edit: this post got me banned from this sub, weird. 350k views, 97% upvote ratio, but the idea that I had questions about a complex religious subject was too much for one of the small minded people running this reddit.

Hey, so I'm visiting and I saw a Buddhist shrine and was like cool! I live in Thailand for now and I see these all over there.

And then when I got close I saw two signs saying Halal food only and, well, it made me feel a certain way.

Can anyone walk me through what is going on? Because my immediate thought was a bit unkind and I want to do more research.

"Agnostic", "Atheist" bapak sial at the end of the day if you're looking for something long-term, the religion you are born in WILL matter if you're a Muslim.

As a non-Muslim, I feel so annoyed because I'm trying to find someone to eventually settle down with. Imagine having such a good convo with someone and only later you come to know that this person is Muslim by birth, meaning I'll have to convert for us to be a thing.

Putting your religion as "agnostic" or "atheist" when you're Muslim vs non-Muslim are 2 different things. If you're born Buddhist, and choose to not be associated with the religion, you can choose to get married in a non-religious ceremony and raise your child however you'd like. You can't do that with Islam, and that's a fact. Whether you believe in God or not, you can't choose to have a non-religious wedding ceremony, and your non-Muslim spouse can't maintain their original beliefs even if they wanted to.

Idc if you're "open-minded" or don't want to associate yourselves with other, more conservative Muslims. You can discuss that with a person once you match with them. I don't care if you are 70% or 10% religious as much as I care about you being in a religion that i'll have to convert for. I think most non-Muslims will say the same.

If you're born Muslim, looking for something long-term, and you still want to label yourself publically as Agnostic or Atheist— that's cool! Just don't hit up people who are in a completely different religion as you. You are misleading people on purpose, especially if your name is something common like "Adam".

A friend of mine from East Malaysia actually sold off his house and car for knockoff price because he believes in the Rapture where he will be taken by Jesus Christ and go to Heaven on 23rd Sept.

Now, with a lack of anything celestial happening, he is forced to find a new place to stay and re-negotiate with his boss since he did not come to work for 1 week. He can't get back his car and house, the buyers refused to entertain him now, so he cries bitterly about it.

Luckily, he has no family to feed.

I already told him it is not a good idea, but he snapped back, saying an atheist like me has no business talking to him about God and Lord Jesus Christ the Savior.

Ah well.

For monyets who have no idea what is the Rapture:

Source

So as an atheist, all I can say is, be careful about this kind of stuff, always do due diligence.

I’ve been following this sub for a few years now, but I only recently started using Reddit more actively. From what I’ve observed, the sentiment towards religion here hasn’t been great, especially when it comes to Islam. I feel like there are a lot of misconceptions about the religion, and some political issues seem to have been conflated with the faith itself.

Because there’s a lack of representation from people like me, I think these misunderstandings have only deepened over time. That said, I don’t claim to speak for all religious people, but I hope my perspective can offer some insight into how 'conservatives' think. Honestly, I believe we have a lot more in common than the divisions these politicians like to emphasize.

In my experience, scocial media tend to amplify this divide instead of bridging it. Lmk if there’s anything you’d like to ask or discuss—I’m happy to share my perspective.

(btw im also 21 years old, so im quite uninformed on a lot of topics too, but oh well)

Islam is a religion of peace and moderation, yet we constantly see groups like GISB (Global Ikhwan Sdn Bhd) using Islam as a front for their own agenda. This is not what Islam teaches! The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) warned us: "Beware of going to extremes in religion, for those before you were destroyed by going to extremes in religion." — Sunan Ibn Majah, 3029 What annoys me even more is seeing people here in Malaysia trying so hard to show they’re “holy” by wearing a songkok, kopiah, or other stuff like that, but their actions are the complete opposite. Honestly, if you're a Muslim, just be a good person and keep it to yourself. There’s no need to show off how kind or religious you are. True faith is about sincerity, not putting on a performance. Stop thinking that just because you wear something or show off your religion, you’re guaranteed a spot in heaven and everyone else is doomed. Don’t be so sure Islam is the only way, and that just being a Muslim means you’re automatically saved while everyone else burns. In the end, it’s not about religion—it’s about what kind of person you were. When you die, no one’s gonna care about your religion. What matters is the good you did, how you treated people, and the legacy you leave behind. So forget about all the religious showmanship—just focus on doing good in this life so you can die in peace, knowing you did your best. I really hate how some people make religion into this big show. Just be real and stop using Islam to control or manipulate others. We need to focus on what actually matters: being honest, kind, and balanced in everything we do. bye.

I left my megachurch which I’ve been in for years for several reasons, even now they show no signs of changing and in fact, they’ve only gotten worse.

Just want to get this off my mind, apologies for the rant. I can’t really share this on social media without my “friends” turning against me.

Why I left:

• First and foremost, the non-stop hard selling of donating and giving money to the church in exchange for ‘blessings’ (It was blatantly stated that if you didn’t receive your blessing, you either didn’t give enough or “your heart isn’t right”)

• Extremely hive-minded and toxic culture from the congregation (mainly those below 40 years ), like if you didn’t blindly accept what the pastors and leaders said, there’s no avenue for disagreement, your faith is called into question and you are slowly sidelined and alienated even by those you considered friends. As for the youths, they are probably the most superficial people around in terms of attitude, hype and clout chasing and dressing.

• Actual faking of some ‘miracles’ just to satisfy a KPI of sorts which is presented to members as truth in updates in weekly services.

• Interference in the personal lives of members (e.g leaders telling members what to buy, who to date or marry, with some of these ‘matches’ ending up in divorce, despite the leaders’ initial endorsement)

• Overhyping of pastors and speakers, they are treated like celebrities (church goers are expected to give a standing ovation when they go up on stage)

• An almost militaristic treatment of volunteers who must observe strict discipline and procedures (nothing wrong with that) but are berated and put down if they make a mistake by leaders, who are usually highly-strung and rude. (There’s also like a paid pastoral course which creates a second class of volunteers some of whom tend to think they are spiritually superior and rank higher than the regular volunteers.)

The final straw for me was when an international Christian apologist named Ravi Zacharias was scheduled to speak at the church’s annual gathering.

He died before being able to do so and the agenda of the entire gathering had to be changed as he was the main speaker.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/19/us/ravi-zacharias-obit-trnd/index.html

Instead of changing the speaker lineup of the event however, all they did was have representatives of his organisation talk about how great he was for hours over the course of the 3-day event.

Then it got infinitely worse. This speaker was then subsequently revealed to be a sex offender and rapist with victims coming out and speaking about his crimes after his death.

https://www.malaymail.com/amp/news/opinion/2021/02/22/the-ravi-zacharias-scandal-and-addiction/1951731

In light of this shocking revelation, the church did nothing. There was no distancing, no apology for previously venerating him to the level of an actual saint. And no public statement of any kind.

They just pretended like nothing happened.

That failure was sickening for me, and I had to leave a place I called home for many years. There’s more I that left out, maybe one day I’ll be able to call this out publicly but I had to share this somewhere.

Thanks for reading.

My prayers go out to anyone who has suffered at the hands of a church or any other religious community that prioritises money and control over the welfare of its members.

EDIT: Thank you for the support and perspectives everyone. It means a lot after all that’s happened. I also noticed that there was a comment by one of their members which was deleted so that’s interesting.

P.S: If any of you have gone through this too, feel free to reach out, if you need someone to talk about it

Recently got a place and I noticed this item. I want to have it removed, although I want to do so respectfully as I assume it has religious significance. Anyone know who I can reach out to? I'm based around Pantai Dalam

Today my wife went to Aeon Cheras Selatan and wanted to get a take away lunch at Taco Bell for her and our daughter. She's Malay Muslim but she cannot fast today due to her period. When it was her turn to order the food at the counter, the staff apologized and told her that they cannot sell the food to Muslim before certain period.

My wife said she only wanted to take away the food but the staff still insist that they cannot sell the food because of the new policy enforced. My wife was embarrased and upset by this and leave the restaurant.

My question is, are this thing common and legal? Should my wife lodge a complaint to the management? We never experienced this issue before.

I came from a sekolah menengah that was mixed and had a good ratio of all the races, so ngl when I entered my uni (all Bumi) I didn't know what to expect, but I didn't expect this. As a free-hair muslim, it scares me, and I don't feel safe here. I know it's not just women who deal with it, but we definitely get the worse treatment when it comes to this topic.

Obviously using a throwaway and not stating the uni heh. But I wondered was it always this bad? I know there are people who are still against treating others this way but even then I feel like an outcast here. I thought it was just me that felt all the stares and whispers and that I was overthinking it but turns out they really do think and say these things about you if you don't wear a hijab or don't wear one properly. It scares me.

Feeling a little sorry for Father John.

Source

PAS Youth Malaysia views with serious concern recent developments that have seen an influx of concerts by foreign artists, particularly from South Korea, including names such as G-Dragon, Hwasa, and ITZY, as well as plans for BTS to perform in Kuala Lumpur. At the same time, performances by local groups such as DOLLA, which have sparked controversy related to image and appearance, have also raised public concern.

PAS Youth Malaysia stresses that Islam does not reject art and entertainment. However, entertainment is not a value-free sector; rather, it must operate within the framework of Shariah, morality, and the cultural values of Malaysian society, which recognizes Islam as the religion of the Federation.

We strongly reject any attempts to normalize entertainment that leads to hedonism, excessive celebrity worship, sexual exploitation, and the erosion of religious values and Islamic identity among Muslim youth. Our concern does not lie with the nationality of the artists, but with the messages, images, and culture they bring, and their impact on the mindset and moral character of the younger generation.

PAS Youth Malaysia observes increasingly evident direct effects, including the shaping of mindsets that elevate artists as primary idols, lifestyle changes toward undisciplined freedom, and the erosion of modesty and proper conduct when provocative elements are treated as the norm in entertainment.

Regarding local groups that appear with excessively provocative images, PAS Youth Malaysia is of the view that the local entertainment industry should not be conditioned to believe that success can only be achieved through sensationalism, bodily exposure, and imitation of foreign cultures that contradict societal values.

PAS Youth Malaysia calls for:

1. The Federal Government and state governments to consistently strengthen entertainment regulations based on religious values and local culture.
2. Event organizers to bear moral and social responsibility, not merely pursue economic profit.
3. The local entertainment industry to cultivate creativity and talent without sacrificing dignity and values.
4. Parents, educators, and society at large to jointly strengthen the foundations of faith and moral character among youth.

PAS Youth Malaysia is not opposed to art and entertainment. However, we firmly uphold Islam as a way of life, the dignity of the younger generation, and the future of the ummah. Entertainment that damages the soul and moral character should not be normalized in the name of progress or freedom.

Mohamed Sukri Omar
Chairman
Committee on Da‘wah and the Defense of Islam
PAS Youth Malaysia