Broken Telephone - living under the Redactor's spell..

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem




At the end of this post is an extract from a well known THEOLOGY college, concerning the role of a Redactor in the bible. Redactors were used both for the old testament and the new testament. Essentially these were people who were given a bunch of texts and were not told they all come from different authors, some of those authors in fact unknown. It is the Redactor's job, according to the article below, to "shape the material he has received for a purpose. Sometimes the purpose of the redactor is in harmony with the author and sometimes it is not" Sometimes, indeed the redactor him/herself does not know the purpose.

Given that:
1) The old testament and new testament both have gone through a number of "redactors" issued by different governments
2) These governments clearly stated their purpose of redaction was to develop a work with a common message that fits into the economic and political agenda of the time
3) Bible redactors who refused to participate in changes beyond a certain point were put to death
4) Despite redactors there are over 28 000 versions of the bible from which sprang churches so completely different that some are polygamous, some are not, some believe in "communion" and some do not, some believe in prophesy and some do not

...Is it not then in the mind of any sane person, extraordinarily dangerous to place one's eternal salvation in the hands of hand-me-down policies and redacted texts of which there is such variety??

 

Christians say that the changes made were slight, merely "editorial". Looking at the article at the end of this blog post, please note that the BOLD was EMBOLDENED BY the theology institute not by me, they did so, claiming to know that these WERE THE CHANGES made to these verses- do these look like "minor editorial/grammar/spelling changes" to you? Does this text not in its very essence put words into the son of MAN as though he be the son of GOD? Who then in his/her right mind would follow a text that had been so radically altered?

The article is at the end of this blog post. For now, let's look at JUST ONE of the verses which they've taken out of the so-called original text in the bible as per the theology college in question (as original as the 2nd redactor found it, so yeah... a pinch of salt here too....) - and then let's see if it DOES change with the presence of the redactor, shall we?

So - apparently (although how the even know this is beyond me since nobody does!) - the original text said::

"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "
Let us understand this tiny bit of the "bible" from a Quranic and Islamic perspective (before the redactor's change):

• "no-one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." (Islam has no problem with the presence of God - his BREATH, (spirit/ruh) is what gave Adam (as) life
• no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." - the Quran says that we come from HIM and to HIM we do return. There are also many descriptions of the seven heavens, references to these being above us and to angels coming "down" to us, to hear our duahs. We are therefore born "from above" not "OF above" which indicates a fatherhood type relationship born of water and Spirit - This points directly to the islamic interpretation of creation. Adam (as) was created from clay (soil) and Allah breathed his ruh (breath/spirit) into Adam (as). Herein is the spirit. The Quran tells us that we are created from a drop of Nutfah (a drop of impure water). Therefore as creations from that drop of nutfah and descendents from Adam (as); we are created from both, and we know it.
• just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. " How did Moses lift up the serpent?  The quran tells us, upon Moses (Musa as) going up to the mountain (the story of the burning bush in the bible) "As Prophet Musa (A) obeyed, he heard the voice ask him to throw his staff onto the ground. At once it changed into a serpent, scaring him. He was then commanded to lift the snake without fear and as he did so, it changed back into a stick." IN OTHER WORDS - he did not KILL the snake. The snake did not DIE and then get resurrected; it was lifted up. Moses put his hand down, and lifted up the snake- he didn't kill it first! Just the same way, Jesus (Essa as) is telling everyone that just as miraculously as a snake is picked up and held in Moses' hand, the  stick could be put back down (and was, in front of the pharoah) and turn back into a snake, SO TOO Allah would reach out, and LIFT Jesus up to the heavens (ASCENSION) and will be put back onto the earth. And whomsoever believes IN THAT - MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. No-where does Jesus say that you are to believe that he will be killed and rise from the dead. The snake was not killed; it was LIFTED UP. The quran says that Jesus (Essa as) was lifted up.. Now Christians will say "oh but if he was lifted up he had to be dead." But Jesus (Essa as) is not the first person to have ascended, and christians indeed believe in the ascension of not ONLY Jesus (Essa as) but others.

Let us now look at the SAME verse AFTER the redactor's change? (Redactor's Changes are highlighted)

"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

Read that again, for yourself - HAS the message changed?

In the first (more original, so they say) version, Jesus speaks of being lifted up, and no-where does he claim God as FATHER - let's look at what these additions are:

• Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" - So much for Chrisitans "rebirth" right?

• What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.  - this is completely contradictory since Jesus said that one must be born of water AND spirit - right in this same verse!

• The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.  Who said that? Doesn't Jesus say you must be born of water AND the spirit? Now this says you should ONLY be born of the spirit/ let's go back to the PURPOSE for the redaction - what on earth could it have been?

• No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And   Said who? Did JESUS say this? But how Christians stand by this when they believe in the ascention of Elija and Elisha, of Moses, and of Mary? hmm...  a slight editorial change, you say? To homogenise things, you say? Methinks there be a hornet in this nest!

• For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God." - This is possibly one of the most quoted and cited verses in christianity today. AND YET - THIS was actually written by a redactor? Well well well... Nonetheless, let's look at this... it does NOT say that those who believe he was raised up and not killed are "unsaved" - it says that THOS WHO DO NOT BELIEVE IN HIS NAME... (in his existance, per chance?) Muslims DO believe in Jesus (Essa as).. And WHERE did this "SON OF GOD come in, when Jesus has referred to himself the whole time in this verse as the son of Man? The redactor just said that you are EITHER born of "flesh" or born of the spirit, leading the reader to think "oh, Jesus was born of the spirit" - and JESUS says he is the son of man (who is flesh). so GOD refers to the "spirit" only, then Jesus is EITHER mere flesh, or he is the son of God (Spirit) - he cannot be both because the redactor says what is born of the flesh is flesh and what is born of the spirit is spirit.  The answer? ISLAM says that we are FLESH into which the BREATH (spirit) of God has been breathed through Adam (as). Seems to me we are the believers in what Jesus said, far more than christians appear to be...

The choice, dear christian reader, is clear - you believe a Redactor, or you believe JESUS. And if you believe JESUS, then by all descriptions above from Jesus:

1)you believe in ONE God,

2)you believe Jesus is the son of MAN (not God),

3)you believe Jesus is flesh and spirit, as we all are.  Why? Because THAT is what Jesus said, among the bits some unknown redactor added in there.. And people wonder why muslims don't believe in the bible? We believe in the INJEEL - the word, the living word that was put into Jesus (the man) which he taught and lived by.. but we do not believe in some 4 redactor's version of the truth - and the above is why!

I don't know what's worse - that the redactions are taken as "gospel truth" (pardon the pun) or that they appear to KNOW what some of the redactions are and defend these despite the fact that it changes SO much!

 So here's the article - feel free to do a similar evaluation of the 2nd verse.

Redaction Criticism is the study of editorial activity. A redactor is simply an editor who shapes the material he has received for a purpose. Sometimes the purpose of the redactor is in harmony with the author and sometimes it is not. In this segment of our study we will be examining the methods used to discover editorial work and how it can be distinguished from the authors own work. Performing redaction criticism is simply a matter of (again) asking questions of the text. The first question that must be asked is, does the segment of text I am looking at show "seams" or "stitches". Seams or stitches are obvious comments in the text which interrupt the flow of the narrative. These are called "commentary" by literary critics. (NB: It must be noted that the various methods of criticism overlap in places). If there is an obvious seam, then one must ask- does this seam attempt to clarify the passage; or does it seem to take the passage in another direction? The following passage will illustrate these questions. The BOLD face type are those words deemed editorial comments. The normal face type is the original narrative. The student will note that the editorial comments serve either to explain a word or phrase, or to make a theological comment which explains the text. The passage is John 3:1ff.

"Now there was a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews. He came to Jesus by night and said to him, "Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do apart from the presence of God." Jesus answered him, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above." Nicodemus said to him, "How can anyone be born after having grown old? Can one enter a second time into the mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Very truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be astonished that I said to you, 'You must be born from above.' The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. Nicodemus said to him, "How can these things be?" Jesus answered him, "Are you a teacher of Israel, and yet you do not understand these things? "Very truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know and testify to what we have seen; yet you do not receive our testimony. If I have told you about earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ascended into heaven except the one who descended from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. "Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Those who believe in him are not condemned; but those who do not believe are condemned already, because they have not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil. For all who do evil hate the light and do not come to the light, so that their deeds may not be exposed. But those who do what is true come to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God."

The bold print can clearly be seen to interrupt the flow of the narrative and the it frequently offers clarification or explanation. This is what redaction critics mean when they talk of edited text. The student can find these editorial insertions and clarifications in most passages in the Bible. The passage above is offered simply because it is very well known. The purpose of these editorial insertions is to make explicit what the editor saw as the underlying theological message. The editor thus saw himself as simply making plain what he may have considered to be unclear. Redaction criticism is a very subjective method and the student should make sure that there is a clear seam before assigning a passage to the editor. A very famous, and yet plainly clear example of editorial work is found in the so called "long ending" of Mark. The oldest manuscripts of Mark do not contain Mark 16:9ff (see the text criticism module). The verses appended by a later editor clearly attmempt to harmonize the ending of Mark with the endings of Matthew and Luke. Here, the editor wanted to make sure that the "Great Commission" and the post resurrection appearences were included in Mark. He saw their absence as a possible source of confusion- so he clarified by adding them in! Here is Mark 16. Again, the BOLD face type are the editorial insertions while the plain type is the original narrative of the author:

"When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it."

This editoritorial addition can be seen by anyone. In the original narrative, the women leave the tomb terrified and speak to no one. In the editorial addition the women speak to the disciples! The student should also note the harmonization with the other Gospels which takes place in this editorial addition. When one is able to use the method of Redaction criticism, one is able to separate the strands of the author and the editor. This is a very important task in the theological explication of the Bible.

Planting fruit

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

I came across a few hadith and had to share them! (I will look up the references later, but if anyone has them, please feel free to say so in the comments section)

“When a Muslim plants a plant, anything eaten of it or stolen from it, until the Day of Resurrection, is accounted as charity for him.”

How beautiful is that? I've planted trees which I've left behind, and I've planted herbs and vegetables which have been shared/given and even some have been stolen. I'm so excited now, I want to go out and plant a whole bunch more!! Talk about planting FRUIT!!

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“How praiseworthy are the women of Ansar that their modesty does not prevent them from attempts at learning and the acquisition of knowledge.”

In other words, women should be modest, yet it is praiseworthy if they acquire knowledge. (One must of course understand this means good knowledge, and there's no point in knowledge if what you're learning is how to rob a bank!)

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A little clarity - these may surprise you if you live on what the media feeds you -

“The Prophet has prohibited the believers from looting and plunder" (Bukhari)
“Do not destroy villages and towns, do not spoil the cultivated fields and gardens, and do not slaughter the cattle.”
“Do not kill any old person, any child or any women” (AbuDawud)
“Do not kill the monks in monasteries” and “ do not kill the people who are sitting in places of worship.” (Ibn Hanbal)
“Do not attack a wounded person.”
“No prisoner should be put to the sword.”
“The greatest sins are to associate something with God and to kill human beings.”


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I had a dream..

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem


Muslim or not, sometimes life runs away with you, and whilst you go about ibaada searching for Allah, sometimes we forget that to remember his messenger (pbuh) is to find yet another door to the Creator. I read about our beloved nabi(pbuh) again yesterday, and it took me back to the early days of my search, before I came to Islam, when I had so many quesions. I wanted to know the truth, because I no longer found in me what used to be my truth, you understand?

For every revert, there comes this day, I think. That day when you find yourself in suspended animation, unable to go back to what you've always held as comfort and spiritual belief, simply because it is no longer there. You cannot be convicted of it anymore because the very foundations of it have simply disappeared. A dark night of the soul, a spiritual culmination in which you truly NEED to know what is instead of what is generally believed, what IS versus what you've been taught, what you've held to be so with great conviction despite its lack of evidence. In those days, I had 3 dreams, which I will not share, but yesterday's return to the Prophet(pbuh) (and how simplistic a name is that for what he truly IS).. led me to remember just one moment in time. I'd like to share that today, in the form of a poem.

Before you think me blasphemous, it is important to remember that our Nabi (saw) was created for all of creation, a light unto the world. Let those who wish to look into that statement deeper do so, for I have only touched upon the skirt of that journey's beginning and I am left in awe..

I've called this poem simply, BELOVED, because that is our Nabi(saw). To us, muslims, and to Allah (swt) Creator of ALL that is and was and evermore shall be. If anything is given to you through this poem on a spiritual or intellectual level, I ask ALLAH to reward Muhammad (saw) for that tiny grain, and to ALLAH be all the glory. Insh'Allah and ameen..

BELOVED

I had a dream..

In which we sat beside the waters clear, the stream of life,

The laughter of the rippling water as it tumbled over polished forms

The silence of the moment rings, still, within my heart

The timbre bell of that peace resounding, gently, within my soul

I had a dream..

In which I stood and waited as a bride yet to meet her sweet betrothed,

And then, when I looked up, I saw your frame

Your steps that walked with quiet confidence,

Descending from heaven's clouds

As though the air itself held its breath that you may tread upon it’s dreams..

I had a dream,

And in that dream you smiled..

And in that moment both the sun and moon bowed low

Ashamed of their own light before your own

Ashamed of their own love before your own

Shy as a lover, standing naked on her first blessed night of union

Oh how I dreamed,

And how I fell in love with you,

Seated on that little bank beside the stream of life..

Filled throughout with the knowing of your presence

That presence filled with all the mysteries of the universe before it breathed its first day or night..

That presence filled with the light upon light and love upon love

Of a Creator I could not begin to know or understand

How could I know HIM?

How could I begin to encompass a little of HIS friendship,

When seated beside his closest companion it was as though my heart lay open,

like broken drawers of an empty chest yearning for just one more smile..

Oh how I dreamed..

And how I fell in love with you..

Oh blessed soul;

 who’s fragrance’s search still fills my every dream and waking moment since!

Oh blessed messenger;

who brought to this ragged, poor and wretched soul a touch of life,

Oh blessed messenger;

who’s love is such that your blessed feet did walk,

For the love of YOUR beloved,

That greatest stretch of eternal sky, from complete rest and peace,

 just to sit with me.

Quietly.

Beside a stream.

So that I may feel, just once, the breath of heavens possibility,

So that I may take, from your beloved hand in which all of creation sits recorded,

One tiny key..

One promise..

The answer to my "Purpose" in this dry and dusty road..

Yours then, and mine today…

ALLAH

Copywrite@2013(RC)http://yesI'mMuslimDealwithit.blogger.com - please reference if sharing

Chains that bind

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem

In cases of abuse, it is not uncommon for the abused to stay in the situation for prolonged periods of time (sometimes indefinately) for reasons ranging from fear of society to fear of the abuser to fears instilled BY the abuser that the children will not be looked after, etc. etc. It is also true as studies have shown that when the abused or abuser leaves for any period of time (or permanently) there is an adjustment period akin to drug withdrawal. Why? Because the victim has become wrapped in the tentacles of oppression so far that when the pressure is off, they have "phantom pains".. the chemicals are out of balance. This is why psychological abuse is worse than physical. Bruises heal. Emotions and the psyche may never recover..

To help victims regain their balance and sense of self-worth one must seek first to help them understand the chains that bind, then let them decide. AFter all, why would they stay? What binds them? These chains that bind are called Traumatic Bonding.

Traumatic bonding is defined as “strong emotional ties that develop between two persons where one person intermittently harasses, beats, threatens, abuses, or intimidates the other.” (Dutton & Painter, 1981). 

As any abused person will know, the abuser seeks to control, undermine and dictate life (pretty much) to the abused. The cycles of abuse followed by kindness create a cycle of altered chemical states and emotional states, a "rollercoaster" if you will, to which the abused may become accustomed and even, chemically, addicted. Victims "need" the drama, eventually, and this simply contributes to more abuse. One of the biggest lies of the Shaytaan, I believe, is that anyone deserves abuse or anyone must stay in an oppressive environment. I will be posting an article documenting several studies on abuse recently undertaken for men who are abused by their partners. In the meantime, ARE YOU TRAUMATICALLY BONDED? Take this self-help test.. (Copyright to Patrcik Carnes, Ph.D.) Answer yes or no to the questions..

Traumatic Bonding Self Test

By Patrick Carnes, Ph.D.

The following are a series of statements which describe traumatic bonding in which a person bonds on the basis of betrayal. The result is what we call a "betrayal bond". Check each "Yes" response as appropriate.

 

1)Do you obsess about people who have hurt you even through they are long gone?

2)Do you continue to seek contact with people whom you know will cause you further pain?

3)Do you go "overboard" to help people who have been destructive to you?

4)Do you continue to be a "team" member when obviously things are becoming destructive?

5)Do you continue attempts to get people to like you who are clearly using you?

6)Do you trust people again and again who are proven to be unreliable?

7)Are you unable to retreat from unhealthy relationships?

8)Do you try to be understood by those who clearly do not care?

9)Do you choose to stay in conflict with others when it would cost you nothing to walk away?

10)Do you persist in trying to convince people that there is a problem and they are not willing to listen?

....

11)Are you loyal to people who have betrayed you?

12)Do you attract untrustworthy people?

13)Have you kept damaging secrets about exploitation or abuse?

14)Do you continue contact with an abuser who acknowledges no responsibility?

15)Do you find yourself covering up, defending, or explaining a relationship?

16)When there is a constant pattern of non-performance in a relationship, do you continue to expect them to follow through anyway?

17)Do you have repetitive, destructive fights that are no win for anybody?

18)Do you find that others are horrified by something that has happened to you and you are not?

19)Do you obsess about showing someone that they are wrong about you, your relationship, or their treatment of you?

.....

20)Do you feel stuck because you know what the other is doing is destructive, but you believe you cannot do anything about it?

21)Do you feel loyal to someone even though you harbor secrets that are damaging to others?

22)Do you move closer to someone you know is destructive to you even though you do not trust, like or care for the person?

23)Does someone's talents, charisma, or contributions cause you to overlook destructive, exploitive, or degrading acts?

24)Do you find you cannot detach from someone even though you do not trust, like or care for the person?

25)Do you find yourself missing a relationship, even to the point of nostalgia and longing, that was so awful it almost destroyed you?

26)Are extraordinary demands placed on you to measure up as a way to cover up exploitation?

27)Do you keep secret someone's destructive behavior because of all of the good they have done or the importance of their position or career?

28)Does your relationship have contacts or promises that have been broken which you are asked to overlook?

29)Are you attracted to "dangerous" people?

30)Do you stay in a relationship longer than you should?

(PLEASE SEE BELOW FOR FURTHER QUESTIONS)

If you have answered yes to several of these questions, you may want to schedule an initial assessment to explore further any concerns that were raised.

For more information about Insideout Living, Inc. and therapy options, visit

http://www.insideoutlivinginc.org.

Traumatic Bonding Self Test

By Patrick Carnes, Ph.D.

Provided by

Insideout Living, Inc.

1618 Orrington Ave., Ste. 202

Evanston, IL 60201

(847) 328-7588

info@insideoutlivinginc.org


MY QUESTIONS to you, having read the above, are this:

1) Do you fear the abuser more than Allah?
2) Do you believe you will be powerless to help your children because of this abuser? IF so, read question 1 again.
3) Do you fear loosing what you have worked for because of this abuser? IF so, read question 1 again.
4) Do you think there is nothing you can do to get out? IF so, read question 1 again.

5) Do you trust your own ability more than you trust ALLAH?
6) Do you keep hoping things will change, because you don't want to face the alternative, the community, the aloneness? IF so, read question 5 again.
7) Do you fear that its too late to start over? If so, read question 5 again.
8) Do you believe no-one will love you if you let go and walk away? If so, read question 5 again.

9) Do you believe the Shaytaan, or do you believe ALLAH is AL RAHMAAN, AL RAHEEM?
10) Do you fear the abuser will destroy your reputation with your kids/your community/your family? If so, read question 9 again.
11) Do you fear that it will take too long/ be too difficult/ to start over, away from the abuser due to your age/their finances/family/community? If so, read question 9 again.

12) Do you believe the abuser is right about you, do you believe you are worthless, incapable, unable to live/thrive/ have dignity without them? IF SO - YOU HAVE FORGOTTEN YOUR KALIMA,  If ALLAH does not allow oppression, who are YOU to allow it, even over your OWN self, which is given to you in Amaana?

Please note - I am a women. I am not an abuser. Lots of us aren't. Lots of us are. Chose carefully.

ALLAH

QURAN

MUHAMMAD (saw)

HADITH

SUNNAT

then.. subr.. IN THAT ORDER.

Just a cloudy day in Texas

Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem


As we continue to approach "end times", or judgement day, God is speaking to people from all walks of life. There are many, many misconceptions about Islam; fed by the media, by powerplays and world economics games. But in all this, G"d speaks, and He continues to call unto Him those He wishes. Among these, there are pastors, lawyers, doctors, and any other kind. The pre-requisite to being a muslim is this - ALLAH says BE, and it IS.

Sometimes, Allah calls entire families to Islam, and sometimes, the men (not man, MEN) in those families are all pastors. This is the story of one such family - and a "conversion" (we call it reversion) one cloudy day in Texas.

Essentially, the father and son began doing business with a man from Cairo. Allah can use anyone to plant a seed, from near, or far. 

His father was a pastor, his wife and family, "charismatic" christians, "slain in the spirit", "baptised and living in faith". Maybe that's why Allah called them ALL to Islam - to draw them near to HIM, insh'Allah. May Allah continue to bless their work, keep them on the straight path of Truth and grant them Jannat when their time comes insh'Allah. It is in english, despite the subtitles. It's a long video, but VERY WELL WORTH WATCHING!! If you've ever wondered what Islam is really about, our your imaan needs a little lift, watch this.