Musulman, you wrote:
Musulman: Well, I like to do logic problems, and logically there are 2 possibilities. Either:
1. The Islamic religion is the one and only true religion, or
2. Islam is NOT the one and only true religion.
Obviously, since there are both people who are Muslims (such as most of the posters on this board) and people who are NOT Muslims in the world, at least some people, after they die, will have to explain to God why they held erroneous religious beliefs. However, as difficult as that might be, I think it will be far easier to explain THAT to God, than it will be to explain to God having committed cruel acts in the name of religion, regardless of whether it is the true religion or not.
By way of analogy, let us say that the one true religion in the world is the equivalent of taking the best and faster route from my home town to Milwaukee. Which would be travelling eastward on Highway 94. If I were told to go to Milwaukee, I should therefore travel on Highway 94 in an eastward direction. However, perhaps for some reason (say I misheard the directions, or was given the wrong directions, or no directions, or had a bad map, or thought I knew better than the map) I would travel on a different road, say Highway 67, or in the wrong direction (going east instead of west), or travel on side roads which would take me to Milwaukee, but use a lot of time and gas. These are all things which I would probably have to explain, however, these things would be much, much easier to explain than certain other things, such as driving my car at 30 mph faster than the posted speed limit, or running down pedestrians with my car, or marching my neighbor into my car at the point of a gun, because I felt they should go to Milwaukee, even if they did not want to.
1. O mankind! fear your Lord! for the convulsion of the Hour (of Judgment) will be a thing terrible!
2. The Day ye shall see it, every mother giving suck shall forget her suckling- babe, and every pregnant female shall drop her load (unformed): thou shalt see mankind as in a drunken riot, yet not drunk: but dreadful will be the Wrath of Allah.
3. And yet among men there are such as dispute about Allah, without knowledge, and follow every evil one obstinate in rebellion!
4. About the (Evil One) it is decreed that whoever turns to him for friendship, him will he lead astray, and he will guide him to the Penalty of the Fire.
5. O mankind! if ye have a doubt about the Resurrection, (consider) that We created you out of dust, then out of sperm, then out of a leech-like clot, then out of a morsel of flesh, partly formed and partly unformed, in order that We may manifest (our power) to you; and We cause whom We will to rest in the wombs for an appointed term, then do We bring you out as babes, then (foster you) that ye may reach your age of full strength; and some of you are called to die, and some are sent back to the feeblest old age, so that they know nothing after having known (much), and (further), thou seest the earth barren and lifeless, but when We pour down rain on it, it is stirred (to life), it swells, and it puts forth every kind of beautiful growth (in pairs).
6. This is so, because Allah is the Reality: it is He Who gives life to the dead, and it is He Who has power over all things.
7. And verily the Hour will come: there can be no doubt about it, or about (the fact) that Allah will raise up all who are in the graves.
8. Yet there is among men such a one as disputes about Allah, without Knowledge, without Guidance, and without a Book of Enlightenment,-
9. (Disdainfully) bending his side, in order to lead (men) astray from the Path of Allah. for him there is disgrace in this life, and on the Day of Judgment We shall make him taste the Penalty of burning (Fire).
10. (It will be said): "This is because of the deeds which thy hands sent forth, for verily Allah is not unjust to His servants. (Chapter 22)
And they esteem Allah not, as He has the right to be esteemed, when the whole earth is His handful on the day of resurrection, and the heavens are rolled in His right hand. Glorified is He and High exalted from all that they ascribe as partners" (Az-Zumar, 67)
