[Khairan]

Originally Posted by Aryan_

Non-muslims can live moral lives in the sense they can be sexually degenerate, help people across the streets and give starving kids iPods. But that doesn't mean they are moral in the islamic sense. If that was the case, what would be the point in becoming a Muslim?

What would the point be indeed?

I think you're looking at it backwards. Calling oneself muslim is not for the sake of getting special privileges or forgiveness from God. Indeed, I think in some ways it makes things harder because we have taken a covenant that we will follow those commandments God has given muslims and further believe that we are sinning by not doing so. I think "the point of becoming a muslim" is that you sincerely (there's that word again) believe it is the best way to please God and to be a true servant to your Creator. Other people, who do not share this belief, can still do things that are "moral in an islamic sense" like help people in need, give to charity, be kind to others, and any number of other things. The earlier contention here was that non-muslims somehow *can't* do these things because their morality is so completely different from ours. Of course, such a contention is completely unsupported by reality.