Is it always about INTENTION?

This is an issue on RELIGION...

I know this person who is a Muslim. Actually she claims she's an atheist, a.k.a "a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings" (courtesy of dictionary.com).But i don't believe she's an atheist. She gives a lot of examples from bible in her conversations and she wears a "cross" as a necklace. If you were an atheist, your examples shouldn't just revolved around Christianity but it should involve other religions. Atheist shouldn't practice any favoritism towards any religion. You know, had she not talk about a SPECIFIC religion, i would have believed she's an atheist despite she's wearing a cross as necklace. Why? Perhaps the wearing of the cross is just a fashion statement. Nothing to do with religion. They just wear it because it looks nice and fashionable.

So it made me think, if your intention of wearing a cross is just for fashion purposes and you don't believe in that religion, will it amount to backstabbing your own religion?

Besides the issue of wearing a cross as necklace, religious authorities in Malaysia recently decide to ban MU's football jersey because it has the pic of the DEVIL.. (HA, serves you right you MU loser fans.. I'm a CHELSEA FAN ;-p).. But i'm not gonna be bias just because i'm a Chelsea lover... I think the decision to ban the jersey is kindda irrational.

I quote a phrase from an article which i read : "This is very dangerous. As a Muslim, we should not worship the symbols of other religions or the devils," said Nooh Gadot, a top Islamic leader from southern Johor state.

So we shouldn't worship symbols of other religions and devils right? The keyword here is WORSHIP. If you don't have the INTENTION to worship, how can it be worshiping? I could be wearing a picture of a devil for a shirt but that doesn't mean i worship the devil. It could mean that i just love how the devil looks or whatever it is. If i buy a doll that looks like a devil because i think it looks cute, is that considered worship? Definitely NOT.

This goes back to the issue where people say as a Muslims you shouldn't keep dolls or dolls that look like humans because then you wouldn't have the blessings of the angels, as in the angels won't enter your house. Besides that, keeping dolls is like worshiping idols.

I like to collect dolls, especially cats. I have a lot of cat figurines. I just admire the beauty and cuteness of cats but never once in my life did i have the intention to pray to cats or idolized cats by worshiping them. So keeping dolls can't be considered as SINFUL or two timing your God if you DON'T use them as tools of worshiping.

This also makes me want to bring up an old issue in Malaysia where there was a ban of Yoga because it has Hindu elements. I never do Yoga or bother to practice it so i don't really understand the essence of it. I only know it's suppose to keep you healthy and peaceful. Even though Yoga may contain elements of Hinduism but if it doesn't praise the Hindu Gods, what's the problem with it? Besides, when i see people do Yoga on tv, they seem to be focused just on the body movements, there's no recital of religious phrases.

Logically, there's no harm in doing or wearing something which you are not worshiping since you don't have the INTENTION to worship. But i think from a practical point of view, perhaps public will think it's inappropriate due to their conservativeness.

Before you can be guilty of MURDER, you must have the MENS REUS (intention to kill) and the ACTUS REUS (the act of killing). If you just committed an act of killing but you didn't have the intention to kill someone, you will only be guilty of MANSLAUGHTER. If i remembered my law correctly, murder is when you have intention to kill and manslaughter is when you don't have the intention to kill. See what big difference it is when you have and don't have the INTENTION? Murder have result in you facing a death sentence while manslaughter probably will lend you many years in imprisonment.

So, to be accused of worshiping something is a SERIOUS ALLEGATION. It may seem like you committed an act of worship like wearing a cross necklace, doing yoga, wearing jerseys with controversial symbols, keeping many dolls at home but it doesn't mean you have the intention or worshiping. So without intention, can you still be accused of worshiping?

Reality wise, people these days do things without thinking, thus making satanic symbol gestures without even knowing the meaning of the gestures because they think it's cool. In this era, something that symbolizes religion have been made into something of a fashion or a cool trend. It's nothing religious at all. It's funny how some people USED to think that only a Muslim can say ASSALAMUALAIKUM. But if you know what it means, it's just a friendly greeting in Arabic which can be used by any person from other religions. It's the same thing with "Allah". It refers to God in Arabic. Of course any person can use it. But of course it will give rise to suspicion when all of a sudden, you decide to use when you never use it before. But if your intention in using the word is GENUINE, then i don't see the harm. But if you have ill intention, then you shouldn't be allowed to use it.