arabic numerals are derived from Sanskrit. If you've ever seen Sanskrit numbers it's obvious. The astronomy Arabs knew they got from the Vedas. Unani medicine is based on Vedic medicine. The Vedic religion is essentially monotheistic, and predates Zoroaster by a factor of thousands of years. Arab science was essentially all borrowed.
Joseph Smith's mother was a Methodist, his other family members belonged to other Christian churches.
He inquired to see which of those were right.
For the most part, those who join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints are members of other Christian denominations.
I know that the first answer was just a jab at Mormons, but it has a serious answer also.
My apologies
That is not true. There are far more converts in the church than were born into the church.
Being born into the church gives an access to learning, but it is what you do with your learning that counts.
There are many who are converts and are Bishops, and other offices in the church.
There are many who were born into the church and who are inactive, or partly active.
I see from your tagline you're wearing a dunce cap.
You've earned it.
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