I think this story highlights the fact that there are certain religious practices that can only be saved through the application of cultural relativism: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7997749.stm
My question is this: why should we accord any less respect for the Taliban's strict application of Sharia law than the benign application of other religious laws (for example, Jewish insistence of kosher diets)? If the answer refers to the horrific results of applying certain beliefs, then are religions to be judged on the results of applying their beliefs? If so, how are the beliefs themselves relevant? Clearly, they aren't. All we need to consider is whether the application of those beliefs have harmful effects.
My question is this: why should we accord any less respect for the Taliban's strict application of Sharia law than the benign application of other religious laws (for example, Jewish insistence of kosher diets)? If the answer refers to the horrific results of applying certain beliefs, then are religions to be judged on the results of applying their beliefs? If so, how are the beliefs themselves relevant? Clearly, they aren't. All we need to consider is whether the application of those beliefs have harmful effects.
Just some food for thought.
5 comments:
I take issue with the premise here. Surely, there is nothing wrong with being more concerned from a societal perspective with a religious belief in raping wives, for example, compared to a religious belief in avoiding meat products. The latter does not have the potential to directly affect human beings other than the believer, while the former certainly does in an adverse way. Now, having said that, we have no business trying to force our Western customs on to the rest of the World. The fact that women in some parts of the globe are not free to dress the way women in North America dress, for example, has very little if anything to do with religion and much more to do with custom.
I think you'll find those customs have religious roots, CKDC.
Nice photochop.
My religion is islam but islam is not like Taliban showing to the world.
Islam is religion of peace but many people misunderstand rules of islam
i suggest to read this:
http://d1.islamhouse.com/data/en/ih_books/single/en_Islam_Is.pdf
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