See, the teachings that I know of sound pretty ideal. Both ideal and practical to use. And US society is also ideal in how it has advanced so much, in technological aspects and other stuff.

There are problems to both sides and unfortunately it all comes down to human nature and whether people will do good or not. I guess I don't have a lot of faith in people because since I am pretty young and hang around peers my age, I can see that humanity would rather indulge in their "sins" than do the much more difficult, right thing.

But what do I know? I still don't know how the world works and I need to be educated more, and experience life more to see. Because right now I am very worried about what both types of societies will be like in a decade or so. I've always thought of a career in poilitical science or getting a job at the ministry, fully accepting the fact that I'll probably end up bitter and hating the population I serve who I will always think of as... not smarts

The problem is, the issues I want to explore are WAY too long for a small post on a game website. I could write an entire essay, thesis, book on the many flaws currently presiding in the Middle-East, the main area practicing Islam.

More or less, Islam is... the right way isn't it? Like I said, all the people I know that live their lives well, heck my own father: From living in mud houses as a kid, where he and his brothers would sleep on the roof every night because of the heat (and outdoors at night would be relatively cool) to now a hard-working doctor, who's given me everything I could ever need- a house, food, comfort of living, financial security, the opportunity to see education without worrying about finances, etc etc. I can only hope that I also work hard and do my best in life.

It's difficult to listen to stuff like "oh well alcohol has health benefits" instead of saying "I take a light jog every now and then, but man courses this semester are tough I have no time" or you know, being more productive. I look at one group of people, the people I'm with, some of my cousins who go on to study in the States (as it is the best place now) and come back knowing more than they did.

Am I making any sense? Is anyone open-minded enough to realize, maybe take a step back and think about all the things they find okay, then notice how a potentially perfect society has so many problems? I mean the US for example is such a great place that has all kinds of landscape, weather, entertainment, education opportunities without resorting to the bad stuff.

It would be pretty cool if they go back and forth between Eric Bana and Edward Norton for each Hulk movie. Great idea in fact!

Why is it difficult to take the opinion of someone who drinks alcohol seriously? Wine was drunk in biblical times....and probably some other beverages as well.LJS9502_basic

Well I just mentioned that in the Italics part as you can see:

Basically I don't want to offend anyone, I just want to mention that I was raised to be a strong person, a strong man. Among all the other sins, drinking is such a huge sign of weakness and does not promote a stronger tighter community. If entire nations can exist without it... and so far our communities have thrived without it (still need that extra... evolution to become thriving societies and eventually nations) then it's not really impossible is it?

Again, it's what you do with your own life. I'm still just wandering how exactly, or rather what a person tells himself to justify drinking alcohol.

Lastly, the reason why I mention that only Muslims can argue this case is because… well this doesn't reflect on you guys, but it's difficult to take the opinion of someone who drinks alcohol seriously.

Who says they can't live without it, that gambling is alright, that strip clubs and prostitution, as long as "two people" are consenting, is okay. I look at my cousins and other people that I'm acquainted with, and they all have dreams and aspirations.

Whether they want to be a doctor, a physical therapist, an architect, graphic designer, a business man, etc etc they all study and work hard in college and they don't drink alcohol, or do drugs, which are apparently a "rite of passage" as stated by some teens.

So I look at these kinds of people as role models. If they can do it… can't you? I'm not preaching, just wanting you to understand this point of view.

It's that... very rarely in Middle-East societies, key note Saudi Arabia, do they allow discussion of Islam. That is, debating what is halal and haram (allowed or taboo, respectively). Such as I don't know, why dancing isn't really allowed.

Or more importantly, the real issue: why women and men aren't equal: why it's not allowed to hang out with women, to... ugh, I'm just saying basic interactions with the opposite sex.

I don't know about anyone else, but I know I can keep my basic primal instincts in check.

The thing is, I look at Western society and I cannot help but see why this will never change: With your strip clubs and nightclub alcohol dancing and teenage pregnancy and STD's and all manner of other crap, there's no way the hypocrites in charge will relent from preaching how men and women must not be together. Where some college classes actually have segregation of the sexes.

I mean, me and my friends would joke about how embarrassing it would be on our wedding night: the minister would pronounce us "husband and wife" and then proceed to tell us how to have sex or something. Because you know, sexual education and basic human anatomy is actually not even covered in schools (there are SOME, few exceptions). Frickin aye. So we'd like get a crash course on "what to do" by the guy. Just a little joke me and my friends would make (among others)

This is the thing: Most Westerners insist on saying stuff like just because others abuse such and such, doesn't mean we can't have fun! It's alright in moderation! However in Islam, we deal with absolutes, not this wishy-washy material: Alcohol is bad, that's it. Narcotic abuse is bad, that's it. Murder, rape, gambling all those things are wrong and that's it: there is no grey area in this matter, and I think it is rightfully so.

Another thing: Westerns aren't much about building a community and looking out for each other. Basically, the common consensus is: let "them" do what they want, I don't care as long as it's not affecting me. But in Islam, we do not leave it up to the individual and hope that they will abstain from drugs and alcohol and other stuff. If you're a Muslim you do your best in this life by praying to God and living your life to the fullest, whether it be studying the Sciences or computer engineering or any other job and career.

^^ Now whether this is right or not... I know that as Muslims, we are brothers and everyone has each other's back. We pay money to the poor and help out in any way we can.

[QUOTE="Serraph105"][QUOTE="dave123321"]Have you seen Avatar?dave123321

Well I guess you're right. It's just that I'm so surprised because this movie just showed up out of the blue (pardon the pun :P ) and the only Avatar I know is the Last Airbandar one.

[QUOTE="F1_2004"][QUOTE="cd_rom"]TDK failed to beat Titanic as well. How come nobody ever brings this up?cd_rom

EDIT: I didn't think it was horrible, but people did bash the hell out of it. Probably far more than it deserved.

Blue aliens. Blue ALIENS! Now, I know that I'm pretty shallow, and shouldn't judge people by how they look, but man who watches such ugly creatures?

I mean, why didn't I don't know, PREDATOR Become the highest grossing movie of all time? It also had an ugly creature.

I didn't think either was that great.

ethanpaige

I said enjoyable movie, I didn't say greatest ever to appear in cinema and 100% FreshTomatoes and better than Citizen Kane and all other independent movies combined!

His mother.sammyjenkis898

Darn you SAmjenkins DARN YOU!!!! :x