Yesterday Oklahoma voters approved a new law that prohibits state courts from considering Sharia or Islamic law in their decisions. I have yet to do a Westlaw or Lexis search, but am confidently guessing that not a single Oklahoma state court has ever cited such law in a published decision. It is of course always [...]
While I wish it were true that Newt Gingrich were a comedian and his shtick was harmless fun, his high-profile pronouncements are so bizarre and paranoid that it truly is dangerous to national discourse. Here is the latest from the fear monger, discussing his favorite incendiary issue — the Islamic Center to be built in [...]
Tags:Cordoba Center·demagogue·fear·Ground Zero Mosque·irrationality·Monty Python·newt·Newt Gingrich·paranoia·political fantasy·religious liberty·right wing·sharia·Sharia law·Sir Bedevere·The Holy Grail·witch hunts
In a competitive religious marketplace, producers are becoming increasingly savvy and perhaps even post-modern. Although some old-timey producers bemoan this commercial development, others are embracing it.
Over at Rupert Murdoch’s transformative Wall Street Journal, the 20-something Brett McCracken churlishly warns his cohort about the “Perils of Hipster Christianity,” and discusses some of the uncool ways in [...]
Tags:Brett McCracken·competition·fashion·hijab·iChurches·Imam Idol·Islam·Jean Baudrillard·Jean-Francois Lyotard·Malaysia·marketing·marketing religion·MyNakedPastor.com·Nicola Abe·Perils of Hipster Christianity·postmodern·postmodernism·producers of religion·religious marketplace·religious pluralism·sex and religion·Sex God·sharia·simulacra·simulacrum
Not long ago, I discussed an article on Islam by Cynthia Boaz. In her article, Boaz attempted to correct several misconceptions regarding Islam and presented us with a progressive, liberal, and tolerant interpretation of Islam. While there are Muslims outside of the US who interpret Islam in the way Boaz does, there are also Muslims [...]
Tags:Afghanistan·Aisha·authenticity·Cynthia Boaz·Hindu·Huffington Post·intepretation·interpretive communities·Is There a Text In This Class·Islam·Islamist·liberal·linguistics·Literary Theory·manufacturing consent·Missives from Marx·Muslim·Muslim women·Muslims·oppression of women·progressive·sharia·Sharia law·Stanley Fish·Taliban·Terry Eagleton·Time Magazine·tolerant·Vedic faiths
Reuters reports that “specialists” in prayer writing and ritual are doing a booming business in Iran. The whole business — or commodification of prayer — reminds one of the prayer and dispensation trade that existed in the Catholic Church for hundreds of years, and which so incensed Martin Luther:
In Islamic Iran where clerics rule, [...]
Tags:Catholic Church·dispensations·doctrine·Imam·intercession·interpretation·Iran·Islam·Islamic law·legitimacy·magic·Martin Luther·Mullah·Muslim·prayer·prayer sellers·prayer selling·ritual·sharia·Stanley Fish·superstition·supplication
Whether or not you like Christopher Hitchens, one thing is certain: he can turn an incisive phrase. At his best, Hitchens writes with an acerbic aplomb that can be charming; at his worst, he is downright nasty.
With the latter Hitchens in mind, I have not yet been able to bring myself to read his jeremiad, [...]
Tags:atheism·caliphate·Christopher Hitchens·consumerism·crystals·fundamentalists·Galileo·God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything·Islamic empire·jihad·Khalil Gibran·Laurens van der Post·materialism·Muslim·mysticism·mystics·New Age·Prince Charles·radical Islam·religion·science·sharia·soul·universal soul
