From Buddhism to Christianity to Islam

From Buddhism/Christianity to Islam

I was born and raised in Canada. I have a Buhddist father, and a Christian mother, although she never really practised. I had always thought that my fathers religion was very strange (yes, yes karma and stuff, but once you get deep into the religion, you'll see). He had an entire room downstairs dedicated to these small statues where he would burn incense for them and pour rice and milk and pray to them. I once asked him how much they cost, and he said around $200-$400 each, and had spent at least $10,000 over the years in total on these eight-armed statues and accessories for them. Buddism does not make sense. Because of this, as a teenager, I decieded that I would be a Christian instead..

Eventually during high school I forgot about religion totally and started doing all sorts of crazy stuff. Yes, you say all teenagers go through this rebellious faze, well I sorta went overboard with it. I eventually stopped going to school at all and hanging out all night doing various things that people shouldnt be doing. I am not exaggerating when I say any of this. You know many say that some kids hand with the wrong crowd?, well to give you an idea, a large portion of my friends had already been to the juvenile center (including myself even at one point) and a few of the older ones had been to the adult jails (some of the crew were in their 30's or 40's with houses, cars, money etc.)

Coming from a very strict family, I was kicked out of my house at the very begginning of this faze. It didnt bother me at all. For almost four months I lived at friends houses and even outside a few times, and eventually found myself in the young offenders centre (young people prison). It was nothing as I had already been arrested several times before, and this was somthing expected. But when I was to be released, they phoned my parents, and they didnt want me, so they sent me to a group home. Here I met even more connections of bad influences on myself. Eventually the social worker convinced my parents to take me back, after a few months in the group home. I stayed with them for a little more than a year before I left again, this time on my own accord after an argument with them.

I was again to having no fixed address. Eventually I ended up in somthing similar to a group home; it was a government owned place for homeless people in the 16-18 year age range, and they were in the most roughest parts of town, and most the people here were drug addicts or dealers, and ill tempered with probally no future whatsoever. I stayed in this place for about eight months, and during this time, I reflected lots on my life. I mean very, very deep thinking. I didnt want to continue living like the way I had. I remembered Christianity and tried to behave a little better (despite all my actions I still knew that there was a God in the back of my mind).

Nevertheless, I was still doing the same things as I was before. I left the government home and got an apartment and even a job (my social worker forced me to get one in order to give me the benifits she could offer).

During that time, I decided I was going to stop behaving the way I would, but I found too many strange things in Christianity to accept it. I "officially" denied christianity and decided I would not practice it; I would be an atheist but still behave in a lawful proper way.

I sacrificed all contact with my old friends. I had so much fun to get from them. My people was feared, respected, and could get the money flowing, but I just didnt want it; I wanted to behave well (I come from a very sucessful relatives with degrees and riches and I wanted to be like them).

Eventually at my work this man (immigrated from Morroco) and I became friends (I always keep my past secret to everyone, not even my friends today know what I have done). He was a muslim and I thought negative things about this but of course didnt tell him directly but would ask him questions about his religion. He gave me a pamphlet one day and was amazed by how interesting it was. But unfortunatley, for some reason, this guy quit without notice and I never saw him again.

Another man was hired a long while after and we too became friends. He was not a muslim but I asked him if he could find me a english Koran. He said yes and got one for me. And oh my god! Was that ever an interesting book. I read it hour after hour the first time I got it. It was amazing. I immediatley believed in some of the verses becuase some just hit me so hard. The Koran anwers all the questions of Christianity! In fact the Koran is like an updated version of Christianity. Its like the comparison of bible study to koran study is like a medical student studying a textbook from the year 1522 (there are a few truths in it but many wrong things) and then seeing the most updated one (which is true). The Koran is so straightforward and simple to read, and so cool at the same time!

I decided I was going to be a muslim, and I have been to this day and am quite a bit older now.

Islam had made me acknowledge and thank the creator, who is incredibly kind to me. I remember that when iblees refused to bow to our people, Allah backed us up and stood up for us. And if Allah had wished, he could have given humans absolutley nothing good and still he would be able to find a way to juice whatever he wanted out of us and nobody could stop him, but hes kind, and so compassionate even though he doesnt need to be.

I feel that islam can change you in a way other religions never can. I mean some say that some religions can change you, but its not satisfactory. For example you may say that you are a better person becuase you have become buddhist, but you still may subconciously be racist, or subconciously look down on others and ect. But with islam, your entire thinking changes and outlook changes; you begin to understand what the truth is behind some things and understand the hidden things of life. Arrogance, discrimination, pride, is gone when you are a muslim, and I don't care what anyone says about any other religions doing it to the same degree that islam does. Even some atheists try to behave well! But the fact of the matter is, that Islam can change you in a way that cannot be done in any other way.

Thanks for reading.