How it all came to pass because I challenged Jeremiah on some of his statements....
From: Jochen Katz To: Islamic newsgroup 'soc.religion.islam' In article <502dal$pbk@shellx.best.com>, alimhaq@city-net.com (Jeremiah McAuliffe) writes: [trying to down "psychologize" Mohammad Norul Islam's reasons for rejecting Islam as well as his "knowledge" of Islam.] | As an ex-Catholic ... .... | I've never met anyone who actually knows what | Islam is about who then actively rejects it. Jeremiah has a very short memory it seems. Let me quote from his own review of the book "Answering Islam" by Norman Geisler & Abdul Saleeb, posted by him on soc.religion.islam in May 1995 In article <3pssr8$ofh@shell1.best.com>, alimhaq@city-net.com (Jeremiah McAuliffe) writes: Salaam, This "changing of standards" is very common in the Evangelistic Christian writings. One gem I got from a Christian bookstore is "Answering Islam" by Norman L Geisler and Abdul Saleeb. Abdul is not the guy's real name. The first part of the book is Abdul explaining Islam. I couldn't believe it. It was really good! I wondered how the Christian was going to refute it. .... Well, Abdul Saleeb is a convert from Islam to Christianity and his testimony can be found at my web site at the address http://www.math.gatech.edu/~jkatz/Islam/Testimonies/abdul.html Interestingly enough, I provided Jeremiah with the opportunity to correspond with Abdul Saleeb, but he was seemingly not interested to follow up on it. [One thing is right though, Abdul Saleeb means "Servant of the Cross" and is his pseudonym ... but that shouldn't strike anybody strange who has been following the "death penalty for apostates" discussion on this newsgroup recently.] What else can we say Jeremiah? Let us continue to look at the gems you present. | So what if it is? What's your point? Do you even know? Another of these typical reactions of a Muslim towards one who has rejected Islam (this time coming not even from an "original" Muslim but a convert himself): | So what *was* your childhood like? Did you go to religious education | classes? Was the sheik or iman or other "cleric" kind and jolly? Or | mean and harsh? Did you get religion "beat into you" or gently handed | over with a soft smile and a kind word? Did you have to memorize the | Qur'an by rote? Or did you have ample opportunity to ask questions | and challenge what you were being taught? Did your religious | education continue into adulthood, or stop before adolescence? | Jeremiah McAuliffe/alimhaq@city-net.com Jeremiah, should I ask the same about you in regard to rejecting Christianity? I mean, obviously, there cannot be any rational and educated reasons, since no person in his right mind would chose Islam over Christianity if he had ever understood Christianity....
Jeremiah's response
Overview on the debate between Jeremiah and Abdul
Answering Islam Home Page