it's for his own good to embrace Islam and we're all happy to hear this good news, yes?

God does not exist.

I really am not able to convince myself that there is a God, but at the same time I respect others belief and needs. So I guess I am one of those who is sitting comfortably on the fence.

What I am absolutely sure of, God is absolutely not in the hearts of very many Indonesians who announce themselves as good Muslims. If there was a full-proof way to test all Indonesian's for 'real and genuine faith and belief in God', it could overnight become the country with the greatest number of potential atheists.

I am very sure that it takes rather more to be a true believer than performing rituals and screaming 'God is Great' whilst caving in the skull of some poor sod who you have been told is the Devil.

wongndeso [edit] You have absolutely no idea about what goes on in Western societies, nor similarly, your own.

agentmacgyver,

you have missed some points with several comments that have been made here. Let me put it this way, how would you know if a local Indonesian choose not to read or curious enough to read English matters on line?? Are you making a general assumption?

For example on another note, how well do you know of the formal education system and level of students' academic in the US? Do you know that there are still people regardless of economic standing or ethnicity who can't even speak English let alone understand it. It is mind boggling.

The service industry in this country are well managed by average Indonesians who are well trained in English. Do you really know what the service industry really means??

The Dutch and some Nordic countries are able to understand English but in the rest of the non English speaking world the subject of English wasn't always necessarily taught in primary school...

@agentmacgyver...regardless of how much interaction I would have with Indonesians is irrelevant!! The ridiculous assumption by bangbangtang in general is down right discriminating...

For example,how many French in France can read, write and understand English and yet England is across the channel. Some French would not be interested or refuse to learn because they are so proud of their own language and culture. And there is history between the two countries that can never be forgotten with most people.

By the way, I do have some Indonesian cousins (not blood related) who live in this country to know much of what goes on the bad and the good of this country.

Indonesians are still a bunch of people who are eager to learn English, Korean, Chinese or Japanese for that matter more than any other people in Southeast Asia. If you are in academics, then you should know this trend.