Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Religion on SI -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Chris land who wrote (1236)	9/28/1998 5:47:00 PM
From: one_less	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1542

Chris, I live in Colorado. Sometimes I tell people they worship the Broncos. I point out to them all the rituals of a Bronco party, the holy water "coors" they provide etc. I do that to point out that their commitment and their devotion to this ritual and practice is equal to any devout worshipper of a formal recognized religion. I do know Muslims who as sort of patriotism to their brotherhood, get carried away with making attributions to Muhammad to give him a significance that is something more than a human being (although that is an exception to the norm). I object to it. It's usually a response to some defensiveness or threat they imagine caused by members of other religions. And yes, terrorist acts committed to Muslims in America are going on. In each of the two cases, I am trying to give people a wake up call. It is forbidden to Idolize or worship Muhammad or to raise him above other messengers of God. So, if anyone does do that, it does not define Islam anymore than a Christian who misrepresents the Christian religion, should be given credit by non-Christians for defining Christianity. It is common for Christians to jump on this because they see the messengers of God as needing to be compared. We know that the essence of the message is always the same and so none of the messengers are above the others, although they are individual and have been given differences. Christians have proclaimed Jesus as God and so Jesus is the winner, consequently the rest are losers and must be discredited. It is interesting because it seems like Christians project into the perspective of other religions what they claim for themselves and then busy themselves disproving that perspective. It is frustrating sometimes for us to keep repeating that we don't believe this thing or that thing that Christians have projected onto us and are criticising us for. It would be like Muslims attacking Christians for being blood worshipers, because of the communion ritual. Wouldn't you first want us to understand the significance of this ritual. I don't think it would be right for Muslims continually attack Christians by insisting on saying that Christians believe in cannabalising their leaders, when no Christian has this perspective of communion. It would demonstrate a complete disregard for healthy intellectual inquiry, designed to seek the truth in all things. It seems like it would make more sense if you want to criticize Muslims for their beliefs and religious practice to first understand it from our perspective. As far as the declaration, "There is no God but God and Muhammad is his profit." There is a context understood by Muslims for this statement. It is definitely clear to Muslims that Muhammad is not being worshipped or partnered with God. The very clear understanding that Muslims have for this is that God is the author of the message, and Muhammad is validated as the messenger. The messenger does not own the message they are delivering, when it is being authored by another. At least that is clear to Muslims and non-Muslims shouldn't attribute things to Muslims as part of an argument against them that can't be validated from the inside. Have peace