Islam on the Rise

There seems to be a changing of the dominant religion in the World. For the last 1700 years, Christianity has held a significant position in the religious world. It has by far been the most dominant in Europe, parts of Asia, and Central and North America. America boasts a 78% Christian rate for all Americans. Granted, of those the number of true Christians would be much smaller, there is no religion even close to matching those numbers.
According to a CNN article however, it seems that Islam is quickly gaining on Christianity. In fact there seem to be at least 10 countries in the Middle East and Africa with more than 30 million Muslims in each. India actually houses the third largest amount of Muslims, although they comprise just 13% of the population.
Statistics also show that nearly one of four people in the world is Muslim. That is a very staggering number. That puts us at about 1.5 billion Muslims world wide. The question we have to ask is why is Islam growing so rapidly? There could be a number of reasons. One could be family size. The Quran does not outlaw having multiple wives and nor does it say anything against having many children. Muslim family size is proven to be quite larger than normal European or American households. Another reason could be forced conversions. Many countries such as Egypt and Morocco provide no separation of State and Religion. Thus, the government is Islamic, schools teach Islam, and society becomes Islamic. One cannot hope to stay in these countries as part of another faith without persecution.

Sikh allowed to retain turban in army

For those of you who know know anything about men in the army, you know that they are to have a shaved head and face. That stipulation is something of a problem for Sikhs that may want to enroll. It is a condition of the Sikh religion to never cut hair on the head or face, and to wear a turban. Sadly because the ignorance of American people, Sikhs have been persecuted for years for appearing to look like the Al-Quada. If Americans ever took out time to learn some new information and put their white supremest notions away, they would learn that Sikhs are a peaceful people that don't advocate violence unless in self defense.
Fortunately, there are some positive signs of greater acceptance. Recently the army allowed a Sikh man, Kamaljit Singh Kalsi, to keep his turban and facial hair as long as it was kept clean. The entire article can be found HERE. This is a major step in enticing more Sikhs to the army. In the past Sikhs would have to remove their turbans and facial hair to enroll.
So, hopefully this serves as a predecessor for others who have religious based adornments, such as Jews, Hindus, etc.

Conversion Causes Problems

I had posted an earlier blog about the teenager from Ohio getting perceived threats from her father because of conversion from Islam to Christianity. There was a similar case that occurred much closer to home. The article can be FOUND HERE.
A woman known as Gilda Ghanipour was constantly on the run because she feared deportation to her mother country of Iran. She was born as a Muslim, but had never truly been devout. She had lived with her husband in for a number of years in Germany, but was accused of being a spy upon returning to Iran. This experience caused her to fear her mother country and the imposing nature of Islam. After divorcing her husband, she would constantly visit her relatives in California. It was her where she had a life changing experience.
During a stay in California, an evangelical Christian knocked at her door and talked to her about Christianity. Gilda felt that this was what she had been long searching for, and was baptized in 2000. Unfortunately, her family did not take to the conversion as readily. They in fact alienated her and made her fearful of deportation. Apparently, converts from Islam can be put to death in Iran. It's no wonder Gilda was constantly on the run to avoid deportation. She would stay at the homes of fellow Christians and leave after just a few days. Unfortunately although she has been granted asylum, nobody knows where she is.
The questions stemming from this story are:
1. Why is Islam so stringent in keeping people within the faith. It is the only religion that provides for death of converts and non-believers. Muslims seem to really have an elitist perception of themselves.
2. Why is it that Christians seek converts by any means possible? Leave people alone and concentrate more on making current Christians more religious. How many Christians even follow the ten commandments or regularly read the bible? More importantly, how many people are converted by underhanded means? Examples of this are in the past of course, with Central and South Americans, as well as in the present, with South India.

The Power of Vegetarian

With America the leader in producing obese people, one question has to be circulating in the minds of Americans: What needs to stop? THE answer should be the consumption of meat. Today roughly 30 percent of Americans are obese. Over 60 percent are overweight. These numbers are mind blowing. In comparison, Gujurat, a state in India comprised mostly of Hindus, boasts a rate of only 16 percent obese and overweight combined. What is the difference? Hindus don't eat meat for the most part.
There are of course other reasons to stop or at least cut down severely on the consumption of meat. Sickness has been abundant because of uncooked food or presence of bacteria. One such example is the Jack in the Box E.Coli outbreak in 1993. If the animal had been in any way sick, there is a high chance that cooking the meat won't eliminate the threat. Hamburgers are specifically being targeted because of their susceptibility to E. Coli. More on this can be READ HERE.
So the questions remains: Of what purpose is meat to humanity?
Religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, and partially Buddhism advocate the importance of being vegetarian. They do so for reasons that stem from scriptures and ethics. Americans on the other hand are being asked to save their lives.
What will the choice be?

Atheism Strong and Thriving in New York

The New York subway system is the busiest in the world. With over a billion people using the subway system in 2008, subway stations provide an ideal place for advertisements. And that is exactly what eight Atheist organizations want to do: advertise. They will post posters in 12 of the busiest subway stations, all of them with the same message: A million New Yorkers are good without God. Are you?.
It has already been stated by a representative that the posters are not there to belittle religion or to offend religious people. They are merely there to provide an option for people who feel the same way as established atheists. The entire article can be Read Here.
Personally, I believe these people have the right to post their messages on public domain. American Society is constantly exposed to messages of Love and Acceptance of Jesus from Christianity. There are crosses and images of Jesus throughout New York and other large cities such as Los Angeles. So who is to say that nonbelievers can't post their own message?

President Diversity

President Barack Obama took part in a lighting of wicks at the White House to mark the Indian New Year known as Diwali. The event took place on the 14th and shows at least one good trait that Obama has: the willingness to reach out to people of all races, religions, and cultures. The ceremony also included a special message from the president, which included a few words spoken in Hindi. The video can be SEEN HERE.
This in turn came after President Obama's address to the Middle Eastern countries for peace and correspondence. At the very least it seems as if Obama is at least attempting to rach out to ALL of the citizens in America rather than the whit majority.
My questions are frankly why has Obama made such an effort to reach out to others? Could it very well be that we comes from minority background and therefore appreciates the smaller groups around America?

His political policies aside, Obama has ventured into creating nationwide cohesion farther than any other prior president. This of course marks a positive growth of our country. Changing from the protocal of a white, elder, Christian president has proved extremely successful in one facet at least. Change has brought progession. Imagine that!

Forced Conversion in India

As is common knowledge, it is well known that religious groups who proselytize tend to venture to foreign countries. I have personally seen a large number of Christians in South India. Having talked to locals, I have heard that Christian missionaries have often given monetary aid to South Indians who have converted to Christianity. Apparently, there are a number of riots going on between Christians and Hindus in New Delhi and South India. An article giving more details on the situation can be FOUND HERE.
The issues of discussion here, are whether Christianity has a right to occupy foreign companies and use the method of bribes to convert poor South Indians. Don't missionaries have the duty to spread doctrine and leave it to their belief and faith for the religion to spread? Never have Hindus attempted to force Americans to convert to Hinduism. Nor have they gone out to vilify Christianity nor disgrace it.
So, what right do these Christian missionaries have to coerce people to convert? What right do they have to build churches in such abundance in South India? And more importantly, what right do they have in publicly condemning Hinduism?

The Swastika Not Retired

Just recently in Massachusetts, some vandals put a fear striking message on a local golf course. To view the message take a look at this video from CNN. The implications of such a message are many. This could very well be considered a threat to the president.
The swastika, an image stolen from Hinduism, is most popularly associated with Hitler and the Nazis. This was the symbol they hoisted on flags during Hitler's failed quest to conquer the world.
The symbol is still worn today by fascists that have endeared Hitler's dream of Aryan supremacy.
These are mainly whites who still believe themselves to be superior physically, mentally, ethnically, and racially.
So the topics of this blog are : 1. Why is it that these hateful, deviant, perpetrators are still able to fester in America?
2. How is it that the swastika has received such a poor image?
As I previously stated, the swastika is a Hindu symbol. It symbolizes good fortune and auspiciousness. It is often used in a house warming and drawn above the front door. A Hindu Swastika can be seen above on the right. Yet Nazi fanatics have turned it into a symbol that is feared and abhorred. The Nazi Symbol can be see above on the left. Are there other symbols throughout history that have suffered the same fate? Perhaps the rainbow is one example. In the old testament the rainbow was a covenant between God and the people that there would be no more earth covering floods in the future. Today that symbol may be associated with homosexuals.

Let me hear your thoughts

Islamic Fundamentalists: Suicide Bombings Anyone?

So as American people, we should have an awareness as to what depths religious fanatics will go to back up their views. One prime example is the numerous car bombings that have occurred in Iraq. Whether successful or not, these attacks show just how religion is of utmost importance and how these people have no regard for human life.
My point here is not to bash Muslims. And my reason for that is not because I know Muslim people or have Muslim friends. It is simply because I do not know enough of the religion and therefore cannot say that the religion calls for killing or such. That is one question I want to pose. Is there any reference in the Quran to the treatment of non-believers?
I pose this question because of an event that occurred not too long ago in Africa. A leader with ties to the Al-Qaeda had bombs exploded in a high level meeting between peacemakers which led to 21 killed and many more injured. A statement by a sheikh, or Islamic assembly leader, said the attack was to protect Islam. The entire article can be READ HERE.
So again, are there references in the Quran of mistreating nonbelievers? Can this reading be taken in different way? Can this meaning be taken metaphorically?

Equal Media Coverage?

A breaking story centered around religious conflict has just come up surrounding a Muslim girl in Ohio converting to Christianity. Suspicions are that her father has threatened to perform a "honor killing" and kill her for her decision. She has thus fled from her home to Florida where she has been in contact with an Evangelical priest. A video of the story can be found here.

Another issue I want to discuss regarding this story is the coverage of Christianity in the media. There could possibly have been numerous cases where children face conflict in the family because of differing religious views. Yet, when a girl turns to Christianity, it becomes headline news across the nation.

The opinion I come to here is simple. Although the first amendment calls for a separation of Church and State, in actuality there are numerous examples where that line is blurred or even crossed. It is well known that the United States is overwhelmingly Christian, around 78%. Now without going into how many are true Christians, it is understandable that would there be more churches in America than any other religious structure. But, since when did a Christian school apply as separation? Since when did having to read and memorize the bible become part of a school curriculum? Since when did having to swear on the Bible in court become an attestation to veracity? Since when did it become nearly written law that a non- Christian man or woman could not even harbor a thought of becoming president?

This is the reality that we live in today whether we want to admit it or not. So my point here is not to say that the girl has not suffered an ordeal that the nation shouldn't know about. My point is that there have more than likely been many cases like this and they have not been reported. More importantly, my point is that seeing America as a democracy is merely a pipe dream. We are a theocracy. We are a Christian nation.

Let me hear questions, lamentations, outraged outcries, or perhaps agreements.

The Ultra Orthodox

No matter where you are, educated people tend to have the largest influence on a country. What if however, religious orthodoxy was keeping kids from learning general subjects such as math, science, and language?
That seems to be the case in Israel. The ultra-orthodox, known as the Haredim, keep general education to a minimum in elementary schools, and offer none at yeshivas, or religiously focused high schools. This in turn affects the workforce later on, due to the fact that not only are kids less educated, but also because the majority of the Haredim do not work. They are supported by state funds and therefore have little motivation to work. You can read more about the article HERE
What are your thoughts on ultra-orthodox or fundamentalists?
We have them to a degree in the United States as well, a group known as the Religious Right. They are the Christian fundamentalist group that still pushes back ideas of evolution and sex education. And they are not just a small group. The Religious Right has a big influence on politics and influences nearly 15% of the electorate vote. Also, this group has methods of accumulating vast funds, equaling to hundreds of millions of dollars. So, should groups like these really have such a foothold in country politics and economics? What stops us from weeding these groups out?

Christian Influence

To be honest with you, I have heard very little of the Manson murders. I read up on the case just recently this year. I was struck with perhaps the same question that all Americans are : What could Charles Manson have done to convince these normal women to commit such heinous crimes? That question will most likely never be answered. However, with the recent death of Susan Atkins, perhaps the blogs need to start up again.
One point of interest here, is that Atkins converted to Christianity while in prison. What is more note worthy, is the fact that prison staff and clergy workers attempted to earn her parole. You can read more of the article HERE.
The subject of this blog, is whether there would have been attempts to earn Susan Atkins parole if she had not converted to Christianity. Imagine the story that would have bloomed out of that.
Christianity Helps to Reform Psycho Killer!
The Christian faith comes through again!
Was Atkins conversion a realization on her part that this was her only chance to get out? Was this an opportunity that the church saw to gain more publicity and a positive light in the media?

The Condition of Muslims in India

Contrary to common beliefs, 150 million Muslims currently reside in India, a number which is greater than that of Pakistan and other Arab countries. It is of course plausible that Hindus and Muslims would be at odds considering their differing religious beliefs and more importantly, the fact Muslims continue to choose to live in India despite the fact that Pakistan was created as a Muslim state. One opinion of how Muslims are being treated is discussed in this article.
The questions posed in this blog are:
1. What specifically is your take on treatment of Indian Muslims? (It must be kept in mind that this article is an opinion of a practicing Muslim. There is of course going to be, even minimally, some sort of bias for Muslims. Secondly, this is just one source. This article fails to mention anything of how Hindus may be treating in Muslim dominant countries such as Pakistan)
2. Looking back in history, Muslim rule is said to have destroyed thousands of Hindu temples in North India alone. Could this maltreatment of Muslims today, perhaps be retribution for past Muslim acts?
3. How is it possible to overturn this perception of Muslims that people from all over the world have been fed by the media. There is a common perception that pervades the world, whether it is accurate or not. That image is that Muslims are religiously driven to be hostile and aggressive, and to turn to fanatical methods to achieve religious objectives. How is it that India gets attacked for this perspective when hundreds of countries, including the US, hold it?

Religious Symbols on Public Land

If anyone has seen or heard of a religious court case between Salazar vs. Buono, you know that a controversy has stemmed from a cross used at a memorial in the Mojave Desert for WWI solidiers. This is factually, public (government owned) property. Here is some more information http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/commentary/la-oe-drazin5-2009oct05,0,4784320.story.

My questions for the purpose of this blog are:
1. Is this cross really a secular symbol in this particular example? Obviously it can be taken either way, but if it is religious, should it be allowed on government property?
2. Where does the freedom of expression/ speech play in this dilemma?
3. If this controversy revolved around another religion, per say Hinduism or Islam, would the reaction of the public and media be different? Would it be looked at more critically?