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One line of division which I’ve noticed coming up again and again is between those who see a particular faith as an ideal essence that only needs to be properly applied, and those who see the same faith as a human activity that must be measured by all of its actual effects. It all turns on how...

It seems to me there's 2000 word limit on posts - a tragedy for all windbags. Is that right?

(The following really belongs in the Abrahamic garden, but thinking that some there might find it an unwelcome growth, I decided to plant it in a more unruly place.) According to the Genesis account, why did God create human beings? In my outsider reading I get the sense of two distinct...

That’s the problem with saying stuff here – you never know when someone’s going to come along and dig it up again. I’ve just read through a debate from like 5 years ago between Bob x and BB, all about Redaction Theory or the Document Hypothesis. It was an interesting debate, though as a lot of...

Many people believe that certain aspects of Jewish tradition were fairly late developments and were borrowed from or heavily influenced by Iranian religion, especially Zoroastrianism. I'm referring of course to ideas of heaven and hell, demons and angels, ressurection of the dead, last judgement...

This being comparative religion and all, here’s a comparison I think worth making more often: that between the New Testament and the Bhagavad Gita. The first parallel is that each is a composite document. The BG epitomizes sanatana dharma, that is, the broad stream of Indian metaphysical...

(Sorry. The other post under the same name was incomplete. Please respond to this, if you like.) The new atheists have often pointed out that liberal Christians tend to cherry pick from the bible, choosing only what fits comfortably with what they already believe, whereas fundamentalists and...

The new atheists have often pointed out that liberal Christians tend to cherry pick from the bible, choosing only what fits comfortably with what they already believe, whereas fundamentalists and literalists appear to at least stand by the text. To me the irony – unless I’m totally off base – is...

There’s quite a decent discussion of pantheism at the online Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy (http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/pantheism/). One of its most important points is that the distinction between pantheism and theism shouldn’t be seen in terms of immanence/transcendence but simply...

Hello. Below I've listed five important modern Muslim thinkers/reformers that aren't that well known outside Muslim or academic circles. It would be interesting & informative to see a discussion of these figures regarding who they were, how they relate/compare to one another, what impact they...

Occidentalism is the name of a book or rather extended essay or pamphlet that identifies pathological hatred of the West as a worldwide phenomenon with many forms and a long history. It makes connections over a wide & diverse field, as cultural studies/history of ideas sorts of texts will do...

Below are some alternative voices within Islam that perhaps don't get enough publicity. Of course you can find much more on the Web, but here are the three sites represented here: http://www.pbm.org.uk/, http://www.feminismeislamic.org/eng/, http://pmuna.org/ Progressive British Muslims -...

The hadith referenced here are Sahih Bukhari Volume 9, Book 84, 53-72. Here’s the link to these texts online:http://www.usc.edu/dept/MSA/fundamentals/hadithsunnah/bukhari/084.sbt.html Preliminary remarks: - This is meant only to provide an outsider’s perspective to the problem, showing how...

My understanding of the Qur’an is elementary, to be sure, but what I see is a fairly complex, contested relationship between Muslims and the People of the Book. First, the Qur’an affirms in a number of places that Christians & Jews who follow the laws of their prophets will have nothing to...

As you know, this is the Afghan man who converted to Christianity some years ago and is now under trial for his life. Even "moderate" clerics in Afghanistan, ones who opposed the Taliban, are calling for the death penalty by beheading, hanging or - if necessary - by public dismemberment. As...

Far beyond the faux harvest of all the deconstructers you know, Nagarjuna, the greatest after Siddhattha, truly is a man of the left. Nagarjuna is truly a man of the left out. Nagarjuna is truly a man of the left out of account. Yet Nagarjuna is not truly a man of the left. Nagarjuna is not...

The Excluded Middle walks without feet, on no discernable path, and never arrives. Even the Excluded Middle sometimes wonders: what’s the point? [1] The Excluded Middle is nonetheless very joyful and a fine raconteur on both winter and summer evenings. It never gets in the way of a story...

Hi again. Here’s to the beneficial effects of a stiff challenge. - Now, in one of our previous discussions you suggested that the ultimate realization of Sanatana dharma is “union with Mahabrahma” (if this is not quite accurate, please set me straight). In other exchanges, you’ve put great...

This is dedicated to Bandit & InLove: I, Devadatta, Sower of Confusion, have said a lot against the doctrine of a personal God in certain discussions on these forums. Here I would like to try, uncharacteristically, to sow non-confusion. Call this a correction notice. It’s easy to fall into...

A starting koan: Costello: Who's playing first? Abbott: That's right. Another bit: Everything returns to the one. Where does the one return to? I’ve heard some orthodox Buddhists say that the whole edifice of Buddhism rests on the foundation of karma & rebirth. Others have pointed out that...