Large-Scale Islamic Belief is Harmful to Society

Large scale Islamic belief is not harmful to society. Islamic belief has nothing to do with following man made religion. It has to do with accepting reality and keeping yourself in line with reality. It has to do with being kind and respectful to others. Belief in Islam does not imply the regulating of other people's lives. Belief in Islam does not imply the acceptance of a man's authority because they claim to be a religious teacher. Belief in Islam does not imply the inability to live in a society that is non-Muslim. Belief in Islam does not imply the mistreatment of anyone. The Qur'an teaches that Truth is God, and that everyone has their own relationship with God. The Qur'an teaches that we should humble ourselves and realize how Allah is The Lord of All Worlds. That is because Allah is the Truth, and that which they call upon other than Him is falsehood. If you understand the scriptures, you will not commit the idolatry of scripture. You will not associate anything with The Ultimate or Highest Reality, which is Allah or God. You will not mistake a man for God. The same realization can be achieved by studying The Bible, and The Qur'an acknowledges this. The Qur'an says that The Truth has messengers in All Nations. The Qur'an itself, even in Arabic is a translation of Highest Truth. The Living Word of God is there for everyone to communicate with. It is a personal relationship with The Highest Truth, and it is through diligent prayer, the cleansing of what clouds our discernment, and the acceptance and love for The Truth that we can draw closer to this. Islam is about loving Reality, Truth, and all of Creation which is made in the Image of God. The Qur'an not only acknowledges the message of Jesus and Christianity, but claims that God has sent apostles to All Nations. One of the things that the Qur'an stands up for is the free exercise of religion, and this is based both on how Mohammed governed and on the revelation that God has sent prophets, messengers, and apostles to All Nations. All of this I am saying is PLAINLY written in The Qur'an as translated by The Prophet Mohammed. I must reiterate the meaning of the word "Islam", which commonly gets translated as "submission". You have to understand that the type of "submission" that is really being described is "acceptance". Specifically, "Acceptance of God", which is described very clearly in Mohammed's translation of The Qur'an as being That Which is Ultimately Real, the same God acknowledged by Moses when he gave The Name, "I Am That I Am", which can also be translated as "The Way Things Are" or "What Is". This is the same message described by Buddha through The Noble Eightfold Path, when you realize the core of the entire Path is to accept things as they truly are, being "right" or "correct'. Allah as described through Mohammed's translation of The Holy Qur'an is very clearly "The Way and It's Virtue" as described in Taoist writings. The writings of the philosophers of Eastern Asia, be them Zen, Taoist, or even Hindu, all testify of this Highest Aspiration. This is the same as Allah, The Reality. Allah is the Arabic word for "God". In Arabic speaking countries, Christians and Jews alike refer to God as "Allah". The point being, Islam is not about enforcing your own understanding of things on other people. Islam is about accepting the world for what it is. It is about respecting the sovereignty of God, and how people have been made to look at things in a multitude of ways. The Word as translated by The Prophet Mohammed says that we should be agents of peace and good will, and that governments are put in place by the will of God, and we should honor our obligations to them. These are not the teachings of a way of life that is harmful for society. Indeed, this way of thinking is conducive to actually getting things done in a peaceful manner while respecting the sovereignty that God has put in place. However, our highest allegiance is always to what is True and Merciful. This is the same way of life as encouraged by scripture universally. To embody the way of life described as "Islam" in The Holy Qur'an is to be someone who loves truth above all things, treats those who love truth above all things as family, and is merciful towards those who have not the sense to accept reality. It would be patently ridiculous to say that a man who embodies this ideal would be harmful to society. Therefore, it is obvious that any harm inflicted on society from a self identified "Muslim" would not necessarily be a reflection of what it means to be a Muslim. I have cited many sources, and I hope that the voters understand that it is my intent to communicate the message of Islam as I have interpreted it through my own diligent study of The Qur'an, The Hadith, and the interpretations of many theologians. I believe that it is misleading to single out a passage out of context to make a point, and have faith that anyone who actually cares to understand what they are reading will see what is true for themselves. The high end estimate for how many recognized Muslims in the world is 23.4%. If we are to work towards peace on Earth, we can not alienate a quarter of the human population by making Islam an enemy. We have to communicate with Muslims, and we are not going to be able to do this unless we understand where they are coming from. There are a lot of forces that play into why things are the way they are in the world, and pinning it down on a way of life that exalts Truth, Acceptance of Reality, and Love towards your fellow man is not a battle that can be won. I pray that the voters in this debate hear the sense that I am speaking, and at the very least open up to the idea that Islam may be something different than what they realize.