- Joined
- Dec 30, 2010
- Messages
- 12,730
- Points
- 113
I think it is a bad idea to have religious leaders bless the F1 track and pray for safety. If they need a warning, notice nobody from Islam is represented. I didn't notice this until Shafiee Barahim made this point and he had 120 likes! I am concerned that there were so many.
Why is this a bad idea? This is borderline separating state, commerce and religion. If you want religious harmony, better keep religion personal. Haven't we have enough trouble from the likes of Lawrence Khong already?. Do we want to get Muslims into the picture too? They have already begin to stir over the Pink Dot movement.
As Muslims rediscover their religion they become less nominal and more devout. During this transition some went astray and ended with the wrong jihad, e.g., joining ISIL.
My limited understanding of Islam is theirs is a political religion. That to practice Islam it is not necessary but desirable to live in a truly Islamic society. If they have to share space with other religions, it is best the country is run officially as a Muslim state. Historically it had been this way for them from the beginning. That was why Muhammad and his early followers militarily subdued Arabia in order to create a Muslim society.
The Christian story is different because they started without state power. The Church only got involved with the state when the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. From that point on it was trouble until during the Enlightenment the State and Church were separated. Today the separation is enshrined in the US constitution and those of many European states. It has brought them progress and personal salvation too for the wise ones.
I hope this is the last year we have these religious leaders perform this role. The greater the separation between state and religion the better. Yes, it is also true the gap between them cannot be too wide but that is the topic of another blog post.
Meanwhile I spend some of my spare time thinking how we are going to cope with political Islam. Can Islam remain a personal religion or at least in the confines of their families and the mosque. If we are not farseeing, our Muslim citizens will de-integrate from us and form a society within a society. To me that is a recipe for future big trouble.
http://blogging4myself.blogspot.sg/2014/09/terrible-idea-religious-leaders-public.html
Why is this a bad idea? This is borderline separating state, commerce and religion. If you want religious harmony, better keep religion personal. Haven't we have enough trouble from the likes of Lawrence Khong already?. Do we want to get Muslims into the picture too? They have already begin to stir over the Pink Dot movement.
As Muslims rediscover their religion they become less nominal and more devout. During this transition some went astray and ended with the wrong jihad, e.g., joining ISIL.
My limited understanding of Islam is theirs is a political religion. That to practice Islam it is not necessary but desirable to live in a truly Islamic society. If they have to share space with other religions, it is best the country is run officially as a Muslim state. Historically it had been this way for them from the beginning. That was why Muhammad and his early followers militarily subdued Arabia in order to create a Muslim society.
The Christian story is different because they started without state power. The Church only got involved with the state when the Roman emperor Constantine converted to Christianity. From that point on it was trouble until during the Enlightenment the State and Church were separated. Today the separation is enshrined in the US constitution and those of many European states. It has brought them progress and personal salvation too for the wise ones.
I hope this is the last year we have these religious leaders perform this role. The greater the separation between state and religion the better. Yes, it is also true the gap between them cannot be too wide but that is the topic of another blog post.
Meanwhile I spend some of my spare time thinking how we are going to cope with political Islam. Can Islam remain a personal religion or at least in the confines of their families and the mosque. If we are not farseeing, our Muslim citizens will de-integrate from us and form a society within a society. To me that is a recipe for future big trouble.
http://blogging4myself.blogspot.sg/2014/09/terrible-idea-religious-leaders-public.html
