Trust your "Instincts"

Well folks, it was too good to be true. I received my shiny new Samsung Instinct HD™ in the mail on Thursday. Finally got a new phone after my phone stopped having camera use and good battery power for some time. I had planned to upgrade to just a little better of a phone, but then I saw the deal of the lifetime, or so I thought. I could get the Instinct for zero dollars and zero cents! I waited until today to try to activate it because I finally got around to transferring my contacts. But when I tried to activate it, Sprint made me have to choose an upgraded plan with Internet and all the works. So I backed out and have to replace my phone. No feelings were attached to the phone yet so its ok, didn't even put a custom background on it yet. Now Ill have to wait at least another week before I can travel to the Sprint store to replace it. Sheesh.

In other news, a couple weeks back I was walking to make Salaat in a designated room in the student centre (im canadian), and then a Christian and his Ethiopian friend, who is also Christian, approached this nig. We got to talking and I said I was Muslim. He suggested maybe we could meet up and discuss the Quran and the Bible and such. Usually I would make up some excuse or something, but I decide to be New Hasheem (yes im still in development, we are in like phase 6, lol)(<--note that I said "we" because im crazy). So we meet up the next week. Im expecting to have a nice conversation about religious differences and like bring up good points about Christianity and shed the right light on Islam. Trust your INSTINCTS!

So we sit down and he immediately lights into me about Jesus. Everything we discussed was centered around Prophet Isa. I tried to break away and start explaining Islam and its principles but it fell flat. The only thing he wanted to know was how Jesus was portrayed in the Quran. It turned into pretty much a lecture by him to me on Non denominational Christianity (which I guess is the most cleaned up version to his credit). I did learn alot about what they believe in that I never understood before, but of course I still cant understand the trinity for realz, for realz. His Ethiopian friend didnt say much, but its understandable, he came from Ethiopia straight to college. For some reason, I decide to meet with him the next week to discuss Jesus in  the Bible vs Quran or however he put it. This relationship was getting very very one-sided, teacher to student-ish.

So this past week, us 3 met again. From the beginning it was absurd (looking at it from just a discussion about religion standpoint). I could tell he was trying to convert me like then and there. He started out gathering up evidence about Jesus throughout the Bible. Any attempt at changing the subject failed. He kept doing a very annoying thing where he would have me read a passage and then explain to him what it means, like he is my teacher. Any-who, at the very end he does this triangle technique where he says either Jesus is Gods son, or he is not - then proceeds to name the 3 reasons why Jesus would be lying. He says he is either a Liar, Legend, or Lunatic. then cites different passages and logic why those aren't true. He then tries to goad me into admitting Christianity is correct. He asks, "If all these things aren't true, then what does that mean?". I just say, "That would mean Jesus was God's son" or something. Then he says "then what does that mean?". I don't know what he's trying to get me to say. He then answers himself by saying, "It means the way through salvation is through Christ". He thinks he has me on the ropes, nah son. I just ask him, "If Jesus is God, why would he have imperfect men right his book for him to spread to the whole world?".

The boy is stumped. He just says "good question". We both had to leave soon after so we wrapped it up. He just told me, "You dont have to come to a decision now, but think about it" as if I had shown any signs of wanting to convert.

I really respect him for what he does, tries to get people to follow something that he really believes in, and his religion tells him its his duty. But he was just so focused on that and not open at all to anything else. I tried to pose talking points, but he just kept on talking about Jesus no matter what. It was nice to learn what Christianity was all about, but I didnt have the real chance to really explain Islam to him. But it was kinda unfair to start, he is super duper talkative, and im still in New Hasheem phase 6, it would take until phase 45 to get to that level, but until that day, Salaams!