Did you know that if a man masturbates he will discover that his hands are pregnant in the afterlife?
About The Author
BooMan
Martin Longman a contributing editor at the Washington Monthly. He is also the founder of Booman Tribune and Progress Pond. He has a degree in philosophy from Western Michigan University.
Yes I did. It is a well know GOP Religious order delusional believe. They also believe that only they are going to make it to heaven. I wonder if God and the Angels are rolling with belly laughs at that one?
Well, yes, except that the comment was made by a Turkish religious leader. Fundamentalists Christians have way more in common with fundamentalist Muslims than either group would like to believe.
” They also believe that only they are going to make it to heaven”
Not as crazy as it sounds. The New Testament, somewhere in the Gospels, quotes Jesus as saying “No man comes to the Father but through me”.
Now, I believe this was added later after Jesus’s death, but Christians believe that the New Testament quotes are accurate and the literal word of God.
Yes, sadly, many modern Christians have turned their beautiful religion into a personality cult. That John 3:16 passage is a mistranslation. Jesus was talking about traveling to God through the light of his teachings, which other great teachers have also carried. I’ve heard scholars who understand ancient Greek and Aramaic make sense of this passage.
Why would that be a bad thing? Life is good right?
As a Muslim convert, my response is that’s the most idiotic thing I’ve read in a long time. Nowhere in the Qu’ran does it address masturbation. The only credible hadith (story on the teachings of the prophet) state that it’s best to have sex with one’s spouse but if masturbation is necessary to prevent one from acting out one’s sexuality in a harmful or hurtful way, then it’s acceptable. Essentially it’s saying it’s best not to masturbate but if you have to it’s alright. This is consistent with more central hadiths on the holiness of sex and the importance of not acting in ways which undermine that sense of sacredness. In other words, we don’t want to get to a place within ourselves where we think, “It’s only sex.”
Such teachings are not obligatory. There are only a few basic principles that one is really supposed to follow. The ten commandments for instance. In addition, the five pillars of Islam, which require regular prayer, regular contributions to charity according to one’s ability to pay and the like.
One of the central principles of Islam are that there is no coercion in religion. In other words, by it’s very nature religion requires a bowing of the head and the heart. This cannot be forced; it can only be sincere. If it’s not sincere, there’s no point in pretending or making a big show of it because that’s the very definition of hypocrisy. Better to be truthful about where one is at.
Mainstream Islam is nothing like the fundamentalist versions. It’s extremely easy going, kind and merciful. There are many reasons one can be forgiven from even the essential requirements of the religion. For example, if one doesn’t have time to pray salat, there are shortened versions. There are forms of prayer that allow the combining of two daily prayers into one. And if all of that proves too much, it’s alright to just say “Allah” into your heart.
This makes sense if one understands that the point of prayer isn’t to somehow benefit God. We pray because we need it. To soften our hearts, to take us to a state of consciousness where the ego does not rein supreme. Prayer, in other words, is essential because we need it if we want to live full and rich lives. The kind of lives where we’re grateful for what we have; the kind of lives where we’re joyous to see our spouses and children; the kind of lives where we open our hearts with generosity to our families, our friends and to strangers too. To live from an open heart, it really helps to have spiritual practices that help us to overcome our materialistic nature.
Thanks for sharing you thoughts on this. I am sincere about that.
On the other hand, this moron really doesn’t deserve such a thoughtful response.
No, the moron does’t. But then he hardly deserves a post on your blog. What’s the point of publicizing such trash. You could at least have let us know that the Second in Command at the Vatican has informed us that the outcome of the Irish referendum on same-sex marriage is ‘a disaster for humanity’. Now that’s an example of a cleric much closer to home getting into high gear!
No, not a diaster, a ‘defeat’. War!
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/may/26/vatican-ireland-gay-marriage-referendum-vote-defeat-for
-humanity
Thanks Martin. It’s truly my pleasure to share the little bit (I’m not a scholar) that I know about the real Islam (and real religion in general). Religion is so misused that it gets a much deserved bad reputation. But those who misuse it don’t even get what it is they’re misusing. Ironically, the Qu’ran warns about this. It states that the devil loves to quote scripture. It speaks of the importance of sincerity and how one shouldn’t be impressed by those who claim to be devout. It speaks of the essential unity of humanity and how it’s important to respect the people of all races and religions and not use our differences to create separation in the heart.
I love that it says so much that’s directly relevant to our world as it is today. I once heard a well respected Islamic scholar state an opinion that the United States, in electing an African-American president, demonstrated to the world that it’s ahead of Muslim countries in living according to the holy teachings. He was speaking of the example of the prophet, who held all people as equal. When he returned to Mecca after defeating his enemies in war, he sent a former slave, a black man, to the highest point to make the first call to prayer. In granting this honor to someone considered by many the lowest of the low, he was making a profound statement. His next act was to forgive all the blood debts he had (which gave him the legal right to retribution). The people of the city were frightened when his army returned because the standard practice of the day was to slaughter one’s enemy. He chose to grant a blanket amnesty. It was his example that caused people to follow him. Of course when he died, there were power struggles and schisms. Some do their best to understand and live by the highest and best principles. Others pay lip service to those values.
I also respect and appreciate your very thoughtful reply. And I am very happy to hear that you have found a way within the confines of a religion which works for you and gives you a grounding that helps you to realize your full potential as a human being. It sounds like your faith journey has had a wonderful and positive impact on your life.
I take a little issue with the idea that “prayer is essential because we need it if we want to live full and rich lives. The kind of lives where we’re grateful for what we have; the kind of lives where we’re joyous to see our spouses and children; the kind of lives where we open our hearts with generosity to our families, our friends and to strangers too. To live from an open heart, it really helps to have spiritual practices that help us to overcome our materialistic nature.
I guess one could say that in this context “prayer” could mean any number of things, and not be specifically tied to a deity or within a religious framework. But it seems implied that it is the reference here. As a non-believer I find that I am able to meet and exceed all of those wonderful things you cite, and without the invocation of any God or Gods as a rationale for the way I choose to live my life. As a former Christian, I understand the palliative effect that prayer to ones God can have and the sense of comfort it can give, in addition to a sense of purpose that it generates to serve something larger than ourselves. But as a result of my life’s journey I have discovered that those things are not solely the purview of a religion. I am exceedingly happy and have a much greater sense of direction, satisfaction and humanity than I ever did when I thought I was serving a God. My life is a rich and full as it has ever been, and I am truly grateful for all the wonderful things that have come my way during my time on this earth. And I will cherish all those around me and do everything I can to leave this small patch of my world a better place than I found it. So please don’t discount the non-believers among us. We are just as likely to lead joyful, fulfilled and generous lives as anyone who bows down in heartfelt prayer to their God.
I don’t discount that at all. In my experience, many who hold themselves as non-believers are actually among the most holy of people. Prayer comes in many forms. I don’t think it has to be to a deity. Buddhists meditate and achieve amazing states of consciousness. My former law partner is a Taoist and gets a great deal from her studies and practices. There are artists who practice a form of prayer through their art. Being in nature or beholding a sunset can be a kind of prayer. Some people have hearts that just live in states of prayer, regardless of what their minds believe.
It’s not about believing. Newborn babies are said to be Islamic. The animals of the world are said to be Islamic. What this means is they exist in a state of deep and holy connection.
I have great respect for the ancient practices of all paths. These practices exist because they help people to achieve beautiful states of heart and mind. I love certain Islamic practices. There are prayers that blow me open when recited in Arabic even though I don’t understand the translation of the words. The language carries a resonance that’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it. It’s like the best of poetry but the opening that results is deeper and wider. A word like salaam (shalom in Hebrew) carries the essence of peace. The energy of these words is much larger than that of the English word “peace.” When one learns to take this energy in, to drink it into one’s heart, he or she experiences a sense of standing in the beginning and the end, wholeness, fullness, unity. In that place, one feels a profound sense of peace. There aren’t really words that can explain this to the mind. It requires tasting, an experience that speaks to a part of our being that’s present (which Muslims refer to as the heart). Because the mind alone cannot hold any of this, many of the great Sufis wrote poetry to capture the essence of the religious experience.
So the average teenaged boy’s hands are like Duggars?
And then there was the lady who named her parakeet Onan.
But there is no evidence she had the pretense of being a “values voter”.
Perhaps some Plan B hand cream would help.
And then your hands give birth to what?
“I’m going to name you Rosie, and name your brother Jack.”
Now let’s go find an amusement park around here kids!”
Oh NO……Nineteen and counting ain’t gonna cut it fer me….I was always told ya get hairy palms and go blind…Well, so far I need glasses and as for the hairy palms…use yer imaginations….
OT: I’m gonna put it bluntly:
THEY WANNA RETURN TO THE DAYS WHEN ONLY WHITE MALE PROPERTY OWNERS VOTED.
PERIOD.
They have NEVER been interested in little-d DEMOCRACY.
NEVER!!!
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Only Voters Count?
Conservatives ask the Supreme Court to restrict states’ rights and overturn precedent.
By Richard L. Hasen
For the second time in a year, the Supreme Court has agreed to wade into an election case at the urging of conservatives. In both cases it has done so despite the issue appearing to be settled by long-standing precedent. In a case expected to be decided next month, Arizona State Legislature v. Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission, conservatives asked the court to bar states from using independent redistricting commissions to draw congressional lines. In a case the court agreed to hear Tuesday, Evenwel v. Abbott, conservatives asked the court to require states to draw their legislative district lines in a particular way: Rather than considering the total population in each district, conservatives argue, the lines should instead divide districts according to the number of people registered or eligible to vote. Most states use total population for drawing districts, which includes noncitizens, children, felons, and others ineligible to vote.
In both Supreme Court cases, there is great irony in the fact that they are being brought by conservatives, who usually claim to respect precedents and states’ rights. The challengers are not only asking the court to revisit issues that seemed to be settled by decades-old precedent. If successful, these cases will undermine federalism by limiting states’ rights to design their own political systems.
A ruling favorable to conservatives in the Evenwel case, especially if extended to congressional redistricting, could shift more power to Republicans, who are more likely to live in areas with high concentrations of voters.
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Perhaps even more is at stake in the Evenwel case, from Texas. A ruling that states may not draw legislative district lines taking total population into account will benefit rural voters over urban voters, and that will benefit Republicans over Democrats. Urban areas are much more likely to be filled with people who cannot vote: noncitizens (especially Latinos), released felons whose voting rights have not been restored, and children. With districts redrawn using only voters rather than all people, there will be more Republican districts.
Evenwel involves the issue of state legislature redistricting, but you can bet that if the challengers are successful in this case, they will argue for the same principle to be applied to the drawing of national congressional districts. It is not clear whether the ruling would apply to congressional districts, because the one-person, one-vote principle for congressional districts has a different source in the Constitution (Article I) than the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, which applies to state legislatures. But logically, the two cases are likely to be treated the same, and the result could be more congressional districts tending Republican, helping Republicans keep their advantage in the U.S. House of Representatives.
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/05/evenwel_v_abbott_supreme_court
_case_state_districts_count_voters_or_total.html?wpsrc=sh_all_dt_tw_top