Picnic film I come from a culture that values individuality and individual opinion. It is really a great, liberating thing. Son’s don’t always turn out like their dads. In fact, our culture discourages it. So it is very normal to have a very lively discussion with oposing views about any one of a thousand topics while each person holds sacred his right to disagree. My brother, an Army Lawyer, holds as his job title, “To protect the right of the ignorant to speak and act ignorantly.”
However, in a Muslim country, dissidence from the common faith is a rarity. When witnessing to an Arabic speaking Muslim the conversation is typically quotable. They all have the same memorized, drone-like responses to every thing. Instead of saying, “I think” or “I believe” they almost always say “In our religion”. You’ll notice two things missing: the individual “I” and the switching of “belief or thought” (since those words is intrinsically individual) to “religion” which by definition is a group activity. So few have individual thoughts for a number of reasons:
1. Fear- I mention this first because it was my first hypothesis about why converts from Islam a rare. There are clear teachings in the Koran that command the killing of “kufar” or apostates. Anyone who turns again Islam is a Kufar. Sin does not make one a Kufar. That is forgivable. Only the cessation of belief in the Allah of Islam or it’s prophet Mohammed. This is not the main reason, however:
2. What never Why! This is the biggest reason that Muslim don’t have individual faith or thoughts. From a child they are taught to ask, “What does Allah require of me.” Why? is not an option. You cannot, must not ask why about anything. So from a child all of the pillars are performed and the book is memorized not annualized.
3. Pride in the system. Islam is set up in a religious and political system. You cannot get married in this Muslim country without saying the Shahhad declaring faith in Mohammed. You cannot have a baby. You cannot run for office. The opposite of pride is Hashuma (shame). That’s what you become if you leave Islam. A huge shame to your family, tribe, and country. I have seen people discussing religious themes with me quite calmly until one of my national friends who is a believer in Christ starts to take my side. I have seen them turn from relaxed to extremely tense and angry upon meeting theirs real, live national kufar.
There are many other reasons but these a few. So I want you to pray for our language school teacher. He is one that left for university, studied Nietze and Marx and has left the norm of that. It is amazingly refreshing for me to discuss thoughts with an athiest. Seems surprising but after 1000 identical conversations with Muslims, this secretly dissenting ex-Muslim is a breath of fresh thought. Pray for him to accept Christ.
We will be praying for your teaching.