Hey everyone
I have been lurking here for a little while, I was originally brought to this site through "The Rationalizer". He is an awesome dude and I love the work he has done to shed light on Islam.
I was born in the United States to a Bengali father and white American born mother. My dad has always been very soft on me in regards to the faith, but I grew up always around aunts and uncles and participated in the Bangla side of my family for more than my mothers side.
I went to friday prayers, I celebrated eid, only because its what I grew up with. My family always noticed I was an "infidel" however.
When I was taking Arabic classes at a young age (I think I was 9-10) I remember looking around the Mosque, looking down at the Arabic work sheet....looking back at the Imam teaching me, and having an epiphany that this is too small for God (if there was a god)....I got up, and left the Mosque. I went down the street and bought a juice from a food store not far from the Mosque. I turned this into a habit and would skip the entire Arabic classes my dad would drop me off at....since that initial epiphany I viewed all the activites my family partook in as superstitious and silly....I thought it was odd and silly that youhave to say Assalamalikum everytime you enter a room haha.
Now Im a young man, I find my self very outspoken in my views on faith and I use the internet to further my knowledge....thats what brings me here. I plan on asking questions and giving input as well.
thank you for reading this if you have..
Oh one more thing, I suppose if this is an introduction I should explain what my username means...It is a line from a song by a band that really inspired me in high school.....here are the lyrics :
"i call abuse of power by those elected, as bias dictates the laws they choose.
i see abuse of the ones who would walk the altar or stand before the flag at school.
if freedom of does not provide for freedom from, it enslaves.
injustice caused by the violation of the separation between the secular and sacred.
you possess the right to worship freely as i possess the RIGHT TO DISSENT its blind dictates of theocracy that i resent.
man suffers when gods govern.
sacred texts contain
morals that cannot change.
enforcement of them stifles
progress made.
bearing the name of god, they represent only the time in which they were written, and now a display of outworn views and unenlightenment.
the rules of antiquity should not be our standards.
those who employ them should not be our leaders, LEST WE REGRESS!!!"
- lobby for regression - by Crossbearer 2004-
Topic: Western raised ex-Muslim