Sunday, January 27, 2013

What is a religion of peace? I need your answers

A long time Muslim reader of this blog, Abdul Hakim, has posed two excellent questions. I want to invite you to consider and answer his questions:
I mostly agree that a religion from God would be peaceful. But I would like to ask a few questions in that regard:

1. Who defines what is peaceful?
People have different opinions on things like death penalty, abortion, and even spanking. If people can differ so much in just the US, how much more so about religions that span the globe? Who sets the criterion and says "OK this is peaceful, this is not. This is good, this is bad"?

2. How does a religion being peaceful prove it is from God?

Unless you wanted to get into a complicated philosophical discussion that God must be kind (which I don't think either of us want to do)

Let me also clarify: I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT GOD IS CRUEL OR UNMERCIFUL. I AM ONLY POSING THESES QUESTION FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE OPEN TO ALL RELIGIONS AND WAYS OF THINKING.
Christians often complain about how Muslims are narrow-minded and judgmental. But here we have a Muslim who is asking some very good questions (I think). He deserves your prayerful answers.

--Abu Daoud