Organized religion

in answer to your question, I have not thoroughly researched the Islamic faith enough to know whether I believe it or not. Also, you stated "Each person is an individual with individual philosophies and beliefs. When an ORGANIZED religion says that only specific beliefs true then they are "brainwashing"." This is true to an extent, I am my own person with my own beliefs, but organized religion; whether it be LDS, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, or Episcopalian, all have one main thing in common. They teach the same basic principles, present you with the "evidence" then leave it up to you to decide for yourself whether it is true or not and whether you believe this or not. No one tells you that "this is what the Bible says, so you're GOING to believe everything I say to you." If you don't believe it, then you are not forced to stay. I am Mormon, so missionaries are an ESSENTIAL part of our church. That being said, our missionaries go door-to-door trying to spread the Gospel to the people in the community they are in at the time. Unfortunately, the number of people who actually allow the missionaries to enter their home and listen to what they have to share is significantly less (the difference in the two varies according to location) than those that simply say no thank you and close the door. And even after listening to the missionaries, not everyone decides to join the church. We didn't brainwash them, they still have their own beliefs. Also, I am a convert into the Church (meaning I was not naturally-born a Mormon). I had to attend missionary lessons for about a month before getting baptized. Now, no one told me that I HAD to believe what they were telling me. If I chose to leave the lessons and not get baptized I could. But I chose to get baptized because I KNOW with my whole heart that the church is true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God to restore the gospel in these latter-days, I know that we still have prophets on the earth to help us and guide us, and I know that Jesus Christ lives and I will return to him someday. I don't know these things because it is what I have been taught, and I'm being TOLD to believe this. I know from occurrences in my life that have added to my testimony of Jesus Christ. I know that being baptized by someone with the priesthood is the only way, the right way. I was first baptized in the Baptist church, and the spirit I felt then versus what I felt when I was baptized into the LDS church is not even comparable. I felt the Spirit so strongly in the LDS church, I knew that it was right. Kind of like when you finally understand that math problem...suddenly it just clicks! Or when you are looking at a blue sky, and you KNOW that the sky is blue but someone says, "but is it really?" you know that it is true because you see it, you experience it, and you feel it. Same thing here. The LDS church is the FASTEST growing religion on Earth, now obviously we didn't hold everyone at gunpoint and tell them that they HAD to join the church or they would be shot. They joined of their own choosing. Just because I'm Mormon, doesn't mean that I condemn anyone who is not my faith. Everyone has a belief that works for them, and they chose to believe that for a reason. I am always asking "Why do you believe that?" not in a condescending way, but out of honest curiosity. I never condemn or look differently on those of a different faith then my own. But I'm speaking for me personally.