It’s like running an independent church with a janitor as the head guy.
/// respectfully, it is like a janitor with at least a 4 year divinity degree. many Sunni clerics are proud of their education at top universities like Al-Azhar in Egypt.
...as comparison, Baptists may not have fancy clergy like Catholics, but they still have many highly educated ministers.
and there is much LESS difference between Sunni and Shia, than between Baptists and Catholics.
in doctrine and theology, there is almost zero difference.
(the reason for the split, was simply over whether the Caliph should be related to Mo or not.)
as Baynative said so perfectly:
” Spoils, slaves, and prisoners are only to be taken in war between Muslims and infidels. Muslims in the past conquered, invaded, and took over countries. This is agreed to by all scholars–there is no disagreement on this from any of them, from the smallest to the largest, on the issue of taking spoils and prisoners. “
...there is no “tiny minority of extremists. “misinterpreting” their OWN religion.
yes, some Muslims are “moderate”, like “cafeteria catholics”.
but there is NO disagreement on this, or ANY other major point, by devout Muslims. whether Sunni or Shia.
Juet because C.A.I.R. spokesmen practice taquiyya on us, doesn’t mean they don’t all admit in private, that age 53 Mohammad married Aisha when she was 6, and “thighed” her until she was 9, when he began full sex with her.
the perfect man, who should be emulated...
“This is agreed to by all scholars”
Now that's different!
The Shia actually have a PERMANENT clergy. No Sunni organization has a PERMANENT clergy. Those fellows who are highly EDUMACATED In Islam, are actually LAWYER/PROSECUTOR/JUDGES in our way of understanding things, and they spend most of their time resolving civil actions, or, in countries that allow it, criminal actions (e.g. like Afghanistan where they still imagine they can execute people).
In the grand scheme of things, by our standards, Shia is more liberal than Sunni, but the Sunni get the better press ~
Actually, I was quoting the learned and compassionate (pseudo) cleric.