lunachick

As others have mentioned, this guy is a bad example.

He was born Jewish, became a Christian when the hippy version of Christianity was..well..."hip" in the late sixties, early seventies..and no doubt became a child of Islam 'cos it was all deep and "hip" and that, too. In between days are probably spent being a new age, crystal-healing, vaguely occultist s.n.a.g. in a kaftan. Give him another decade or two and he'll be a transhumanist.

Personally, I think people tend to go with what is either fashionable, rad, a little bit badass because it annoys your middle class family - like Baghwan Shree Rajneesh did in the late seventies and eighties. I think the same for many people who become born again Christians, etc. It's fashionable, baby, and makes people feel oh, so deep.

hinduwoman

I think the claims are exxagerated.


http://whatsthisthen.netfirms.com/mu...vingislam.html
according to this website Muslims themselves are claiming that 40% of young Muslims in the west lose their faith. Which means they are nominal Muslims at best.

How to Make America an Islamic Nation
by Yahiya Emerick
http://www.jannah.org/articles/america.html

Re: Islam bashing; the way I see it: Another response to Ms. Lopa Tasneem
By Lopa Hassan
http://bangladesh-web.com/news/oct/28/g28102002.htm
Yes, people are leaving Islam, silently. This is a tragic secret, murmuring into the air of Islamic society these days, trying to tell us something; we can't hear the whisper because it is most often masked by the crude loud scream ‘Islam is the fastest growing religion on earth’.

Also, http://forum.faithfreedom.org/viewtopic.php?t=352

http://www.mequarterly.org/article.php?id=13

Magus55

Because the Koran was created by a sinful human, modeled after his life - and he knew just how to get people to follow him - offer people things that are sinful and that they already enjoy. This world is obsessed with sex and wealth, so thats what Mohammed offered. People look at his religion and see that they don't really have to give up anything - and they can work for salvation. Where as in Christianity, you have to turn from your sins - and many people don't like that idea - they enjoy sex, money, power, etc. - Islam allows them to retain those sins and still "get in with god".

(waits for the flames and insults)

Grad Student Humanist

Oh yeah, because we all know that Xtianity has nothing to do with sex, money and power.

*cough* Catholic Church *cough*

winstonjen

Magus hates the Catholic Church. However, it seems strange to worship a being that engages in sin (rape of Mary, global genocides instead of peaceful diplomacy etc.), by not engaging in the acts that the deity does. Isn't emulation a sign of respect?

Spaz

Hahaha, you are too funny magus, and grad you must remember that catholics aren't true christians like magus, they may have practically made the religion, but that's irrelevant

Corgan Sow

I'm surprised this kind of fundy exist in this forum.

Care to back such abhorrent, unsupported statement with verses from the quran and hadith?

Who says that Christians have to give up everything? There is such thing such as "deathbed repentence" doesn't it? In Islam, such bullshit will not save you from hell.

Sabine Grant

Bonjour saraja..... it is a pleasure for me to communicate with someone who lives in my native culture. Islam is now I believe the second major religion in France. Mostly due to the important immigration of muslims coming from Northern Africa or ex french colonies. I did not realize Islam was the fastest growing religion also in the US until I read your post.

Here is my theory ( please note that it is only a theory). With the increasing need for the US black population to reunite with the African origines well reflected in the politicaly correct term americans use of " African Americans" I would think that most conversions to Islam occur among the black population. Are you familiar with Farrakhan ( not sure of the spelling) a man who leads the most influencial black islamic movement in the US?

I wonder if the propagation of islamic faith in the US is not related to something similar to what we used to call " negritude" in France where art, culture, lifestyle, religion revolved around african origines. In other words, could we explain that conversion phenomenon in the US thru a similar process rather inspired by a cultural IDENTITY need than a spiritual need? Also one has to take in account that after years of oppression of the black race in the US ( and we still have traces of that opression reflected by white supremacist ideology exercised freely by certain groups), there would be a need to rebuild and reaffirm a cultural identity.

Not to demean the appeal islamic faith may have to some people ( obviously Cat Stevens made a spiritual choice), but could there be a desire to find the roots of a cultural identity for so long oppressed by the predominant christian white supremacy?

Au fait.... es tu musulmane? ma mere est nee et a grandi en Algerie. J'ai vecu moi meme au Maroc et visite l'Algerie. Mais j'ai surtout passe mon enfance en Afrique Noire. Je comprends tres bien le sentiment des musulmans de ne pas etre compris. Il y a beaucoup de prejuges contre les musulmans surtout aux USA. Mon experience avec les musulmans a tout ete positive au niveau individuel. A bientot, Veronique.