Comments on: At Islam’s Heart and Soul http://www.thepostemail.com/2009/11/28/at-islam%e2%80%99s-heart-and-soul/ News Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:22:18 +0000 hourly 1 By: Harry H http://www.thepostemail.com/2009/11/28/at-islam%e2%80%99s-heart-and-soul/comment-page-1/#comment-3450 Harry H Sun, 29 Nov 2009 05:00:26 +0000 http://www.thepostemail.com/?p=3005#comment-3450 Mark, nothing you said indicates that you read beyond the subheading. Every day five times a day Muslims align their bodies to face the Kaaba before they bow and pray in that direction. That is an act of worship. The Black Stone is the key feature of the Kaaba. Every Muslim who is able to is required to do hajj, the centerpiece of which is reverently circling the Kaaba, during which every pilgrim is required to pay homage to the Black Stone at every one of seven circuits, preferably by kissing or touching it. These required rituals are essential to Islam and constitute religious worship of a rock. Mark, nothing you said indicates that you read beyond the subheading. Every day five times a day Muslims align their bodies to face the Kaaba before they bow and pray in that direction. That is an act of worship. The Black Stone is the key feature of the Kaaba. Every Muslim who is able to is required to do hajj, the centerpiece of which is reverently circling the Kaaba, during which every pilgrim is required to pay homage to the Black Stone at every one of seven circuits, preferably by kissing or touching it. These required rituals are essential to Islam and constitute religious worship of a rock.

]]> By: Troy http://www.thepostemail.com/2009/11/28/at-islam%e2%80%99s-heart-and-soul/comment-page-1/#comment-3449 Troy Sun, 29 Nov 2009 00:26:03 +0000 http://www.thepostemail.com/?p=3005#comment-3449 Leo has thrown in the towel and shut down his blog. http://naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com Leo has thrown in the towel and shut down his blog.

http://naturalborncitizen.wordpress.com

]]> By: Mark http://www.thepostemail.com/2009/11/28/at-islam%e2%80%99s-heart-and-soul/comment-page-1/#comment-3448 Mark Sat, 28 Nov 2009 18:28:18 +0000 http://www.thepostemail.com/?p=3005#comment-3448 Really, now, there is much to criticize Islam about. There is reason to question the textual integrity of the Koran. There is reason to criticize the schizophrenia of Muslims, who have to engage continually in what Orwell would call Doublethink: God is a loving God who also says its all right to kill non-believers, etc., for being non-believers, etc. But Muslims worship a rock? Be serious. Every religion incorporates sacred places and the legends that grow around those places. ------------------ <strong>Mr. Charlton replies:</strong> Mark, there is no point living in denial. Muslims do worship a rock (it's actually a meteorite, to be specific). Perhaps you misunderstand, like many speakers of the English language, that "worship" means "to give religious respect," "to venerate," or "to adore." By using the phrase "rock fetish," the author of the above article is making clear that he does not mean that Muslims believe the rock is a god; rather that they pay it a religious, albeit superstitious veneration. As for your statement regarding "every religion;" general characterizations are usually wrong. Christianity for example does not venerate rocks, but it does venerate places where Christ Jesus or His faithful disciples lived or worked miracles. Hindus are pantheists, they actually believe everything is God, you, I, and yes even rocks. But Buddists believe that there is no God; they hold that God is an erroneous projection of own's own ego. Followers of the Japanese religion Shinto worship spirits which live in trees, mountains and yes, I suppose, in monumental rocks. Those beautiful gateways to nowhere, in Japan, are sites for the veneration of these spirits. Sh'iite Muslims (predominate in Iran & Iraq), which are considered heretics by Suni Muslims (the rest of the Islamic world), do venerate places, becaus they regard their marytrs, like Hussein, as saints, and venerate the places of their martyrdom, burial, and birth. Really, now, there is much to criticize Islam about. There is reason to question the textual integrity of the Koran. There is reason to criticize the schizophrenia of Muslims, who have to engage continually in what Orwell would call Doublethink: God is a loving God who also says its all right to kill non-believers, etc., for being non-believers, etc.

But Muslims worship a rock? Be serious. Every religion incorporates sacred places and the legends that grow around those places.
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Mr. Charlton replies: Mark, there is no point living in denial. Muslims do worship a rock (it’s actually a meteorite, to be specific). Perhaps you misunderstand, like many speakers of the English language, that “worship” means “to give religious respect,” “to venerate,” or “to adore.” By using the phrase “rock fetish,” the author of the above article is making clear that he does not mean that Muslims believe the rock is a god; rather that they pay it a religious, albeit superstitious veneration.

As for your statement regarding “every religion;” general characterizations are usually wrong. Christianity for example does not venerate rocks, but it does venerate places where Christ Jesus or His faithful disciples lived or worked miracles. Hindus are pantheists, they actually believe everything is God, you, I, and yes even rocks. But Buddists believe that there is no God; they hold that God is an erroneous projection of own’s own ego. Followers of the Japanese religion Shinto worship spirits which live in trees, mountains and yes, I suppose, in monumental rocks. Those beautiful gateways to nowhere, in Japan, are sites for the veneration of these spirits. Sh’iite Muslims (predominate in Iran & Iraq), which are considered heretics by Suni Muslims (the rest of the Islamic world), do venerate places, becaus they regard their marytrs, like Hussein, as saints, and venerate the places of their martyrdom, burial, and birth.

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