Yes! Blame the promiscuous Women for the Earthquakes

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

if they step outside the parameters tempting the weakness of men it can be assumed that they are in league with Satan. in many ways their social mores remind me of the more intolerant puritans

Ah... religion. What would this world be without it?

Not nearly as funny, I'll tell you that.

[Lady Blue]

But a bit more peaceful, I would imagine.

[WT Sharpe]

[SARCASM]I think it's great that an Iranian Islamic cleric is trying to build bridges with the U.S.A.'s own Rev. Pat Robertson![/SARCASM]

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

[SARCASM]I think it's great that an Iranian Islamic cleric is trying to build bridges with the U.S.A.'s own Rev. Pat Robertson![/SARCASM]

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by ardeegee

I was just about to post this in the science literacy thread, emphasizing my pride that some of today's youth do still care about science.

Keep fighting the good fight, noble boobies! (wiping a tear from my eye)

Three whopping big cheers for the Scientific Method!

[WT Sharpe]

Originally Posted by kindlekitten

In All Seriousness;

I was taking classes from an Imam when I was getting ready to go to Kuwait. I wanted to not be a cultural monster. he explained to me that all of the extreme measures taken towards covering women was not to repress women, it was because men were just completely incapable of controlling themselves in any circumstance, so it was decided that the easiest thing was to remove the temptations.

Very good point: it's all for the good of women.

Which is why in so many Islamic countries, women who don't dress modestly are publicly flogged.

But not to single out Islam. Someone once said that the only reason modern Muslims are more dangerous than modern Christians is because they still believe their religion; and given the superior firepower of modern Christendom and it's often over-eagerness to display that might, I'm not so sure Islam is more dangerous. We've got some pretty whacked-out hotheads in our own churches right here in the States!

[mores]

It is a sin for an Islamic male to see any woman other than his wife naked and he must commit suicide if he does.

So next Sunday at 4:00 PM, all <insertyourcountryhere> women are asked to walk out of their house completely naked to help weed out any neighbourhood terrorists.

Circling your block for one hour is recommended for this anti - terrorist effort.

All men are to position themselves in deck chairs in front of their house to prove they are not terrorists and to demonstrate that they think it's okay to see nude women other than their wife and to show support for all <insertyourcountryhere>'s women..

And since the Koran also does not approve of alcohol, a cold six-pack at your side is further proof of your anti-terrorist sentiment..

The <insertyourcountryhere> Government appreciates your efforts to weed out terrorists and applauds your participation in this anti terrorist activity.

[pshrynk]

You know, that just might work!

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by mores

It is a sin for an Islamic male to see any woman other than his wife naked and he must commit suicide if he does.

So next Sunday at 4:00 PM, all <insertyourcountryhere> women are asked to walk out of their house completely naked to help weed out any neighbourhood terrorists.

Circling your block for one hour is recommended for this anti - terrorist effort.

All men are to position themselves in deck chairs in front of their house to prove they are not terrorists and to demonstrate that they think it's okay to see nude women other than their wife and to show support for all <insertyourcountryhere>'s women..

And since the Koran also does not approve of alcohol, a cold six-pack at your side is further proof of your anti-terrorist sentiment..

The <insertyourcountryhere> Government appreciates your efforts to weed out terrorists and applauds your participation in this anti terrorist activity.

That might just work!

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

And even if it doesn't... it will be well worth the effort.

[astra]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

You know, that just might work!

You wish

[FlorenceArt]

I'm afraid my sense of humor fails me at this point. What is the connection between proving you are not a muslim and proving you are not a terrorist?

For the record, this kind of method has been used in the past to flush out Jews or Christians. In Japan, people suspected of being Christians were forced to walk on holy images to show their contempt. If they failed the test, they were forced to convert or killed.

[DMcCunney]

Originally Posted by WT Sharpe

Very good point: it's all for the good of women.

Which is why in so many Islamic countries, women who don't dress modestly are publicly flogged.

They are publicly flogged because their actions are seen as detrimental to the society in which they live.

Whenever people live together in groups, there must be agreement on what constitutes acceptable behavior. We call the agreement "morals". We call the written down version "laws". But regardless, the agreement must exist for the society to survive.

Hammurabi became famous for his laws, and I think the key point was he wrote them down. Hammurabi ruled Babylonia, and his capital was a major center for trade among the civilizations of the known world. Chances were very good not everyone who came and traded there had the same customs or rules, so Hammurabi put his in writing, so everyone knew how the game was played there, and a common set of standards governed behavior.

But all such rules evolve to aid the survival of the society. The individual is unimportant. Behave in ways your society does not approve of, and actions will be taken against you. Societies may have different things they disapprove of, and different actions that will be taken if you break the rules, but the rules and the actions will always exist.

But not to single out Islam. Someone once said that the only reason modern Muslims are more dangerous than modern Christians is because they still believe their religion; and given the superior firepower of modern Christendom and it's often over-eagerness to display that might, I'm not so sure Islam is more dangerous. We've got some pretty whacked-out hotheads in our own churches right here in the States!

There are enough Christians who are still True Believers.

But I think you have to examine culture as well. For instance, what if Mohammad had been born a Teuton in what is now Germany instead of an Arab in the middle east. Do you suppose Islam would look anything like it does now? I don't - culture shapes religion, and the underlying cultures are very different.

(And Mohammad, as I understand it, began as a Christian, and originally saw himself as someone attempting to reform Christianity. When the Christians didn't listen, he formed his own religion. There were immense schisms in Christianity at the time between the Orthodox and those who were seen as Monophysite heretics, and a good deal of strife and violence based on the divisions. I believe a lot of the Monophysites converted willingly to Islam, as Islam's tenets were a lot closer to what they believed about God than those of Orthodox Christianity of the time. The Monophysites saw the Arab conquerors as liberators freeing them from the oppression of the Orthodox.)
______
Dennis

[poohbear_nc]

Originally Posted by FlorenceArt

I'm afraid my sense of humor fails me at this point. What is the connection between proving you are not a muslim and proving you are not a terrorist?

For the record, this kind of method has been used in the past to flush out Jews or Christians. In Japan, people suspected of being Christians were forced to walk on holy images to show their contempt. If they failed the test, they were forced to convert or killed.

Rather like ducking the witch: lose/lose.

[kindlekitten]

one of the reasons Islam is the way it is now is that it has not gone through its own reformation. that would help a lot I would imagine, but I also think it is almost impossible at this point.

Originally Posted by DMcCunney

*snip*(And Mohammed, as I understand it, began as a Christian, and originally saw himself as someone attempting to reform Christianity. When the Christians didn't listen, he formed his own religion. There were immense schisms in Christianity at the time between the Orthodox and those who were seen as Monophysite hereitcs, and a good deal of strife and violence based on the divisions. I believe a lot of the Monophysites converted willingly to Islam, as Islam's tenets were a lot closer to what they believed about God than those of Orthodox Christianity of the time. The Monophysites saw the Arab conquerors as liberators freeing them from the oppression of the Orthodox.)
______
Dennis

I thought he was fascinated by Judaism and studied with Rabbis?