Who(m) Can You Trust

Submitted by Reno Deno (United States), Aug 9, 2020 at 20:06

Converting from one religion to another or from one religion into none is fraught, to my mind, with more than a whiff of the poser, the hoaxer. This is especially true when the convert "accepts" a totally new set of values at an advanced age of around, say 35 and beyond.

I specifically have in mind the convert from Christianity to Islam since I have personally met – and interacted – with several of them at various jobs in the Middle East.

I can't really say much about the convert from Islam to Christianity but from my observations they seem to me to be more escapees than converts. A Moslem believer who suddenly at age 40 proclaims belief in a new faith is, I believe, a near fantasy. The few I've met have quickly revealed how tepid their conversion has been once I start questioning the prophethood of the Rasool, the One-ness of Allah, the historic authenticity of the Koran, and so on. They will not hear of it, even as they make the sign of the cross – or receive Holy Communion. Viewing them as "allies" in one form or another by a "westerner" is, I believe, a mistake.

Their counterparts, those who have "embraced" Islam, are a different lot altogether. To my mind, and to a man (or woman), they exhibit almost childish – and mindless – adherence and allegiance to the new doctrine and come across as inauthentic and unconvincing. They all seem to have deep rooted pathologies that preclude engaging them with any kind of rationality. To my mind, they live in a dream world that's difficult to explain.

Many of them "convert" for reasons that have nothing to do with religion or beliefs. For reasons known only to themselves, they pose with a "better than thou" attitude that is off-putting to say the least. Most exhibit a startling superficial knowledge of Islam that can be embarrassing in certain situations. "Real" Moslems – that is to say those who were born into the religion - have little time for them and see them for what they are. They are scrupulous in following and proclaiming the rites and rituals of Islam and proudly wear all the necessary accoutrements, but it is a cover for the emptiness and confusion they attempt to hide. "You have your religion and I have mine", I guess.

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