There is an increasing number of Westerners who believe that there are scientific miracles in the Qur'an, and converting on that basis. This blog documents my attempts to persuade one Muslim convert friend to examine these miracle claims (and other worrying aspects of Islam) rationally. Muslims are invited to respond in the comments section where I am always delighted to debate.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
What if you lose Pascal's wager?
A little while back I posited the theory that Pascal's Wager - the idea that it makes more sense to spend your life as a believer than not, since if you're wrong you lose nothing, and if you're right you win everything - in fact made more sense for Muslims than anyone else, since the threats and promises made by Allah are that much more ... extreme than those made by the woolly liberal, C of E, post enlightenment, post-modern, Christian God. I then came across this nasty, life-denying little quote from the Ayatollah Khomeini:
"Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious."
...and decided the wager didn't make as much sense for Muslims after all. Apart from the immediate reaction that this must...surely...be a quote made up by some loony-tunes Islamophobe (it's not, I checked), it strikes me that this vicious, vacuous denial of everything that makes life worth living has at its heart a kernel of truth about Islam. It's that word "test". It's a word that has cropped up many times in my discussions with my convert friend: "This life is just a test", he'll say... as I slap my forehead in frustration. And so to the big question: What if it's not? What if this life is all we have, Mr Khomeini? Suddenly the wager doesn't seem like such a no-brainer. What if you go through this life, denying yourself the earthly pleasures of laughter, joy, jokes, booze, gay sex (if that's your thing) and FUN ... only to discover that that was it? To paraphrase Basil Fawlty:
Whoosh! "What was that?" "That was your life, mate." "That was quick. What about the after-life?" "Sorry, mate - that's your lot!"
Of course I'm not suggesting that the majority of Muslims, like the sour-faced loon Khomeini, live their lives perversely relishing the rashes induced by their proverbial hair shirts. But hair shirts, like tests, come in all shapes and sizes. Fasting from sunrise to sunset in the middle of summer...not drinking...praying five times a day... covering yourself from head to foot in case a man sees your flesh...forcing yourself to deny evolution despite the evidence...eating only animals killed by having their throats slit while still alive..Muslims will say that all this gives them a feeling of peace and spirituality. But at what cost? Wouldn't the one life we all get be so much pleasanter and joyful if we knew that this was it? Enjoy this life and do good for goodness' sake instead of in the hope of winning the celestial lottery or out of a constant fear of the fiery pit.What must it be like to be constantly wondering how you're doing in the test?
The problem is which test are you doing and is the right one for the Day of Judgement? What if its the Christian DoJ or Jewish or Hindu or Sikh or Zoroastrian or Jain or Buddhist or Rastafarian or Shinto or the countless others.
No matter which test you're in, you're outnumbered by all the others.
Life may be testing but it is not a test worth wasting the only life we are sure about.
There is only one Day of Judgement. All religions are versions of Islam. Islam is the one true religion. Adam and Eve and all the Prophets were Muslims. Just look at how Jesus said "Peace be upon you" and prayed with his forehead on the ground - just like Muslims today!
Thats what islam makes you.....Stupid . The fact that Jesus prayed like that makes it more pertinant to say Christianity is more true than Islam and that , Islam is a version of Christianity....
As a Sunni Muslim or Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama'ah, this is my view:
1) Ayatollah Khomeini doesn't representing Islam as a whole, as he's only approved by Shia Muslim. If you need to learn more about Islam, consider study Sunni Islam as well.
2) "Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious."
Following Sunni Islam, we're free enjoy our life as long it is following human nature and doesn't break the rules set by Allah which is opposing the quote here.
3)For example, Priest in Christianity is not allowed to have spouse while in Islam marriage is encouraged since it's nature for human to love each other (male to female and vice versa) and produce offspring. Same reason why male allowed to marry up to 4 womens but women only allowed to marry to one.
4)As a muslim we look at life in this world and in hereafter as a whole package. In this short life we have, Allah given us free will but he also sent us guidance. It's in the afterlife he will have full judgement based on what we did in this life.
5)In case of Pascal's Wager, there's not much to lose if you're following Islam (at least from Sunni point of view) compared to non following. There's reason why there's banning on alcohol drinks, adultery etc which we must agree, they do brings harm to our society more than benefit.
6)"eating only animals killed by having their throats slit while still alive"
based on your quote here I take it you haven't done your study on the benefit of doing it that way. I suggest for you to study more on that.
7)All Abrahamic religions are once 'Islam' but over time as human populates earth the teaching do lose it's essence thus Allah sent Islam as the final version of the religion and the reason why Al Quran still being keep as it is. What changed are the interpretations of Al Quran like what ISIS have done.
Sorry I may have jumbled up my points but at least I hope it'll be stepping stones for your to discover more about Islam.
Life is a test. We are all facing our own test and we will be judged on how we perform.
ReplyDeleteJudgement Day will come.
The problem is which test are you doing and is the right one for the Day of Judgement? What if its the Christian DoJ or Jewish or Hindu or Sikh or Zoroastrian or Jain or Buddhist or Rastafarian or Shinto or the countless others.
ReplyDeleteNo matter which test you're in, you're outnumbered by all the others.
Life may be testing but it is not a test worth wasting the only life we are sure about.
Azim
There is only one Day of Judgement. All religions are versions of Islam. Islam is the one true religion. Adam and Eve and all the Prophets were Muslims. Just look at how Jesus said "Peace be upon you" and prayed with his forehead on the ground - just like Muslims today!
ReplyDeleteThats what islam makes you.....Stupid . The fact that Jesus prayed like that makes it more pertinant to say Christianity is more true than Islam and that , Islam is a version of Christianity....
DeleteHow many christians pray with their forehead to the ground ? Now how many muslims pray like that .... ? :)
ReplyDeleteAs a Sunni Muslim or Ahlul Sunnah wal Jama'ah, this is my view:
ReplyDelete1) Ayatollah Khomeini doesn't representing Islam as a whole, as he's only approved by Shia Muslim. If you need to learn more about Islam, consider study Sunni Islam as well.
2) "Allah did not create man so that he could have fun. The aim of creation was for mankind to be put to the test through hardship and prayer. An Islamic regime must be serious in every field. There are no jokes in Islam. There is no humor in Islam. There is no fun in Islam. There can be no fun and joy in whatever is serious."
Following Sunni Islam, we're free enjoy our life as long it is following human nature and doesn't break the rules set by Allah which is opposing the quote here.
3)For example, Priest in Christianity is not allowed to have spouse while in Islam marriage is encouraged since it's nature for human to love each other (male to female and vice versa) and produce offspring. Same reason why male allowed to marry up to 4 womens but women only allowed to marry to one.
4)As a muslim we look at life in this world and in hereafter as a whole package. In this short life we have, Allah given us free will but he also sent us guidance. It's in the afterlife he will have full judgement based on what we did in this life.
5)In case of Pascal's Wager, there's not much to lose if you're following Islam (at least from Sunni point of view) compared to non following. There's reason why there's banning on alcohol drinks, adultery etc which we must agree, they do brings harm to our society more than benefit.
6)"eating only animals killed by having their throats slit while still alive"
based on your quote here I take it you haven't done your study on the benefit of doing it that way. I suggest for you to study more on that.
7)All Abrahamic religions are once 'Islam' but over time as human populates earth the teaching do lose it's essence thus Allah sent Islam as the final version of the religion and the reason why Al Quran still being keep as it is. What changed are the interpretations of Al Quran like what ISIS have done.
Sorry I may have jumbled up my points but at least I hope it'll be stepping stones for your to discover more about Islam.