Shaunee I hope i didnt come across rude, i was just going by what you wrote it seemed like you was close to embracing Islam now it's obvious you wasn't really, which was my mistake. Its cool though, when you say you are close to God through you and him, and not a pope, preacher etc i hear you 100% In fact I think like you do, there's no one beetween us and God, like some dude in a crowd sending the holy ghost through falling grannies etc, or someone claiming not to be a prophet but to be a little closer to god than the rest of us are and healing etc, no that's all garbage in my opinion. It's just us and God. But the only "religion" that is strong on there being only a relationship directly beetween God and the person praying, with no inbetween or other people to put closer in such a solid and convincing manner is Islam. So as far as the direct relationship to God thing, we both feel the same.
I didn't come to God through being raised in a Muslim household though, or through having blind faith, i used to be Agnostic, and eventually decided to look into why we are here, how we got here, and over time evidence, scientific and solid concrete facts, led me to creation with absouloutely no where else to go, all other avenues were closed. Then eventually to Islam, mainly because of the science in Islam and the untouched words of God. I wasn't trying to come at you on some "be one of us" kinda thing, i know how i used to feel about people who said that to me. And i know how i'd feel if you'd have done the same thing to me. I just came to the conclusion via science that God exists, now i needed to find out how to live as a beliver of God. I was pulled to Islam out of the blue for reasons i still can't explain but feel as strong as the first night i felt them. But the point i'm making is it wasn't a subtle push of being bought up in a Muslim envioronment that took me to Islam, it was Logic, Science and God himself.
I belive any unbiased person searching, who wasn't bought up in a Western or Eastern wherever envioronment, say a man who lived on the moon his entire life with no one else around him. I belive he would read the several thousand versions of Gods words or what people claim to be in some form or another, Bible, Torah, Buddhism, Confucius, Taoism scriptures etc and pick from all these hundreds, thousands of books, scriptures. I think this man on the moon who's never spoken to another person his entire life, after reading them all, would pick the one solid package of guidance for living from God that is the Quran as being the only true untouched and pure words of our creator, the lord of existance and all things we can ever possibly know. I don't say this as a mad Muslim running around cutting off heads, i say this as a former Athiest who researched science, became Agnostic, researched science more, Became sure of God but sat confused waiting, felt a pull toward Islam for various reasons and eventually reasearched more and became Muslim.
Anyway I thought you were a catholic but curious, but no i see you're not curious as your original post implied you were. Regardless we both belive in God so we're both one level elevated from those who don't in my opinion. To me it's more than belief its simple solid facts in front of our faces, creation, perception, the universe and it's origins. It just took me a long time to read through the stuff i needed to in science to get here. Please dont think i didn't respect your religion i just read you wrong. However In my opinion, if you weren't raised as a christian and you went searching off of your own back, i think you'd end up as Muslim, it's the natural way for a free thinking human to go. But of course there aren't many free thinkers, many are influenced by envioronement, situations, culture and before embracing Islam get knocked a little off course. Because the Christian household would probably have an influence on such things, or certain cultures etc.
I'm not saying i'm immune from influences because the sheer fact i was a solid athiest at one point was probably due to influences growing up, loving sci fi and aliens etc. I only say all this because i approached it fresh and was pulled to Islam, no influences besides the sci fi comics and stuff of that nature i was into. My girlfriend would probably have you belive i was brainwashed by mad terrorists...but i just looked at everything and in my opinion to the logical clear headed thinker, free of prejudice etc Allah will call you to Islam...as i belive he will call everybody curious, be it curious within their own religion, or curious as an athiest, agnostic or free thinker. Allah will call them all, then the choice is theirs. Thats why in my humble opinion, the natural way for souls living within the creation of life Allah has given us, is Islam.
But as you say each to their own, but i still feel one day you'll be called, that's just a feeling, not me being offensive or saying your beliefs are less, they're probably more in tune with mine than you'd think. But in all of this who am i <b>Allah knows best.</b> of course his will shall direct all.