The government of Malaysia (or perhaps just one of the states) will not allow anyone to convert out of Islam because it would be considered as helping someone to sin and therefore is a sin in itself.
And yet Free Will is considered the greatest gift from God.
What is wrong with this picture?
So, we have to trust that we're doing God's will without hearing the words from God "Himself". Oh, but, of course, we have The Books.
But with the books you have to trust that the translators have such a complete grasp of both languages so that not only the right words are chosen but they're put in the right order too, that punctuation is in the right place, that the cultural differences are clearly explained.
Then you have to trust that each copy made down through the ages was complete with not a mark misplaced and not a word smudged.
Then you have to trust that the original words were recorded accurately in the first place. As I understand it much of what is written in holy books are records of memories of what God said. I haven't yet come accross any claim that any of thosee books are a direct record of God's words. There was no one diligently taking short hand notes while God dictated his commands.
God may be infallible but humans make mistakes. Are we meant to believe that in 2000 years or similar no human associated with the production of a holy book made any mistakes? Or even edited it to his own liking?
And then, after all that, we have to trust that we're reading them right. Words that were written in another era, in another country, for people living under different laws, of state and of culture. But God's words span all time and all people, right? But you know what? They don't. There are theologians who spend their whole lives debating the words of God. Historical knowledge has to be dredged up and put into play. Cultural knowledge has to be shared. Without these millions of side-notes no one in this day and age could make head nor tail of the holy books. Correction: even with the millions of side-notes no one can completely understand it. It's put down as the Mysteriousness of God.
It may be widely known that God is infallible but if "He" wanted "His" words to be clear and understood then "He" shouldn't've put them in books. Coz as many people who read the book, that's how many interpretations you're gonna get. And "Him" being God, "He" would've known this. Even with movie watching you'll never get a group of people who agree with every bit of the movie. And we all know the books are always so much more complex than the movie.
It started off with Islam but when I say "we" I mean all of us who are compelled to follow a religion for one reason or another. There's a hell of a lot of us being made to bow in fear.
In the Quran there's a challenge. It challenges you to write 10 chapters like it, because apparently it's impossible and this shows that no human could've composed such a holy book. I began my answer to the challenge months ago but stopped when I hit a snag. The snag was that to write a book of universal truths you have to keep it simple. It's the simplest things that are universally true, that will withstand all time and all culture. If I waffle on for 10 chapters then it's no longer simple and no longer UNIVERSALLY true. But that's okay, I'll find a way. It will be put on my list of things to do before I die.
I too believe that God is infallible. That's why I don't believe in the holy books.
I believe we are born into this world with God's guidance in our hearts and we hear it when something feels wrong or feels right, but it's up to us individually to choose to listen to it or not. There are physical and spiritual consequences as a result of the choices but no Heaven or Hell to reward obedience/disobedience to an insecure God.
And Free Will fits into that belief perfectly.
1 Sucker Punch(es).
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