This is the fourth and final installment on this topic. In this post you will be introduced to Islamic conversion, circumcision, Jizya and Halal food. 12. Conversion: Islam is a one way street. A person is "free" only to convert to Islam but not out of it. The punishment in many Islamic countries in accordance with the sharia law is death. Yes, Islam in its purest sense … [Read more...]
ISLAM – RELIGIOUS PRACTICES (PART 3)
6. Islamic Head Dress: Seen as a sign of female oppression by outsiders and a few insiders too, the headdress of Muslim women make them stand out. "The (really) rough rule of thumb for where these headdresses are popular is Hijab: Roughly used everywhere in some form. Many times a generic word for head covering. Al-Amira: A hijab found in Arabic countries and those … [Read more...]
ISLAM – Religious Practices (Part 2)
The Five Pillars of Islam (contd.) 4. Alms giving Zakat, the Islamic equivalent of tithes is one of the pillars of Islam. "One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.The word Zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion … [Read more...]
Islam – Religious Practices (Part I)
As a child, I grew up in the coastal town of Pondicherry, India. Though I still live there in Pondicherry, I don't live downtown, like I did in my childhood. The southern part of downtown Pondicherry is a predominantly Muslim. My first Muslim friend lived right below me in the ground floor. Then when we changed our house, we rented another house a few streets nearby owned by … [Read more...]
Introduction to Islam – Part II – Religious Beliefs
The religious beliefs of Islam include the concept of God, their creed, the prophethood of Hazrat Mohammed, the uniqueness of the Quran and the worldview aspects of Islam. These and a few more topics are discussed briefly in this post. GOD : In Islam, God is called Allah. The word Allah means God. It is derived from Arabic. Islam is a monotheistic religion in the absolute … [Read more...]
Introduction to Islam – 1 (Origin and Spread)
Islam is the second largest religion followed by 1.6 billion people, which constitutes about 23.4 % of the world population. The followers of Islam are called Muslims. Muslims believe Islam is the revelation of God which came through the Prophet Mohammed. Their holy book, the Quran, contains the revelations given to their Prophet by the angel Gabriel. The words and actions of … [Read more...]
Pure Land Buddhism (Pseudo Buddhism)
Before delving into how a post on Pure Land Buddhism relates to Christian apologetics, let me provide a brief introduction to the history and development of thought in this ancient Buddhist philosophy. INTRODUCTION Pure Land Buddhism is a Mahayana School of Buddhism; it focuses on the attainment of nirvana through the merits of Amitabha Buddha, who is the focus of this sect. … [Read more...]
Vajrayana – Fast Track to Nirvana
Vajrayana Buddhism, also called “Thunderbolt Vehicle” or “Diamond Vehicle,” is considered by some to be the third vehicle in Buddhism, the other two being, Mahayana, and Theravada. It is widely believed that this school of thought originated as a reaction to the highly philosophical Mahayana Schools in India in the Nalanda University, one of the earliest universities in the … [Read more...]
Comparision of the transformation in Buddhist Emperor Asoka with the transformation which Christ brings about
To help understand the transformation brought about by Buddhism, let us take the example of King Asoka. King Asoka, was the Emperor of the Maurya dynasty, who ruled over the kingdom of Magada. Asoka, was a very cruel young man and the title, “Chandashok” meaning, “Asoka, the terrible” was given to him. It is said that he assassinated most or all of his half brothers in order to … [Read more...]
Mahayana Buddhism – A Short Introduction and Analysis
Mahayana means greater vehicle, as compared to other schools of thought which were considered lesser vehicle. Mahayana is the dominant school of Buddhism in the world today. The form of Buddhism found in countries such as China, Tibet, Japan and Korea is Mahayana. The now popular Zen Buddhism of Japan and the Vajrayana of the Dalai Lama are Mahayana Schools of thought. … [Read more...]