What one thing should non-believers know about your religion?

[Murkve]

I wish that more people knew that there are many different forms of Buddhism, and that the kind headed up by HH The Dalai Lama is but one very regionally specific type.

Also, that Buddhism isn't about escaping the world, but escaping ignorance.

 

[MatthiasGould]

One of the biggest misconceptions people seem to have about Islam is surah 9:5 which is often translated as:

When the forbiddden (sacred) months are over, then fight and slay the unbelievers where you find them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem of war...''
​

Firstly, something that strikes me is that nearly everyone who cites this as evidence of Islam's intolerance DOESN'T seem to quote this passage in its entirety. This is the rest of the passage:

''...but if they repent and establish regular prayers and give in charity, then open the way for them, for Allah is Most Gracious Most Merciful''
​

But to get to the point, this particular passage, to my understanding at least, was aimed at a specific set of unbelievers. Looking at the Arabic root word 'translated 'unbelievers', the root being sh-r-k, which gives you words like 'shirk' (basically, polytheism or worship of others besides Allah). The construction 'mushrikiin' is indicative of a person or people doing some action, and so a better translation would be 'polytheists'. Now my understanding of this passage is that it was revealed at a time to deal with a specific set of unbelievers, likely the pagan Quraysh who worshipped hundreds of idols, or other pagan forces fighting against the Muslims in Medinah. I don't have a tafsir (commentary) or other ways to be certain about this.

The Qur'an is also clear that where a peaceable solution between Muslims and other peoples is possible it should happen, such as the Constitution made in Medinah just after the hijrah, which saw Muslims, the Medinah Jewish groups and friendly pagan groups accorded the same rights and responsibilities as each other. In Muslim Moorish Spain, Muslims, Jews and Christians lived peaceably for the most part, even attending the same schools and sharing places of worship as well as having the same legal recognitions. The Qur'an actually teaches that good Christians and Jews will be rewarded by Allah and there is no single verse which preaches either forced conversion or oppression.

With regard to the second part of the passage I quote, there is much room in Islam for sincere repentance to Allah, and where a person wishes to do so, they should not be prevented from doing so. Even those who have committed the greatest of sins can be forgiven if they cease their wrongdoing, admit their wrongdoing to Allah and then aim to avoid that sin again.

 

[Willamena]

What one thing should non-believers know about your religion?

Non-believers should know that they're not welcome. It's "Just me." Me, just me. Not you.

I guess in that same sense, everybody is welcome!

 

[Gurtej]

Non-believers should know that they're not welcome. It's "Just me." Me, just me. Not you.

I guess in that same sense, everybody is welcome!

Sikhs respects everyone even though don't agree to some customs...as the guru said:

Farīḏā kẖālak kẖalak mėh kẖalak vasai rab māhi. Manḏā kis no ākẖī▫ai jāʼn ṯis bin ko▫ī nāhi. ||75||
Farid, the creator is in creation, creation resides in the creator. Don’t call anyone bad, there is no one besides you.

 

[-Peacemaker-]

The misconception that Jesus was a peace loving hippy

Matthew 10 :"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword.35For I have come to turn " 'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-lawhttp://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/10.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-34--36a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.'http://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/10.html#fn-descriptionAnchor-ehttp://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/10.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-3537"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;http://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/10.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-3638and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.http://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/10.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-3739Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.http://www.biblestudytools.com/matthew/10.html#cr-descriptionAnchor-38

 

[dyanaprajna2011]

I wish that more people knew that there are many different forms of Buddhism, and that the kind headed up by HH The Dalai Lama is but one very regionally specific type.

Also, that Buddhism isn't about escaping the world, but escaping ignorance.

That's something that bothers me as well. When I tell people I'm a Buddhist, one of the first questions asked by those who aren't well versed in the religion ask me if the Dalai Lama is like my pope. First, I'm Zen, we don't have a hierarchy. Second, not all Buddhists are fond of the Dalai Lama; he isn't even the head of all Tibetan Buddhists, but just the Gelug school.

But, if people don't ask, they can't learn. That's why a place like this is so great.

 

[chinu]

All of us deal with others' misconceptions in all sorts of ways. If you had to correct one misconception about your religion/faith/belief system/philosophy, what's the one thing about your beliefs that you would want other people to know?

That Religion itself means re-union with.. from where we all started this journey of life in the begaining, or the nick name is God.

 

[GURSIKH]

one thing i wanna share with you abt my religion is ,Respect given to woman

ਮਃ ੧ ॥
First Mehl:
ਭੰਡਿ ਜੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਨਿੰਮੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਮੰਗਣੁ ਵੀਆਹੁ ॥
From woman, man is born; within woman, man is conceived; to woman he is engaged and married.
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਭੰਡਹੁ ਚਲੈ ਰਾਹੁ ॥
Woman becomes his friend; through woman, the future generations come.
ਭੰਡੁ ਮੁਆ ਭੰਡੁ ਭਾਲੀਐ ਭੰਡਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਬੰਧਾਨੁ ॥
When his woman dies, he seeks another woman; to woman he is bound.
ਸੋ ਕਿਉ ਮੰਦਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਜਿਤੁ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਰਾਜਾਨ ॥
So why call her bad? From her, kings are born.
ਭੰਡਹੁ ਹੀ ਭੰਡੁ ਊਪਜੈ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਝੁ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
From woman, woman is born; without woman, there would be no one at all.
ਨਾਨਕ ਭੰਡੈ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਏਕੋ ਸਚਾ ਸੋਇ ॥
O Nanak, only the True Lord is without a woman.

sat nam sri wahe guru ji