That's a large subject. Am not going to write my biography here, only a bit.
I have been familiar with both, Islam and Christianity from childhood. My parents were not really religious people. It's always been my initiative to know more. At the age of 8, I decided to attend the reformed Christian lessons in school, because my best friend went there. Already in the first lesson, the teacher asked me something about Islam, as he knew that this was my family's religion, but I didn't know the answer. So, I went to my father, telling him that I want also to go to the Islam classes, which were not in the school but 30 km away in the community building. So, I learned both.
I never had a real change since, but I grew in interest and depth. At the age of 19, I searched for more, I started to practice regular prayer (Salat) and reading the Quran and the Bible.
At the age of 27, I considered to baptize in a Unitarian Church, but I didn't find any in Switzerland except Jehovah's Witnesses who are extremely dogmatic so that I saw at first contact that this is not an option. I asked an Imam outside our community whether it is possible to baptize and stay Muslim, and he said, No. I asked the same in the reformed church, and the answer was no. Since then, I started my own way.
After 2001, I had to position myself in Islam, and I started to study, request and review the Islamic teachings. I finally opted for tolerance of Orthodox Islam as long as they tolerate other positions. Tolerance is not the same as agreeal, it starts at the point of disagreement. I agree with orthodox and conservative Islam scholars in the rejection of terrorists and extremists.
About 12 years ago, I started the project to publish a commented Gospel edition, including the entire original (translated) text of the four canonical accounts, together all related Quran passages, some relevant Hadith with few selected apocryphal scriptures. It's already quite complete, but not finished yet.
I'm so-to-say myself interreligious. Still curious.
Great journey, thank you for Sharing. Remaining curious, is an ideal approach to our life's journey. I will share a little as well.
My Mother and Father were Church of England, my mother (now passed) was strong in Christ, my father more agnostic, which became more athiest oriented. My father was in the Australian air force and in the early 60's was posted to Malaysia, where we lived on Penang Island for 3 years.
My first year of school was when we got there and you can imagine I saw many diverse religious practices with many practcing various Hindu and Buddhist rituals. We visited many temples where I got my love of insences. My fist Bible was given in Sunday school in Penang and I had that until I gave it to a friend in the Solomon Islands. These experiences opened me to embracing a wider concept of God.
I was never inclined to practice my faith, I was just to busy as a lad doing my own thing and I was way too much of a handful for my mother. In 1975 I did a 4 year apprenticeship as a professional golfer, I had stardom in my eyes. I did pass and became a professional and played a year on the circuit, while working at a public golf course as an assistant Pro. But one needs money to play the professional circuit, I had none. A long story saw me join the Australian Army in 1979 and after 6months of training, ended up in Townsville far North Old Australia. Another long story tells of how I met my wonderful partner there, engaged after 3 days married in January 81.
It was my wife, who had a horrific childhood that found the Faith in 1984 after we moved back to Western Australia, where my parents lived, another great story, I will cut very short. We built a new house in Beldon WA, while another went up across the road. After moving in, as did the people over the road, my wife went to visit while I was at work, she read this prayer on the wall and became a Baha'i immediately, to the astonishment of the new friend.
"O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life."
O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá)
When I came home, I got the good news and I was furious, I asked right away as to who got all the money, as the Indian mystic Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh had taken over Fremantle in WA at the time. It took me a few weeks to simmer down. It was then that one evening I found a book on my side-table, it was "God Love Laughter" by William Sears. I read the book and also "Thief in the Night" by the same author, was amazed everyone had not heard of this faith and became a Baha'i.
2 years later we sold our house so we could move to an area that needed Baha'i, we were asked to spread far and wide to tell the world of this message. That has been our life, we ended up in a very remote community. Along the way, many stories to be told, many amazing faith confirming events, and many years of reading religious writings, to better understand our place in life.
(I had a busy day, I started this at 6am this morning and it is now now 4pm
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All the best, peace to all, Regards Tony
