Faramarz's Latest Rambling

Islam - or any religion - bashing ?

It has always been my personal opinion that there are good & bad representatives in any & all religions. So, given that, I believe when evaluating any religion, we should go straight to the recognized authority of that religion:  #1. The official holy text book(s) of the religion ; #2. The recognized leadership ; #3.The religious community (those who are practicing members of the faith by personal dedication.... not those who "inherited" the religion or those that are in a "non-practicing" mode to that religion.)

IMO, all 3 of the above should be in total agreement. However, when they are not in agreement, the holy text book(s) of the religion should be the only source to consult. Like I said, any religion can have rogue members, or bad representatives, or leadership members to go nuts.

Let's take the case of Islam. Non-muslims, being on the outside of the faith, will not be able to ascertain if a person is a non-practicing member, a "rogue" member gone nuts, or a good representation of the faith. Neither would a non-Muslim be able to know who is an "official" leader of the faith. There are many who "profess" to be a leader & will even have members who follow their teachings but that alone does not qualify them as an official leader of the faith in good standing (remember wacko minister Jim Jones known for the Nov 18, 1978 death of 900 members of his Jonestown, Guyana cult. He actually had 900 people follow him into the jungle, leaving family & comforts behind only to be killed in a forced mass suicide. Talk about a nut.... but he had to leave the Christian community in the USA & move to a secluded & remote area to "pull it off". All of his actions were in conflict with teachings of the Christian holy text book the Bible. He may have professed to be Christian but his behavior professed otherwise. This was not someone who just made a couple of mistakes, this guy was total nuts. No one in the Christian community praised him for his efforts & even those who followed him into the jungle, soon realized the problem but by then, it was too late & they were held captives.)

However, non-members of the faith can read the holy text book of a religion & know whats-what. Anytime we start with the double-talk to cover up passages of the holy text which embarrass us, well, we're only shooting ourself in the foot & validating suspicions of non-members. If we are truly followers of the religion, then we should be prepared to give an un-embarrassed response to questions from non-members. When people start off with lame justifications like, “well, the text loses its meaning when not in the language it was written” - please, its a text that is believed to be written from Divine inspiration. If indeed the religion looses its meaning when read in another language, then it should be a global “rule” that the religion can only be taught to people who speak that language & only in countries where “that” language is the official language of the country. No exceptions so to prevent distortions & taking meanings out of context. Same thing if the religious teaching were only for a given time period. Then the book stops being a religious holy text & should be defined as a historical book instead of a holy book for current times.

Also, non members should be free to ask the most embarrassing questions about the faith without any penalty. If the questions embarrass the membership because of the truthful warranted answer, then they should change to another religion that doesn't embarrass them. Don't get upset because the teachings from the holy book can be embarrassing. If you are uncomfortable by certain aspects of your religion of choice, then perhaps it is not a good religion for you to adhere to? You know the questions are only going to keep coming up & you will only become more & more frustrated. Instead of wanting to bend or change all the teachings that make you feel uncomfortable so they make you feel all warm-&-fuzzy, just get another religion. Non-members clearly see through all the double talk. Even if they are not authorities on the teachings of the holy text, they can read body language. Just my opinion.

Capt_Ah

So how is that Islam butt-wipers like you, Q and JalehO can do all the khaayeh mali that you want but when someone uses his or her freedom of speech to say something about what you like, its kiseh keshi to you? Boro kashketo besab.

One of these days, say something worthwhile.

By the way, lack of attention from likes of you is a REAL blessing.

I write for benefit of people with open mind and brains.  What I write sort of falls on deaf ears when it comes to likes of you; ie. those who have brown matter instead of gray matter in skull.

FateHEAD

You really need to do something for all the lack of attention you have been getting.

This is really really getting pathetic how you have been[KISEH KESHI ] everyone who has something negative to post about Iran or Islam.

take a breaker FateHEAD............ :(

-YT 

Blame the Corrupt Self serving Muslim leaders, Not Islam.

Blame the Corrupt Self serving Muslim leaders, who are responible for the perversion of Islam, not Islam.

Are you not condemning the corrupt leaders of today's Islam or any other clerical class that has interpreted and manufactured religious laws to wield power and influence ?

Would it be not be more just to recognise that Islam and its laws were given for another age and time and as you know, these laws and the age  was Islam was abrogated and replaced by what many the more enlightened Muslim scholar of that age who believed the message of the Bab and Baha'u'llah and were massacred for the belief that these antiquated laws were no longer valid; that God had revealed  new laws and principles for a new age of unity for mankind ? 

Would it be not be fair to recognize that, for the time, period and the people that the laws of Islam were meant for, it became a major new civilizing force; wht s called the Golden Age of Islam;  one that was the spiritual catalyst behind new discoveries in Astronomy, Mathematics, chemistry; one that brought Europe out of the dark ages.

All of what you have described against Islam are the deeds of its so called "spiritual" leaders, its ignorant Ulama...who like every other religious merchants, have ignored the purpose and true essence of the Religion of God; all of which I believe to be One in Spirit and foundation and with one purpose in mind, to unite, and  to create a loving bond between all peoples. 

The laws and practices of today's Islam may not be suitable for the 21st century, but they were certainly the cause of a great human renaissance for the period that God meant them to be.

//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_Golden_Age

A Just thought!

Being justified is one thing; being wise is something else.

Academic masterpiece!

Truly a thorough and mind stimulating journey of discovery. Thank you for this intellectually orgasmic experience.

Bashing of any religion is not good

Mr. Fateh

Bashing of Islam or any other religion does not serve a useful purpose.  As civilized human beings, we should try to hold objective discourse amongst ourselves to resolve our differences for the good of humanity as well as our motherland.