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Shahrazad

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Everything posted by Shahrazad

  1. Please provide primary sources that increased tolerance for sexual deviancy and homosexuality accompanied the collapse of the Ottoman Empire and ancient Baghdad. Please provide evidence that the biblical description of Sodom and Gomorrah actually occurred (I believe it did, according to my faith, but I sure as heck can't prove it via historical record outside my religious texts ;) ). Please provide an explanation of why animals that have sex with the same gender still exist? Shouldn't animal civilization have collapsed by now with their disgusting, filthy, sexual deviance and their taste for sex with the same gender? Please provide proof that your defined sexual deviance (subject to definition by your own arbitrary social constructs) are not present in any thriving societies and that they had any relation to the decline of the past societies. Please explain why things that I would consider sexual deviation (sexual slavery, rape, spousal rape, pedophilia, incest) occurred when societies were on the rise. Ancient Egyptian society encouraged the monarchs to marry their siblings and at times, their children. Should we go back to that since it occurred when they were on the rise? Correlation does not equal causation. You are a statistician's nightmare.
  2. You seriously are making no sense. Props to the people who are trying to legitimately engage with you as opposed to my own sarcasm. So, Native Americans were destroyed and homosexual marriage was related to the fact that they were on the way down even though plenty of tribes who were wiped out did not have gay marriage either. Your correlation of societies allowing gay marriage and societies that are crumbling doesn't hold up because there are many, many other factors that they share that are totally unrelated to homosexuality, permissiveness, or liberalism. And right now, some of the most thriving nations have equal marriage rights for all. The conservative countries like Qatar and the Gulf region, on the other hand have many issues that European permissive countries do not and healthcare and access to clean food and water are still issues even in these rich countries. With the internal struggles most of the middle east (conservative countries: Syria, Iraq, Libya, Tunisia, Egypt...etc) have gone through recently, THEY are the crumbling societies, right now, not the West. And I say that as someone who has a lot of love and connection to my family's country of origin in the ME as well.
  3. Please see: Quick, go back and edit your post before you look like a complete idiot now that you've been disproven!
  4. Your point? Religious beliefs on gay marriage are irrelevant when the discussion regards what should be done in US law, a law that is based upon separation of religion from law. The US is not a Christian theocracy nor a Muslim theocracy, it isn't any form of theocracy. If you missed it, the point of the quote is that a scholar has enough knowledge to understand and accept when he has been disproven, the fool is too ignorant to even know when he has been 'beat'.
  5. You can love your dog. Just don't love your dog. :p
  6. I argued with a scholar and won. I argued with an fool and lost." ImÄm al-ShÄf'i ;)
  7. Zing! The above logic essentially rules that Muslim theocratic monarchies that allow polygamous marriages are the future and the rest of us with our hippie-dippie liberal laws are crumbling and archaic.
  8. Maybe a certain absurd poster here just had a lot to drink after reading some Ayn Rand and a few weird philosophy books. Maybe this is performance art. Maybe she's acting out a one-woman parody.
  9. I agree. I've been to Greenville. My Black Arab dad lived there for 2 years (recently) while he was working as an engineer. One of my very close friends (also a Muslim who covers) lives there too. There is definitely a lot of racism and if people get comfortable with you (especially if they don't know you're a POC), they let it show big time. I will say there are 2 things that make it less obvious than some other places I've been which are that there is a pretty decent sized liberal/crunchy/hippie type community that live there and the southern manners thing where people might look at you strange but are perfectly polite in your earshot but then say some very offensive, racist stuff or let a slur fly once you've walked away. I was stopped while driving through on vacation when my son was a baby twice within a 5 minute period (from the time the first one released us to the second one stopping us) and told quite bluntly it was because they suspected me since I was wearing a headscarf (apparently they were alerted because another driver called the number to report 'suspicious behavior' when they saw us. The first one separated my husband and I and interrogated us to make sure our answers matched. I had one answer that was different just because my husband considered his brother's in-laws 'family' and I considered them 'friends' and so he demanded to search our car and go through our luggage. Then he radioed the guy with all the gear on who was about 1/2 mile down the highway and as soon as we drove off, we were immediately stopped and again asked to be searched, this time with the dog. I know all the legal experts say that you shouldn't allow that kind of stuff but I was so scared. I was afraid of what would happen if they took us to the station and held us up for a while, mainly terrified that they would take my son from me even if temporarily so we agreed to everything since we had nothing to hide.
  10. CaffeineDiary, I thought your original graphic was amazing. It was definitely worth keeping on your post!
  11. Aww, thanks. I'm married but since polygamous marriage is apparently going to be immediately legalized and encouraged.... ;) ;) ;) I'm thinking of marrying some of my books and my coffee maker too. :laugh:
  12. That is because there is none. Some of these posts read like a demented professor's fever dream.
  13. Yeah, conservative. And a theocratic monarchy. That what you're hoping for? ^Guess not being Muslim is degenerate :p . Jokes aside, I don't think measuring by wealth is a good indicator of success civilization-wise.
  14. Didn't realize Einstein was an infallible prophet? Guys, there is no way that this particular poster's interpretation of that Einstein quote is untrue. World War 4 is definitely coming due to the success of equal marriage in the USA (Europe may have already had gay marriage but it's Europe so it doesn't matter and we don't care) and it will literally be fought with sticks and stones (from which there will, no doubt, be many broken bones). WW3 hasn't been waged yet but it seems a logical inference that it will be fought with some form of words.
  15. The internet today is like a unicorn mated with some skittles. Which is logically the inevitable future of marriage now that 'the gays' can wed. :laugh: You're still here? I thought you left the forum. :confused1: "pound sign" winning.
  16. I DID listen to your viewpoint. And I disagreed. That is why you have the responses you see above. I guess that Donald Sterling isn't a racist since he had a Black mistress. Or any of the slave owners who raped their slave women? Or any man in history who has kept a Black mistress? My mother's father (the son of the aforementioned old bat) is certainly a racist yet he remarried a Black woman. Once again, racism is not just the obvious. Microaggressions are a form of racism too. The inability to recognize one's own privilege can be a form of racism. People are telling you that an extremely large group of people finds the display of the confederate flag not only offensive but threatening. That it is pretty much a slap in the face to Black Americans. Yet, you feel that these people should respect the symbol and the desire to keep it flying when I highly doubt you would give the same courtesy to many other offensive symbols. I'd even venture that the same people who would put up such a flag would likewise be the first to tell someone flying the Saudi Arabian/Palestinian/South Korean/Indian/Puerto Rican flag that this is America and those flags don't belong. I have lived in the Deep South. I have lived in the North. I've experienced discrimination and racism as a person of color, a perceived "foreigner", and later, as a Muslim. You're upset for feeling judged for your defense of those who put up the confederate flag, for having those you care for judged for *choosing* to put up such a symbol. Try living every day of your life judged, treated as less than, marginalized, and often, afraid, with the odds, statistics, opportunities, and institutions stacked against you for something that you never had a choice about. Our problems are not the same, I'm sorry, nor is this situation even somewhat comparable.
  17. You win for this post! Makes sense, though. I'm from the South as well (Alabama and I lived in Florida and Georgia) and have NEVER seen a Black person flying the confederate flag nor, it seems, has anyone else I've ever met or anyone from this post save for the one poster who knows an impressive 3 AA families who put it up. I'd say the incidence of confederate-flag-flying African Americans is on par with the incidence of Black White supremacists. Personally, I call baloney on the whole 'southern pride' thing. My mother's side goes back quite far in terms of Alabama roots and it was NEVER socially acceptable in our city to fly a confederate flag and it was never seen as a pride thing. Trucks, camo, hats, and bad country music...sure. Confederate flag, no. Even for those who still referenced the "War of Northern Aggression" and had their fair share "I'm not a racist but..." comments. The first time I saw a confederate flag flying was in Florida in early 2009 (interesting timing, huh?). They weren't there before but at that time a few residences and one local business put it up. The business had their so visible you could see it clearly flying high from the interstate. When my mom came to visit (from Alabama), she was completely appalled and could not believe what she was seeing. Let's say it was a symbol of southern pride though, someone's regional pride is not a valid reason to maintain such a horrid symbol. I mean, if years down the road, descendants who claim they disagree with the past actions of terrorist organizations are flying the ISIS flag and claiming it is just a symbol of regional pride, would y'all be writing it off as a nuanced symbol and trying to beg consideration for their 'pride'? If people want to put up the swastika (and no, the Hindu version is not identical, and no it is not the same since the Nazis co-opted a totally unrelated symbol (incorrectly if I may add) for their own purposes as opposed to a flag that literally embodied the confederacy and represented the values of the soldiers fighting against the freedom of their fellow men) and call it "German pride" (no offense to Germans, I know they wouldn't do that), would you be OK with it? And because it seems to still be unclear to many people: - Having Black friends, having dated/slept with a Black person, having married a Black person, having Black relatives does not mean that you're not racist and is not a suitable explanation for how you're not racist. - Saying you *may* have AA ancestry somewhere back down the line means nothing in terms of your understanding of the Black experience in America or in the Deep South. Yeah, my mother's racist old bat paternal grandma (the one who asked if she was still married to that n-word aka my father) used to say about lineage that she may have had an AA ancestor because there was always a "n_____ hiding in the woodpile somewhere". Well, clearly, that gave her some street cred when it comes to race relations. If you're not Black enough to be aware or sure of it, you're not Black enough to assume one's experiences. If you've lived your entire live as a White American who may or may not have some AA blood somewhere way back, you haven't experienced America as a Black (biracial or otherwise) person. - Racism is not just calling someone a slur (though these days even those people insist they're not racist) or attacking someone based on their skin color (ditto). We've done a great job teaching people that racism is wrong but a very poor job at teaching people what racism (let alone white privilege) actually is. It seems like almost every racist action, comment, or institution is constantly, constantly, defended and always has people explaining how it isn't racist. See (particularly the end clip of the "not-racist" Klansmen): http://thedailyshow.cc.com/videos/5l1leo/the-amazing-racism---incredibly-not-racist-racists
  18. I don't fully know how to answer this because I'm not entirely sure what you're asking so maybe I'm missing context. I pray 5x a day because it is something I was instructed to do by God. It has many benefits, both spiritually and practically, but ultimately, it is something I do out of both devotion and obligation. As a Muslim, we also supplicate/pray to God at all times, whenever needed and this is more similar to the Christian prayer that you're referencing. We pray to draw closer to God, to thank Him, or to ask for aid. I do think it benefits the soul but I also believe that it makes things happen. I believe that God either gives you that which you asked for, doesn't give you what you ask for (and perhaps you get something better in the afterlife), gives you something better for you than what you asked, or that sometimes it seems like there was no response when in fact there was. For example, Muslims believe that prayer is something that can change God's divine decree (we have free will and can make our choices but He already knows what we will choose); for example, a child is ill and his mother prays for him to recover. He doesn't recover and instead stays the same. Perhaps in this scenario, the child was going to pass away but the mother's prayer changed God's will and kept Him alive. When speaking about examples where someone has died and one feels God was cruel to allow it, I think one also has to realize that to many, death is not an inherently bad thing. Death is hardest on the living. So, for a person to lose a loved one, they face pain and difficulty but death is just a natural state and a guaranteed part of life, not a slight by God that proves He is ill-intentioned or cruel. He doesn't see it as the end. And sometimes, death is a release from suffering. When we look at the suffering that humans have inflicted on each other, have enjoyed inflicting on each other (through their own free will and against God's commands), the death of the one who is suffering may be God's way of freeing them from their torment. I think most faiths would have some sort of belief that likewise involves the tormentor getting his too (in the afterlife for sure, sometimes in this life as well). We believe this life is extremely short and just a little prologue to an eternal hereafter. I find it difficult to measure this quantitatively. I've certainly had many prayers answered (though you would see these as "coincidences") and I've seen many miracles (more "coincidences"). I've seen many bad things happen and had horrible things happen to myself and those I love but I understand them in the context of my faith and they don't make me doubt at all. There is a lot of speech citing someone's example of broccoli and people having their prayers answered for "first world problems". Many (most?) people from third-world countries are also spiritual and will also tell you about the power of prayer and how it has affected their lives, created miracles...etc. Many do not see these hardships as being proof of God's moral bankruptcy but understand them within their particular faith context. Religion and prayer is certainly not exclusive to the first world. In my religion, we are specifically told in the Qur'an that the "pen is lifted" (ie the bad deeds/sins are not recorded) for certain groups of people which include the mentally ill, those who are not capable of understanding right from wrong, or those who are not able to control their actions (including those with dementia or with certain disabilities), children, and the one who is sleeping/unconscious (ex: things done while sleep walking...Ambien is a hell of a drug :p ). FWIW, I don't think the fact that you're an Atheist is what is giving people hesitance regarding your intentions but your stated vehement anti-theism. Because of the views you've espoused regarding anti-theism, you have to understand that people are inclined to think you're asking them for the purpose of disproving them or trying to make them look silly. Some of the responses here have already sort of attacked previous posters' definitions of prayer and what they think it does because they find it offensive to their personal experiences. I mean, I understand believing that a person is totally, 100% wrong but they're not giving their definition as they've understood it through their experiences or religious beliefs just to give your loss the finger nor to be unsympathetic. And Albeto, even though my personal beliefs on prayer disagree with many of the previous posters, I can see how it would perhaps come off as though your questions are not genuine curioisity but leading questions to get them to see the error of their ways. Many of your questions seem specifically geared to undermine what they've said and somehow prove that they're wrong. Do you see what I'm saying at all? I don't think you're trolling and maybe you're totally genuine in wanting to know, but it reads as though you're not asking to gain knowledge, rather to challenge people's beliefs and make them see "sense".
  19. So, lets redirect, then? If the conversation goes back toward a better direction in terms of arguments, the thread may yet have a chance of surviving.
  20. You don't see a difference between people saying you're minimizing child sexual abuse or giving Josh a pass with the statements you're making and saying that people are actively hoping and would be happy if Josh continued to sexually assault his sisters? And that they wish the DD guys had done the same?
  21. Matured and made "better choices"? When he WAS a danger to younger relatives, the parents still kept him around so I don't know how you can draw that conclusion. They also lied, twisted the truth, and/or were mistaken in their TV interview so who is to say that things stopped at the time they claim they did? Who is to say the undisclosed file from when he was 17 wasn't more "bad choices" (*gag*)? I don't know why I'm still even addressing your comments. I guess Josh is lucky to have a host of internet defenders to minimize his crime, victims who were coerced into forgiving, forgetting, and serving him as a respected man of the house, a wife who apparently was told that her husband-to-be had a history of cornering his 5 year old sister in the laundry room to stick his hand in her pants and didn't kick him in the nuts and run away screaming, and, of course, he has pretty much been assured he has God's (or Jesus') forgiveness by his family.
  22. Saw your post earlier, Albeto, when I was logged out and just wanted to say I agree with Catwoman. It was a perfectly nice post and looked fine to me too. I appreciated it ;).
  23. It is weird that you think it would be normal for everyone to have someone close to them and their kids who've sexually assaulted a little, prepubescent girl. Puzzling.
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