Posted on 01/20/2014 10:11:03 AM PST by Olog-hai
Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen has refused to ratify a bill that seeks to partially criminalize marital rape, calling it “un-Islamic.”
The parliament voted 67-2 last month to limit a husband’s right to have non-consensual sex with his wife. The bill says a husband cannot force his wife to have sex if the couple have filed for divorce, dissolution or mutual separation, and if the intent is to transmit a sexual disease. […]
The Maldives, an Indian Ocean archipelago of about 330,000 people, claims to have a 100 percent Muslim population. Its constitution states that “no law contrary to any tenet of Islam shall be enacted.” …
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
I really don’t care what an imam thinks.
I didn’t ask you to care. And it’s not his thoughts, but his possible actions, that cause trouble.
So I should watch what I say because of what an imam might do if her heard me?
No thanks, he’ll just have to deal with any upset I might cause him.
Nope, but I am saying that expecting the same kind of trouble out of any Christian these days is a false expectation.
I do not disagree. My sole argument is that a religion does not cease to be a religion because it has strongly negative aspects, or is mixed in with what we more commonly think of as political or cultural issues.
I don’t have to like a religion for it to be a religion. There is no rule out there that requires religions to all be cute, cuddly and loving.
Which is pretty much my point. We really ought to think about how we should deal with religions that are bad and negative. Classifying all religions as innocuous and “good” prevents us from doing so.
Here’s Merriam-Webster definition:
: the belief in a god or in a group of gods
: an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods
: an interest, a belief, or an activity that is very important to a person or group
Nothing there that requires goodness or non-violence. And all quite obviously apply as much to Islam as to Christianity or any other religion. Indeed, many sects of Buddhism would not meet the first definition.
There’s still the difference between religion and cult. Size matters not.
A cult, in the somewhat bastardized definition that has gained popularity in recent years in the USA, is simply a religion generally viewed negatively by others.
And I’m happy to agree that the negativity is often well-justified. But I hope you will agree that we don’t want to make legal distinctions on this basis.
Do you really think it would be a good idea to make legal distinctions by which “cults” are stripped of the protections afforded recognized “religions.” What government agency would you like to put in charge of deciding which groups will be recognized?
Much better, to my mind, to give legal status as religion to any group claiming it, no matter how kooky their beliefs. This of course should not inhibit us from fully enforcing laws they may break. Beliefs are and should be no business of the State. Actions are and should be.
No, that’s the left’s definition of a cult. Would you describe a religion that’s into human sacrifice or genocide of those that don’t believe in it as merely being “generally viewed negatively by others” or is there genuinely something wrong with it?
“And I’m happy to agree that the negativity is often well-justified.” I’m obviously happy to agree that there may be something genuinely wrong with a religion.
Which doesn’t answer the obvious question.
Based on your comments, it appears that you would prefer to have some groups claiming religious status stripped of the constitutional protection given religions. This would of course require some process by which an individual or group would make this determination.
What individual or group would you suggest giving this power to? What is to prevent that power from being abused, possibly at some future date being used to “de-list” your religion?
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