just found this site and have many questions regarding how a muslim can be secular or moderate in today’s world of fanatics and fundamentalists - my primary questions are relative to muslims living in the United States

Welcome, gBob.  We do have a few members who are muslim or at least knowledgeable in that area, so they may be able to discuss this with you.  Go through the subforums and you should be able to find one or two active ones on Islam.  You can pose your questions to them.

Occam

I am not sure I understand that question. Why couldn’t one be a moderate Muslim?

Thank You Occam

@George - I don’t know, but my impression is as a theocracy it would be against a Muslim’s core values and their Qu’ran to NOT convert or tax “non-believers”

by the way to both of you - thoroughly enjoyed the 5 page discussion on What is Religion?/the dynamic of religion : This is not about the definition of religion but the entity itself , and your contributions thereto

What are “Muslims’ core values”?

George - 13 October 2012 06:17 PM

What are “Muslims’ core values”?

my understanding is - Islam the religion, Islam the political and Sharia the Judicial

I don’t know, I wouldn’t know most of my muslim coworker’s religion until they fast during Ramadam. It is just never an issue or conversation topic, any more than if they were of any other religion—or none. It doesn’t sound like you have much exposure/experience with muslims.

asanta - 21 October 2012 01:28 AM

I don’t know, I wouldn’t know most of my muslim coworker’s religion until they fast during Ramadam. It is just never an issue or conversation topic, any more than if they were of any other religion—or none. It doesn’t sound like you have much exposure/experience with muslims.

you are absolutely correct Asanta, I have very little exposure or experience with Muslims and was hoping to have an honest conversation with some here - I found this site by searching for “moderate muslim forums” , so we will see ?

It sounds as if that search engine was quite sloppy.  There’s no way that description fits this site.

Occam

not a clue how their syntax works Occam - I landed on the page where you guys were discussing religion as a concept, so maybe that was it ?????

And even that thread hardly deals with islam in any meaningful way.

Occam

Welcome gBob.  I don’t have a clue and I’m not familiar with anyone who is a moderate Muslim or Muslim at all for that matter.

Mriana - 21 October 2012 03:31 PM

Welcome gBob.  I don’t have a clue and I’m not familiar with anyone who is a moderate Muslim or Muslim at all for that matter.

Thank You Mriana, same for me

Welcome gBob. I do kinda see where you’re coming from. It seems like some level of extremism is baked into the religion from the start, versus with Christianity which is so vague anything goes.  But definitely the precepts of a religion are very different from the reality of how people live by them. I suspect most muslims are regular folks like any of us. They want happy families, want success for their children, want to help others, etc. and if their religion gets in the way of those, they shed those parts that do.

BTW, I’ve read Costa Rica is about the best place on earth to retire to. What do you say?

CuthbertJ - 23 October 2012 09:51 AM

Welcome gBob. I do kinda see where you’re coming from. It seems like some level of extremism is baked into the religion from the start, versus with Christianity which is so vague anything goes.  But definitely the precepts of a religion are very different from the reality of how people live by them. I suspect most muslims are regular folks like any of us. They want happy families, want success for their children, want to help others, etc. and if their religion gets in the way of those, they shed those parts that do.

BTW, I’ve read Costa Rica is about the best place on earth to retire to. What do you say?

I say, we have been here since 2004 and have no intention of going anywhere else