Archive for July, 2010

How do Muslims begin a meal with prayer?

What is the procedure for beginning a meal with a prayer in a Muslim household? What are the words one would say (translated into English) as part of the traditional prayer?

Before a meal, we recite ‘Allahumma bariklana feema razaktana warzukhna khairan minhu. bismillahi wa’ala barakatillahi’
Meaning:
‘O Allah, bless it(the food) for us and feed us better than it.I begin in the Name of Allah with the Blessings of Allah’

I was taught this prayer by our mentor when I was 4 years old. ymoham3 and Moez are right too.

‘Bismillah ir-Rahman ir-Rahim’ which means "In the name of God, most Gracious, most Compassionate"
Muslims often utter this phrase before they set out to do anything.

After a meal:
‘Alhamdulillahi Rahman nir Rahim.’
Meaning:
‘ All praise to God, the most merciful and compassionate.’

What are your thoughts on the power of fasting and prayer?

I have fasted and prayed to God on several occasions asking for things for myself and my family. I read somewhere that God only answers our prayers if what we ask for is according to his will. To me that means that many of my prayers will go unanswered. But the things I have prayed for are very important to me and I don’t want to lose hope. What are your thoughts on the power of fasting and prayer?

No prayer goes unanswered, however God in his infinite wisdom may not answer it the way we would like it to be answered

What is the difference between religion and science?

Note carefully that both science and religion share a perspective in that they are deemed as a rational compendium of beliefs.

Can science be deemed rational, when religion says it is irrational? Or, can religion be deemed rational when science says it is irrational?

Who has the real say in discounting someone else’s beliefs for the sake of their own?

Religion requires faith as it has no proof of said deity or verifiability of its doctrine. Science branches out into many areas where research and study takes place to make determinations, it has physical and tangible material to work with. The ‘irrationality’ of science, cut the mortality rate from infection due to the discovery of antibiotics, X ray machines so the the inside of your body can be examined to determine appropriate treatment, the vast amounts of study and research by scientist have benefited us all – to dismiss it a irrational is illogical. What can religion cure? What can it give us that is new? Nothing. 2000 years – and nothing, but the insistence the we obey or suffer. And that too, without evidence to back it up.

No Heaven for Harry

I was wondering where God is in the Harry Potter books. Don’t
get me wrong. I’ve read them all and I plan on reading the next
one when I can get my hands on it – all seven thousand pages, or
whatever monster volume J.K. Rowlings comes out with, because
nobody edits her anymore. (I’m not such a huge fan, but I find
these books pleasantly diverting enough so that I read each one
all the way through).

But as to my question, after reading all of these books I was
just struck by the fact that nobody ever goes to church in her
books. Even the cruel Aunt and Uncle who care for young Harry in
the muggle(non-magical) world never go to church. It seems to me
that she Rowlings posits a sort of agnostic or secular type of
England where no one much seems to have any sort of spiritual
philosophy, outside of perhaps just the existence of magic.

There are ghosts in her books which indicates some sort of after
life. They function sort of as a comic relief and they don’t do
much of anything except basically hang around and make
conversation every now and then. There’s no indication that they
ever faced judgement or will or might go either to Heaven or
Hell or even what unfinished business they might need to finish
on the Earth. Major characters who have died, Harry’s parents,
Sirius Black, don’t become ghosts. So, what happens to them?

There’s never any mention of God. There’s also no mention of the
Devil. And there’s never any mention of where magic comes from
or why there’s even magic in the world. (I know. The evangelical
answer is: The Devil. But these are her books and it’s for her
to answer). This finally makes her books rather unsatisfying
because she lacks a unifying framework to put all of her stories
in.

I haven’t dismissed the idea that her books are in themselves
metaphors for a Christian theology. In this case, Hogwarts
schools would represent the world, the students are us, Lord
Voldemort would be the Devil (obviously) and Dumbledore would be
God, you know with his long white beard and all-knowingness.
Maybe then Harry is Jesus. Well, I’m sure I’m not the first
person to come up with this interpetation.

Generally, I don’t think Christian symbolism works too well in
fantasy. I’m thinking of C.S. Lewis’s Lion, Witch and Wardrobe
books, whichI read when I was eight or nine. I read a few of
them and then stopped when I figured out what was going on. The
fantasy elements were fun, but the preachiness turned me off.
And I got enough of that in church, anyways.

Steve Sommers
http://www.articlesbase.com/religion-articles/no-heaven-for-harry-2239.html

The Evemerist vs. Mythicist Position?

From: http://freethoughtnation.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=2160

The Evemerist vs. Mythicist Position

The Evemerist Position:

"Evemerism represents the perspective that many of the gods and goddesses of antiquity had been real people, such as kings, queens and other heroes and legendary figures, to whose biographies were later added extraordinary and/or supernatural attributes."

vs.

The Mythicist Position:

"Mythicism represents the perspective that many gods, goddesses and other heroes and legendary figures said to possess extraordinary and/or supernatural attributes are not "real people" but are in fact mythological characters. Along with this view comes the recognition that many of these figures personify or symbolize natural phenomena, such as the sun, moon, stars, planets, constellations, etc., constituting what is called "astrotheology." As a major example of the mythicist position, various biblical characters such as Adam and Eve, Satan, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, King David, Solomon & Jesus Christ, among other figures, in reality represent mythological characters along the same lines as the Egyptian, Sumerian, Phoenician, Indian, Greek, Roman and other godmen, who are all presently accepted as myths, rather than historical figures."

This has been passe for about 30 years now, since the updating and revisionist view of Fraser’s Golden Bough as acomplished by Rene Girard.

This is only 6 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HS3wD0HNfI&feature=channel

Religion: the Misinterpretation of Ancient Mythology?

"Religion: the Misinterpretation of Ancient Mythology

All of the major religions are based on an ancient astrotheology that employed metaphors and mythology to descibe the cosmos and various astronomical phenomena. The ancient astrotheology began in the Upper Paleolithic and it spread with the migrations of humankind throughout the world. The beliefs of the ancient astrotheology were originally relatively consistent throughout the various human cultures of the world, but regional variations developed that became the major religions.

Gradually, people everywhere forgot the original meaning of the metaphors and mythologies of the ancient astrotheology, and they now interpret those metaphors and mythologies in ways that show no comprehension of the original meaning. Jesus Christ/Yeshe Krishna is obviously the sun god, but many modern Christians and Hindus believe that Christ/Krishna was once a real person who walked the earth.

Not realizing that their interpretation of their own religion’s mythology is a false interpretation, people hold superstitions, prejudices, and erroneous world-views based on their misinterpretations of their own religion’s mythology. For example, many Christians believe that no one can attain ‘Salvation’ without accepting Jesus Christ (the mythological sun god) as their ‘Personal Savior’.

In the cycle of the Precession of the Equinoxes, it takes seventy-two years for the Equinoxes to precess backward one degree of the three hundred and sixty degrees of the ecliptic, the path of the sun. That is the astrotheological meaning of the ‘seventy-two virgins’ that the Islamic hero recieves in Paradise.

The sun god Jesus Christ ‘walked on water’ because the people of the ancient world saw the ecliptic, the path of the sun, as an interface between the cosmic sky and the cosmic sea. Greek mythology described the personified constellation of Orion, which is bisected at the waist by the ecliptic, as walking in the ocean up to his waist, with his upper body in the sky.

Throughout history wars, persecutions, and oppression have been perpetrated as a result of the misinterpretation of mythology. All of the recieved literatures of the major religions contain some philosophical content that provides ethical advice for human affairs. The philosophical traditions of the major religions may be appreciated without accepting the mythological traditions. One can appreciate the philosophies of the "Sermon on the Mount" or of the Bhagavad Gita without believing that Jesus Christ or Yeshe Krishna ever lived on earth or anywhere else.

Religious believers who interpret mythology as the literal truth have failed to understand the metaphors of the original astrotheology that composed the myths. As a result, the believers of misconstrued mythologies maintain a world-view that perpetuates fantasies, superstitions, and prejudices based on a misinterpretation of the ancient mythologies.

The mythological content of the traditional religions should correctly be interpreted as ancient astrotheology — not as the literal truth of gods, supermen, and theriomorphs. Nor are the mythologies an embellished history of real people and their exploits. The records and artworks of the ancient mythologies can provide scholars with insights into the ancient astrotheology, but the literal interpretation of mythology is irrational and dangerous."

by Gregory Fegel

http://gregoryfegel.sulekha.com/blog/post/2010/04/religion-the-misinterpretation-of-ancient-mythology.htm

The Least: No it was a question. I’m providing additional detail to show what I’m asking in length.
blacksho89: The question – " Is Religion the Misinterpretation of Ancient Mythology?"

I agree with your statement that wasn’t a question.

What kind of job could I get where I study philosophy and theology?

What kind of job could I get where I study philosophy and theology?
I spend most of my free time doing just that, but I was wondering what sort of jobs are out there where I could make a (good) living off of it. Right now, I have a BS in Psychology and Chemistry, but I’d be willing (and wanting) to continue my education.

That you must decide yourself, depending on the things you like to do best..

What level of qualifications or gifts does one need to teach theology?

What is required to teach theology within the anglican system or evangelical colleges?

Usually a post graduate degree in theology or philosophy. Most of the theology profs I’ve met spent some time at a seminary, although not all went on to join the clergy. You’ll need to be knowledgeable about all the major religions, no matter what your personal beliefs, and have respect for the beliefs of your students, which may not agree with yours. Theology profs usually know a lot about ancient history and archaeology and the best ones can explain their subject with humor and enthusiasm.

Why do so many Christians complain about prayer being removed from school?

You do realize that your kids are free to pray in class anytime they wish, right?
And that the only thing removed from schools is the educators are not permitted to lead such a prayer.

So I wonder if you are teaching your kids all about church and god, why the heck do you need the teacher to direct prayer for them? Shouldn’t you be teaching them how to pray?

I can volunteer at any school, I can pray when in that school…I can not engage the children and force them to pray with me.

I have no problem with the rules…

my children were taught that they could stop drop and pray anywhere they wanted…..including school but they were told they could never ever ever force another child to join them, or try to make another student believe what they believed.

What is a good prayer for somebody in the hospital dieing?

My uncle is in the hospital with cancer and he has been battling it for a while and i just had two other uncles pass because of cancer, what is a good prayer that could maybe work?

No point:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=no-prayer-prescription