I'm just curious about this because this is my prepared approach in case Jehovah's Witnesses knock on my door. What would a Muslim (there have been a handful on this forum) say in reaction to observing the following situation: Two Jehovah's Witnesses knock on the door of an atheist. The JWs do their prepared remarks which involve talking about the Bible. The atheist says "I'll take a Bible study with you if you take a Qur'an study with me!" So the Muslim holy book has been invoked in an interaction between a group unbelievers as an example of the need for open mindedness. Would the Muslim not participating in this interaction have something to say about this? As I said, I plan on doing this on any door to door types (including Mormons) to point out the need for people to be open minded if they ask others to do so. Except I'm going to insist on a Urantia Book study! Of course the JWs will walk away at this point, but it will get the point across that they should not ask people open up their "hearts and minds" if they are unwilling to do so. Forgot to add: the pandemic makes this a moot point as door to door is no longer a thing but still... in hindsight/hypothetically what would you have to say about this?
Why do you presume a Muslim would react differently to anyone who isn't a Muslim? I strongly suspect most would respond in the same way as most Christians, Jews, Hindus, non-believers, tc.; A polite "No thanks" and close the door again. A few individuals will react differently, be that honestly, insultingly or with pointed sarcasm (as per your example) but I'm sure that would involve a diverse cross-section of different people.
I've had a concrete gargoyle with a "NO SOLICITING" sign around it's neck on my front porch for years now.....no one knocks on my door anymore, try it!
Pre pandemic I got a knock about once or twice a year. They are polite as I and they are on their way quickly. I worry about them as there are those few people that can react hatefully. Now I get hand written letters twice a year , lol.
I am not a Muslim. Even if I were, I would guess that my response to your query, would be that not all Muslims respond alike, so it would depend on the particular Muslim involved, and how he (or she) even enters into the equation. Does the Muslim live in an apartment next to yours? Is it a stranger, walking on the sidewalk (& you have a very short driveway)? In a related story, I have, on two different occasions, had Jehova's Witnesses come to my door, with similar results, both times. As a once-devout Catholic (now, nominally a Pantheist), I had a pretty decent acquaintance with the Bible, and I welcomed their conversation, but not in the spirit of simply a student to their teaching. Rather, I listened and replied like an equal, another adult, capable of thinking & forming opinions for myself. At any rate, in both cases, the pair of Witnesses included one seasoned proselytizer, and one, "trainee." And both times, after some stimulating discourse, polite disagreements in which, still, I advocated strongly for my views & laid out my case with relish, it was the Witnesses who ended the conversation, to leave, not me saying that I could not talk with them any longer. To be more specific, it was, in both instances, the more experienced Witness who pulled the plug on our conversation, and in each case it occurred after the novice Witness began to show an interest in what I was saying, asking me questions out of sincere curiosity, not just as an argumentative device. I don't imagine there are many others that have occasioned this sort of retreat by Witnesses, in fear of losing their grip on one of their congregation. (Please forgive my boasting).
@Greenleft , BTW, the two instances I related took place in different states (NY & CT); after either pairs' encounter with my open mind, no follow-up visit ever came, from any other Jehova's Witnesses. And, in NY, I was renting my place from an older, Ukrainian Witness, with a whole family, in that faith, and whose own home's back yard abutted the back yard of house where I rented (so it's not as if they could have lost track of me). Again, it's not that I was belligerent, or hopelessly brainwashed with some other theology. I was very friendly-- but a bit too convincing; too good at sowing doubts.
That is because Witnesses are taught to not get into debate. If their message is welcome they share it further. If it’s debated they move on. They know that the winner of a debate is the person most skilled at debating, not necessarily the person who knows ‘“the truth”. They also know that people tend to become more entrenched in their views as a result of debate. @the op, Jehovah’s Witnesses wouldn’t be baited by you asking them to be open minded. They consider themselves to be the messengers of truth. They don’t want you to be open minded, they want you to be receptive to “the truth”.
It will of course depend on the particular Muslim, but a friend of mind who is an Imam would actually applaud this so long as you were engaged in honest review, comparison and searching, and not in mere mockery.
To the text in bold: I have interest in this as I actually have many Muslim neighbors, friends and colleagues. It's just that it's taboo here for people of other religions to openly discuss your religion to your face. So the safety of a Internet forum is called for. I had JWs come to my door just once. I burned their magazine when they left.
I am not a Muslim, but from my interactions with some of them (mostly from Pakistan), they seem open to discussing the similarities between their religion and Christianity
"I worship Satan" almost always works. I've always wondered why they go door-to-door. It seems weird to want to convert somebody to your religion if there is an upper limit on how many of them can get into heaven or whatever imaginary place they go to after death. It seems like they would be trying to get people OFF the list, not on it. FYI: https://avoidjw.org/en/news/12-ways-to-avoid-jehovahs-witnesses/
Drop the Qur'an, ask the JWs to study the Veda with you. This way you'll solve two problems - no outraged Muslims around, but very outraged JWs (Hindus are pagans).
Good point. Maybe that's why they give up so easily on each attempt and are never very convincing. They want God to see them going through the motions of making the effort to convert you, but they don't actually want you to convert? Could be.
I thought that @Jolly Penguin 's post suggested an interesting perspective. First off, it's a given that strict logic cannot be applied to religious belief and activities. Do you not believe that many people perform charitable acts, thinking it will earn them some afterlife credit, regardless of the true inclinations of their hearts? I think something like this must be true, as well, of people who make it a habit to always interject comments like, "only God is perfect," in order to demonstrate their humility (while usually offering an excuse for what they have done, or are about to say), or who always make their first words, after winning a sports contest, a thanking of God. It is not unlike leaders of the past who have attributed military victories, to having the support of their particular God. Also, this brings up the intriguing question of how much of religious behavior is really done, not for "God," but for one's peers in the religion, to create a positive image of oneself, in one's community. Even back in Jesus's day, he spoke of the Pharisees & Scribes who made a great show of their religiousness, for others to see. Our desire for the approval of other people, should not be underrated; and demonstrating that one has the same beliefs about eternity, thereby reinforcing one's fellows' beliefs, will naturally win one points.
There are plenty of "Sunday Christians", who behave without any regard to God all week and then show up on Sunday and suddenly act all pious. I think that's similar. It doesn't make rational sense, but I think on some level they DO think they are fooling God.
This reminds me of those who are pro-lifers, in that there is a limit on how many humans the Earth will support; so by trying to force women to have children that they would prefer not to, they are pushing closer the day when their own descendants may be limited, in how many offspring they are allowed. Of course, this type of long range thinking about the Earth is, ironically, not typically practiced by those who are very focused on the long-term fate of their own souls. But, as to Witnesses going door to door. This has, I would guess, been a tradition, from the time when their numbers were small (aren't they, still?). And as I understand it, they will have the entire Earth to themselves, in that next phase. But I want to come back to my stressing of the showing of religious faith, being in large part, a communal activity, done for the benefit of the group. It is natural for we humans to like others to agree with us, as this reinforces our confidence, in our ideas being correct. When it comes to our ideas about the afterlife, there is hardly anything more central to the peace of mind of many-- the assurance they they will continue to exist, after death-- nor anything for which we have less evidential basis. This is why it is comforting, to see others that share one's faith-- I mean, how could we be wrong, when so many others agree with us? There are many other ideologies, for which adherents clearly want more company, sharing their views-- from one's political slant, to one's racial attitudes. There is certainty, or at least a feeling of more security, in numbers.
That is an interesting question..... there are verses in the Koran that I believe are being ignored by most Muslims who have attained political and economic power and control over other Muslims. God's Peace Plan for the Holy Land, Hebrew and Arabic.
One thing they fail to understand is that the truth can survive debate and scrutiny. Continuous questioning and research will not damage "the truth" only your conviction over what is "truth".
