September 11, 2011
Sunday Poem
"So many contradictions, so little time"
---Roshi Bob
.
Faithful Contradictions
But when the forbidden months are past,
then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them,
and seize them, beleaguer them,
and lie in wait for them in every stratagem…
--Koran 9:5
or
. . . have patience with what they say,
and leave them with noble dignity.
And leave me alone to deal with those
in possession of the good things of life,
who yet deny the truth,
and bear with them . . .
--Koran 73:10,11
or
And all the cities of those kings,
and all the kings of them, did Joshua take,
and smote them with the edge of the sword,
and he utterly destroyed them,
as Moses the servant of the LORD
commanded."
--Bible; Joshua 11:12
or
A new command I give you:
Love one another. As I have loved you,
so you must love one another.
--Bible; John 13:34
Posted by Jim Culleny at 08:53 AM | Permalink
Comments
The verse 9:5 refers specifically to the events surrounding the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. It is about dealing with your enemies when an actual war is going on, not about killing random people. http://www.alim.org/library/quran/surah/english/9/ASD
Posted by: ittefaaq | Sep 11, 2011 11:47:41 AM
Ah, the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, which General President Musharraf invoked in code when he gave his speech (in Urdu) announcing why Pakistan had to do a u-turn on Afghanistan. The script, so far, appears to be working nicely.
Posted by: Sam | Sep 11, 2011 12:41:50 PM
What is clearly missing in the four quotations, is context.
Posted by: Arsalan | Sep 11, 2011 2:53:12 PM
Context: yes. This is how scripture is often used to justify narrow ends.
The larger point is that you can find anything you want in these books to support any position you'd like to take.
Posted by: Jim | Sep 11, 2011 5:27:53 PM
Just as a teacher of literature cannot claim to explain or raise doubt about a text on Quantum Physics, so too, someone, not trained in the art of exegesis, can do something similar about a religious text. There is a context to everything--part of the answer lies in it.
I disagree with the choice of the word "contradiction" here. But, since its poetry, anything goes!
P.S.: Imagine someone, who hasn't devoted his lifetime to physics, complaining about its "contradictions" after a superficial encounter with its discourse!
Posted by: balaach | Feb 26, 2013 2:24:41 AM
Balaach—
Imagine someone who doesn't know what someone else might know condescending to them about life and context and encounter.
Imagine a priest or theologian or imam or someone with that frame of mind.
Posted by: Jim | Feb 26, 2013 6:44:57 AM
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