So I checked my Hotmail account and saw that I had received an email from a former coworker at Sears. The subject was "really...this is reality" and I will share it with you now....
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Allah or The Lord Jesus Christ? This is most interesting. What do you think?
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Allah or The Lord Jesus Christ? This is most interesting. What do you think?
By Rick Mathes
Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs.
I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.
When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: 'Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?'
There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, 'Non-believers! '
I responded, 'So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commande d to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?'
The expression on his face changed from o ne of authority and command to that of 'a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.'
He sheepishly replied, 'Yes.'
I then stated, 'Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!'
The Imam was speechless!
I continued, 'I also have problem with being your 'friend' when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?'
You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were Not happy with Rick's way o f dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs.
In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. To elect the President! I think everyone in the U.S . should be required to read this, but I dont think that it will make i t. If you agree with this message...pass it along, if not...hit delete.
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Being the non-confrontational sort... I immediately hit Reply All and sent this:
The "reality" is that this bullshit forwarded mail preys on the paranoid fears of bigots.
Can anyone seriously believe this supposed conversation took place? Who is the supposed source? Who is our intrepid hero who so triumphantly played "Stump the Muslim"? Obviously some aspiring intellectual redneck dreamed this up during the commercial breaks of the Bill O'Reilly show and thought it was really clever.
People just blindly and unquestioningly send this crap on and all it does is further idiotic stereotypes and serve to make us more afraid of people inhabiting this world who look differently than we do or practice different religions.
COWORKER'S NAME HERE - I seriously thought that you were a pretty broad-minded guy and would never peg you as someone who would send this sort of email.
Oh wait - stop the presses - I did a quick Google search for "Rick Mathes" and came up with these gems -
Check this out: http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/rickmathes.html
"Third-party accounts of the events in question paint a significantly different picture than the one offered by Mathes. Tim Kniest, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Corrections, told the Lee news service that the training session in question was for prison volunteers and took place in a corrections facility in Fulton, MO. However, according to Kniest, prison officials' recollection of events that day differ from Mathes' in several aspects:
...and finally http://snopes.com/politics/religion/allah.asp
If you get any more of these, feel free to do some quick research - and then leave me off the list.
Thanks,
Wyatt
__________________
I think I'm a little out of practice with this type of text-based outrage, but I had an especially shitty day at work today so I was in no mood for such nonsense.
I've already received one reply from a clearly well-informed citizen. I wish I was making it up, but unfortunately I'm not:
_____________
"I completely agree that the forward was a little closed minded. I don't believe for a second that every Muslim is out to kill people who don't follow their religion. However, it is what their religion teaches them.. and that's a fact. Just as Christianity and most religions teach us that if we love & follow the ways of the lord we will be ensured a place in Heaven, followers of Allah believe that to accend into Heaven they must kill others who don't follow their beliefs. Even if the facts weren't straight about how the conversation took place.. in the country we live in today, does it surprise you that people have fear?"
_________________
Just when you start to think "here's a semi-rational person," she hits you with that sentence that ends with "...and that's a fact."
I haven't decided where to begin with a reply, or even if I will write one.
Sigh...
Last month I attended my annual training session that's required for maintaining my state prison security clearance. During the training session there was a presentation by three speakers representing the Roman Catholic, Protestant and Muslim faiths, who explained each of their beliefs.
I was particularly interested in what the Islamic Imam had to say. The Imam gave a great presentation of the basics of Islam, complete with a video. After the presentations, time was provided for questions and answers.
When it was my turn, I directed my question to the Imam and asked: 'Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but I understand that most Imams and clerics of Islam have declared a holy jihad [Holy war] against the infidels of the world and, that by killing an infidel, (which is a command to all Muslims) they are assured of a place in heaven. If that's the case, can you give me the definition of an infidel?'
There was no disagreement with my statements and, without hesitation, he replied, 'Non-believers! '
I responded, 'So, let me make sure I have this straight. All followers of Allah have been commande d to kill everyone who is not of your faith so they can have a place in heaven. Is that correct?'
The expression on his face changed from o ne of authority and command to that of 'a little boy who had just been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.'
He sheepishly replied, 'Yes.'
I then stated, 'Well, sir, I have a real problem trying to imagine Pope John Paul commanding all Catholics to kill those of your faith or Dr. Stanley ordering all Protestants to do the same in order to guarantee them a place in heaven!'
The Imam was speechless!
I continued, 'I also have problem with being your 'friend' when you and your brother clerics are telling your followers to kill me! Let me ask you a question. Would you rather have your Allah, who tells you to kill me in order for you to go to heaven, or my Jesus who tells me to love you because I am going to heaven and He wants you to be there with me?'
You could have heard a pin drop as the Imam hung his head in shame. Needless to say, the organizers and/or promoters of the 'Diversification' training seminar were Not happy with Rick's way o f dealing with the Islamic Imam and exposing the truth about the Muslims' beliefs.
In twenty years there will be enough Muslim voters in the U.S. To elect the President! I think everyone in the U.S . should be required to read this, but I dont think that it will make i t. If you agree with this message...pass it along, if not...hit delete.
_______________
Being the non-confrontational sort... I immediately hit Reply All and sent this:
The "reality" is that this bullshit forwarded mail preys on the paranoid fears of bigots.
Can anyone seriously believe this supposed conversation took place? Who is the supposed source? Who is our intrepid hero who so triumphantly played "Stump the Muslim"? Obviously some aspiring intellectual redneck dreamed this up during the commercial breaks of the Bill O'Reilly show and thought it was really clever.
People just blindly and unquestioningly send this crap on and all it does is further idiotic stereotypes and serve to make us more afraid of people inhabiting this world who look differently than we do or practice different religions.
COWORKER'S NAME HERE - I seriously thought that you were a pretty broad-minded guy and would never peg you as someone who would send this sort of email.
Oh wait - stop the presses - I did a quick Google search for "Rick Mathes" and came up with these gems -
Check this out: http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/rickmathes.html
"Third-party accounts of the events in question paint a significantly different picture than the one offered by Mathes. Tim Kniest, spokesman for the Missouri Department of Corrections, told the Lee news service that the training session in question was for prison volunteers and took place in a corrections facility in Fulton, MO. However, according to Kniest, prison officials' recollection of events that day differ from Mathes' in several aspects:
- Religious leaders representing faiths followed by current inmates were invited to present.
- The presenter on Islam was not an Imam, but rather a Muslim inmate who was pressed into presenting after no Imam could be arranged.
- Prison officials confirm that the Muslim inmate was asked a few questions that he was unable to answer, but none along the lines of those suggested by Mr. Mathes."
...and finally http://snopes.com/politics/religion/allah.asp
If you get any more of these, feel free to do some quick research - and then leave me off the list.
Thanks,
Wyatt
__________________
I think I'm a little out of practice with this type of text-based outrage, but I had an especially shitty day at work today so I was in no mood for such nonsense.
I've already received one reply from a clearly well-informed citizen. I wish I was making it up, but unfortunately I'm not:
_____________
"I completely agree that the forward was a little closed minded. I don't believe for a second that every Muslim is out to kill people who don't follow their religion. However, it is what their religion teaches them.. and that's a fact. Just as Christianity and most religions teach us that if we love & follow the ways of the lord we will be ensured a place in Heaven, followers of Allah believe that to accend into Heaven they must kill others who don't follow their beliefs. Even if the facts weren't straight about how the conversation took place.. in the country we live in today, does it surprise you that people have fear?"
_________________
Just when you start to think "here's a semi-rational person," she hits you with that sentence that ends with "...and that's a fact."
I haven't decided where to begin with a reply, or even if I will write one.
Sigh...
1 comment:
Nice response Wyatt - especially on looking up the nonrefutable "facts".
And by the way, what kind of Christianity does this person really think is in practice in this country?? Yeah, the teachings of Jesus promote love, peace, acceptance, etc....but the prevailing Christianity in this country tends to ignore those teachings for the fire and brimstone eye for an eye bullshit that is all about fear, burning in hell, and dominating those who don't believe the same as you.
Of course, that doesn't sum up all Christians and their beliefs, similarly to how murdering all non-believers doesn't sum up all Muslim beliefs. Wouldn't this nice Christian just hate to be stereotyped as a hate-mongering Christian fundamentalist?
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