My oldest is dating/in love with a Muslim. She’s a wonderful person. Like many women within the Muslim religion/culture (hard to separate the two) she practices Ramadan and this year, like last year my son is joining her.
He does it to support her. Last year they made it two weeks.
Personally I have no issue with it, but I also have no emotional ties either. I also know why my son has chosen to respect and support her in this practice.
So out of curiousity… any others out there that are not religious but still follow some of the practices?
I can’t imagine torturing myself in that fashion on purpose. As if there isn’t enough bodily discomfort and pain in this life to satisfy even a sadistic god. It’s a bad idea to not at least stay hydrated.
Saw it in Malaysia: During Ramadan a person may not eat or drink from dawn until dusk, not even swallowing their spit! Malaysia has religious police. A Muslim caught eating or drinking will be arrested and put in prison, truly.
Honestly, I have better things to do than fly half way around the world to starve myself, toss a few stones at Satan, and kiss a black rock. I’m helping the Easter Bunny paint eggs this year.
The good news is ;you don’t need to go anywhere to observe Ramadan.
As for the Kaaba , the christian equivalent might be a bottle of breast milk from the Virgin Mary. (there was lots of it about in the middle ages)
The Kaaba is believed to have been built several times. The last time being by the prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail. I think it’s also the place from which the prophet Muhammad took off on his flight from Mecca to Jeruslaem, on his winged horse Buraq. Winged horses are quite rare, one might say unique. So naturally Buraq was delivered to the Prophet by the angel Gabriel
Making a pilgrimage to Mecca (hajj) at least once during one’s lifetime is one of the five pillars of Islam. The other 4 are:
Profession of faith (shahada)
Prayer (salat)
Alms (Zakat) It is forbidden for a Muslim to lend money at interest. Instead, Muslim banks charge a range of service fees.
Fasting (sawm)
When one thinks about it, Scientology is no loopier than the core beliefs of most religions.
That’s Smilingbirdfood!!! I was hoping between myself, Kellii, Cranks and a few other dedicated atheists we could counter this energy. Sorta an atheist “prayer group” - but more physical, real action!
Well, young men have been known to do some crazy, even life threatening things, to impress girlfriends, so this seems pretty tame . I don’t know much about islam, but back in the day my devout christian friends were intent on finding christian husbands and raising christian children. I’m surprised her, or her parents, consider him boyfriend material in the first place.
In my day it was matter of not marrying a protestant.
My mother was protestant. She had to promise that any children would be raised Catholic. My darling mother was not considered worthy of being married in front of the altar. Instead, the ceremony was conducted in the little side room where the priest enrobes for Mass.
These days I often run across anglo females who have converted to Islam. So far not one the other way.
I don’t know if that says things about Australia, or Australian Muslims. Surely not a refection on Australian christians?
I must admit, proselytising christians only really bother me when they knock on my door. I usually give them no more than 30 seconds. Any longer and I might say some very unkind things.
Well, they say all women are masochist . Seriously though, it’s a mystery to me why a women would subject herself to that. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Islam is on course to overtake christianity as the largest religion.
LOL… If that is all it took, he was never really in the running. He just thought he was in the running. If someone is going to break up with you, one reason is as good as another. The reason is generally a smoke screen for the fact that the person just does not want to be around you any more. Reasons help the rejection appear a bit more rational at times.
Think of this now. What if your son, knowing he was rejected because he was broke, hit the lottery tomorrow? Would he be stupid enough to go running back to the same woman and say, “Hey look! I have money now?” She has done him a favor by showing him the kind of person she really is and what she expects from anyone she plans to be with.
To what? Most Muslims do not practice their faith the way you might think they do.
EG: Whilst living in rural Malaysia, I never once saw a woman wear a head scarfe, hijab or birqa. Last time I visited, I was in 2000, Kualar Lumpur. I did see some school girls wearing hijab.
Whilst living in Malaysia I also went to a couple of parties. There were always two drinks tables; one with alcoholic drinks, one with non alcoholic drinks. A goodly portion of Muslims drank alcohol. No one cared. (this was 50 years ago, things may have changed )
I hadn’t heard that. Where? Evidence please. I’ve read that Christian numbers are rising in places such as sub Saharan Africa and South America. Hadn’t heard anything similar about Islam.
It matters not a jot or a tittle to me. I neither hate nor fear Muslims or Islam. Apart from that, I can’t see Islam ever becoming anything like a religious majority in Secular Australia.
Growth of religion - Wikipedia.
Wikipedia is saying moslems will equal christians by 2050 and surpass christians by 2100 if trends continue. I thought I’d seen some estimates that it would surpass christianity by mid century, but must be mistaken.
I had thought a scarf was the very least required of a moslem woman. Images from the mid east, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, etc… certainly show woman covered from head to toe and even veiled. I have a physically demanding job and enjoy hiking and swimming and would find even a head scarf more than just a minor inconvenience. I’ve seen the swimming outfits some moslem women wear and they do not look conducive to actual swimming. Women certainly do not fair well in countries where moslem extremist get the upper hand.
Denying women human rights
Under the Taliban, women and girls were discriminated against in many ways, for the ‘crime’ of being born a girl. The Taliban enforced their version of Islamic Sharia law. Women and girls were:
Banned from going to school or studying
Banned from working
Banned from leaving the house without a male chaperone
Banned from showing their skin in public
Banned from accessing healthcare delivered by men (with women forbidden from working, healthcare was virtually inaccessible)
Banned from being involved in politics or speaking publicly.
All Abrahamic religions treat women as less than men, so yeah, I do actively dislike all of them and fear any of them getting the upper hand in governments.
A person who believes their holy book is 100% correct, and therefore treats women badly as these books clearly tell them to do.
A person who believes their holy book is 100% correct, and yet doesn’t believe the book tells them to treat women differently (because these books clearly do tell us to treat women poorly).
What really scares me is I’ve only met a handful of believers who were not a member of one of those two groups.
maybe he’s preparing/practising for the Muslim takeover of Canada (if the Chinese don’t beat them)
. I don’t know much about islam, but back in the day my devout christian friends were intent on finding christian husbands and raising christian children. I’m surprised her, or her parents, consider him boyfriend material in the first place.
uh… 
… they don’t
(lol) and she keeps him in line.
. Seriously though, it’s a mystery to me why a women would subject herself to that. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. Islam is on course to overtake christianity as the largest religion.
)
no… they’re still together. I meant that he told her he “couldn’t handle it, broke the fast”. He didn’t fake it and lie to her (even over water).