More text inserted inline.

--

Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
..

"big Hart" wrote in message
oups.com...
: Searching for Happiness ?
:
:
:
: Dr. Saleh Abdul Azeez As Sindee
:
:
: Happiness is a common goal that everyone strives to attain.
: Philosophers, intellectuals, doctors and artists alike have all
: strived in search of the causes of happiness and ways to escape
: anxiety.
:
:
: An undeniable reality is that permanent happiness cannot be
achieved
: except by believing in God - The Creator - and following His
guidance.
: Since it is He who created mankind, He is the one who knows
what
: pleases and benefits them, just as he knows what saddens and
harms
: them. A number of psychologists have affirmed that only a
religious
: person lives with true content and serenity. So if believing in
God
: leads to ultimate happiness, then how can this be achieved?

CY: Many have considered this question. I found it through the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ( www.lds.org )

:
: There are numerous religions and a variety of creeds. However,
their
: critical differences in core issues make it impossible for all
of them
: to be correct. So which is the correct religion? What is the
correct
: creed that God requires us to believe in and in the end pleases
Him?
: And which one of these creeds guarantees us happiness in this
life and
: in the hereafter?

CY: That was the question Joseph Smith Jun. asked. Right before
God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son appeared.


:
: Before answering these questions, a criterion must first be
: established to be used as a basis for correctly determining the
true
: religion.

CY: Such as a personal witness of the Holy Spirit?

In order to save you the time and effort, I say
: with full conviction and confidence that no matter how much you
: investigate this issue, you will only arrive at one reality:
that the
: true and correct religion is Islam and that true happiness and
content
: lies within it.

CY: I have found a different answer than that.

:
: Before you hastily rebut this statement and stop reading,
please
: realize that completing the rest would not harm you at all, and
it may
: in fact benefit you. Also, remember that you have an intellect
by
: which you can distinguish things and determine truth from
falsehood.
:
: Why Islam?
:

: 1. Amongst the greatest merits of Islam is that it fulfills the
: spiritual aspects of the human being and enables those who
embrace it
: to have an ongoing connection with God. This makes it possible
for
: them to be at ease spiritually. It shields them from chaos,
being lost
: or feeling (spiritually) empty, and protects from mental
instability.

CY:I have that with the LDS.

:
: 2. Another of Islam's merits is that it coincides totally with
common
: sense. All of the Islamic legislation and its rulings are
acceptable
: intellectually and are never contradictory. One man who
embraced Islam
: was asked why he did so and replied, "Islam never ordered me to
do
: anything that I later wished wasn't obligated, and it never
forbade me
: from anything that I later wished wasn't forbidden."
: Much of what is readily accepted in other religions causes
great
: confusion. This confusion makes it difficult to believe many of
the
: fundamental tenets/doctrines that these religions are based
upon. On
: the other hand, we find that Islam respects the intellect,
prohibits
: ignorance, and condemns blind following.

CY: Oh, so you condemn blind following? Why do I find this hard
to believe?

:
: 3. Islam is an all-inclusive way of life attending to both
spiritual
: and physical needs. Practicing Islam does not mean that one has
to be
: secluded or that he is prohibited from the finer things in
life.
: Rather, according to Islam, a person can be religious and still
enjoy
: a normal life - attaining prestigious ranks/positions and
achieving
: the highest academic degrees.

CY: Glad that education is permitted.

:
: 4. Among the merits of Islam is that it is a comprehensive
religion.
: Every aspect of a person's life is managed by Islam.

CY: As we read in the LDS teachings, Satan's plan was to regulate
every facet of human life. Jesus plan was to give us our agency
(freedom of choice).

Know that
: Islam even provides direction on how to wear and remove
footwear. It
: encourages people to use their right hand when eating,
drinking,
: shaking hands, and when giving and receiving items. As for
disliked
: affairs such as using the bathroom, the left hand is to be
used.

CY: That sure sounds like over regulation to me.


: Islam also has wonderful instructions regarding going to sleep
and
: waking up. When two Muslims meet, Islam directs them on how
they
: should greet each other; a rider should initiate greeting the
: pedestrian, the youth should initiate greeting the elderly, and
a
: small group should initiate greeting a larger group. These are
but a
: few of Islam's many comprehensive guidelines for all aspects of
life.

CY: Wow, happiness through loss of freedom?

:
: 5. Another of Islam's merits is that it establishes good for
mankind
: in all its regulations and safeguards them from evil.

CY: So, do you call honor killings and beheadings evil? I guess
not....

Islam's prohibition of
: alcohol and drugs for example is only because of the great harm
they
: cause to a person's physical and mental health. You can witness
the
: state of a drunken man, no longer human except in appearance. A
lot of
: murders, disputes, traffic accidents and rapes would not have
taken
: place were it not for consuming these mind-altering products.

CY: I can agree with you there -- alcohol and street drugs sure
lead to a lot of evil.


Islam
: prohibits women from displaying themselves publicly. This is
because
: Islam considers women to be valued, preserved pearls; not some
cheap
: merchandise to be displayed for all to see. It does so to
protect them
: from the wolves of mankind - those who are only concerned with
: satisfying their lusts, even if it is at the cost of a woman's
honor,
: nobility, status, and purity.

CY: Yeah, better to wait for the 72 Virginians.


: Truthfulness, trustworthiness, bravery, generosity, humility,
abiding
: by promises, visiting the sick, attending funerals, being
dutiful to
: parents, visiting relatives and neighbors, and striving to help
others
: are all etiquettes that are encouraged by Islam.

CY: So, tell me a little about honor killings, beheadings, and
jihads? Do we do all these on the way to Grandmother's house for
fresh baked pie?


: On the other hand, Islam strictly prohibits oppression, lying,
: conceitedness, envy, and insulting or betraying others. It is
: impermissible in Islam to speak ill of a person in his absence,
even
: if what is being said is true. Islam encourages people to
moderate in
: spending, being neither excessive nor misers.


CY: Does that include evil speaking of infidel?


The Quran was
: revealed over 1400 years ago. Since then till this day, no
: contradictions or mistakes have been found in the Quran, not
even in a
: single word.

CY: I find that dificult to believe.

:
: This affair is worthy of your time. Contemplate upon it deeply.
:
: My last words: Do not lose yourself! I ask Allah to bless you
with
: true guidance.

CY: I'm not sure about Allah. But I know that when I pray to God
the Father in the name of the Son that I get answers. Do you get
answers to prayers?

:
: One who wishes only the best for you,
: Dr. Saleh Abdul Azeez As Sindee.
: