Society & Culture - 8 January 2007

I recently recieved much abuse from a member of the ULC on Yahoo. She claimed she was a model of behaviour and a clergy of the ULC. So I thought i'd check it out.

They wrote to me saying this:
We do not screen ministers in any way. Anyone who requests ordination will be ordained, for life, without question. We do not hold that any of our ministers are models in any regard, nor do we represent that they are good people or normal in any way. We have many ministers in prisons around the country,

What is the point of an organisation that has no rules.

is it just to massage the members egos ?

( This is not a judgement on religion, i just fail to see the point in any organisation that has no rules and accepts everyone...forever )

2007-01-08 20:35:44 · 6 answers · asked by Michael H 7 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-01-08 20:35:44 · 6 answers · asked by silicon 2 in Other - Cultures & Groups

Just getting an opinion on the new law thats coming that means you must allow them to share a room....

2007-01-08 20:35:39 · 17 answers · asked by max 4 in Other - Society & Culture

Islam emphatically denies this doctrine. The Holy Qur'an declares:

"Say: God is One on Whom all depend. He did not beget, nor was He begotten, and none is equal to Him." 112:1-4

"And they say the Beneficent has taken to Himself a son. Certainly you make an abominable assertion. The heavens may almost burst, and the Earth cleave asunder, and the mountains fall down in pieces, that they ascribe a son to the Beneficent. And it is not worthy of the Beneficent that He should take to Himself a son." 19:88-92

Wilson: Why does Islam deny so emphatically the doctrine of the Trinity?

Chirri: Islam denies Trinity because parenthood of God to any living or non-living being is inconceivable in bodily terms and degrading to the concept of God. He is neither limited nor a body, and He encompasses the whole universe. He does not have a mate in order to have a child as any other living being does.

His spiritual parenthood to any soul or spirit is also inconceivable if it means other than being the Creator of that soul or spirit. There is no conceivable relation between God and any other being other than the relation between the Creator and His creature. Otherwise, the other being will be independent from God, and he will be His partner.

Now, if the ascribed son is united with God, the case will be as if I state that my son and I are one. If such a statement were true, I would be the father of myself, because I am my own son. And my son would be the son of himself, because he is I. Thus, God would be the father of Himself, and His son would be the son of himself.

God is not, and cannot be, the father of any living or non-living being if fatherhood is used for its true meaning. If the word is used in its figurative sense, to mean that God is as compassionate to His living creature as a father, then He will not only be the father of one person but the father of all mankind. And this is what can be understood from the Christian prayer, "Our father, Thou art in Heaven. . . "

But even this figurative usage of the word is repugnant to Islam because it is misleading and confusing to the people. Muslims, therefore, do not use it.

You do not need to disprove the divinity of Jesus or Mohammad or any other human being. But if you claim the divinity of anyone besides God, you need to prove your claim. If someone claims that you are an angel, he has to prove it. I do not need to prove that you are a man because you appear as a man and have all the attributes of a man. The one who claims that you are an angel is supposed to prove what he claims, because his claim is contrary to the common sense and to what appears as the actual fact.

When a person says that Jesus or Mohammad is a man, and not a God, he agrees with the accepted definition. Jesus lived like a man, looked like a man, slept as a man, ate as a man, and was persecuted like one. None of these facts need proof. This is not the case with the one who claims his divinity. His claim is opposed to the common knowledge. Therefore, he, and no one else, has to provide the evidence for his claim.

Although the Muslims are not supposed to provide any evidence for the denial of the divinity of Jesus, they can present more than one evidence:

1. Jesus was a worshipper. Of course, he worshipped God, not himself. This proves that he was not a god but a very humble servant of God.

2. According to three of the gospels, the last words Jesus uttered were: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" A person who has a God is not a God.

3. God is Ever-Living, but Jesus is mortal; God is the Almighty, but Jesus was persecuted.

Why cannot we view Jesus as a god from his spiritual side and a mortal human from his bodily side?

Having two sides, spirit and body, is not the exclusive property of Jesus, because every human being has these two sides. You have both spirit and body, and so do I. And neither of our spirits is mortal, since our spirits will continue to live after our death. But this does not make either of us a god, and so is the case with Jesus.

But Jesus is not like us. He, according to the Qur'an and the Bible, was born from a virgin mother without a father. Does not this mean that he is more than a human being?

Being born from a mother without a father does not make Jesus more than a human being. Adam was created without father and mother, and that did not make him more than a human. From the Holy Qur'an:

"Certainly the status of Jesus in the eyes of God is like the status of Adam. He created him from dust. He said to him: 'Be,' and so he was." 3:59

Neither Jesus nor Adam is a god because neither of them is the Creator of the universe.

How do we know that he was not the Creator of the universe?

The scientists say that the stars are more than four billion years old, and Jesus was born less than two thousand years ago. How can such an old universe be created by such a young creator?

2007-01-08 20:34:51 · 11 answers · asked by MUHAMMAD 3 in Religion & Spirituality

Do you get nervous, shaky, sick? Or are you calm? Perhaps you just feel happy? I"m just wondering. Thank you.

2007-01-08 20:33:09 · 9 answers · asked by James S 1 in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

It was God's command that we go forth and populate the Earth yes? I think it's safe to say that we've pretty much done that.

When are contreception, abortion, sodomy, masturbation and other methods of non-population-increase going to be accepted?

2007-01-08 20:32:52 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

2007-01-08 20:29:18 · 18 answers · asked by mikey c 2 in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

jus wondering how many other people are sitting at their desk at work just now and wishing they where somewhere else?

2007-01-08 20:28:59 · 28 answers · asked by master_cat 2 in Other - Society & Culture

2007-01-08 20:28:38 · 13 answers · asked by S 4 in Religion & Spirituality

Like Kuja and his Silver Dragon fusing and becoming something like balmung from .hack but with two seperate minds and personalities?

2007-01-08 20:24:49 · 6 answers · asked by Unazaki 4 in Mythology & Folklore

how can i be sure?

2007-01-08 20:24:10 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

where can i contact and / or chat to the transvetite community for free? (its not the money, its the wife knowing)

or are any of you Transvestites, or know of any, who might chat by E-mail and messenger?

2007-01-08 20:23:11 · 11 answers · asked by meandthee 2 in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

2007-01-08 20:22:52 · 9 answers · asked by KrishanRam(Jitendra k) 3 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-01-08 20:22:23 · 25 answers · asked by kevin j 1 in Religion & Spirituality

for example the world was created in six days... the world is the center of the universe. Please back up you answers by stating which clause of the bible you are referring to. Thanks :-)

2007-01-08 20:19:00 · 18 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I can’t see much different between the dumb holy Hindu idiots who bath in Ganges river to wash their stupid cast sins OR the born again dumb idiots who drown their heads to reborn as a sinless born again dumb christen?

2007-01-08 20:18:51 · 7 answers · asked by tell me about Darwin 2 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-01-08 20:18:23 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

On my cv i want to write that i want to work nights rather than during the day. How do i phrase this so it sounds good on my cv? cheers

2007-01-08 20:18:12 · 5 answers · asked by somebodysfool316 2 in Languages

Your a straight guy. Are you gay or bisexual if you:

A) See someone in the distance who looks like a pretty girl that you find attractive, but when you get close to prepare to greet this person, you see it's a angrogynous guy. You know for a fact that you were attracted to the feminine traits of this person that lead you to think he's a chick. Since it was a guy, does that make you gay or bisexual?

B) There's a guy that you know is clearly a guy. However he is so feminine in appearance (thin, dainty, long feminine hair) and effeminate in behavior (girlish laugh, moves around girlish), that he resembles exactly the femininity you find attractive in chicks. And you find that attractive, only, because he's a guy, the masculine qualities of him kills the attraction like an ugly tranvestite. Does that make you gay or bisexual?

I ask because I think people get confused by these feelings, but to actually be gay/bi, you'd have to desire their "same-sex" qualities. Your thoughts?

2007-01-08 20:17:34 · 12 answers · asked by Anonymous in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

There are many factors which contributed, and are still contributing, to the spread of Islam. Among them are the following factors:

1. THE HOLY QUR'AN

It is an undeniable fact that the Qur'an is a living book that has influenced millions of people through its beauty and style. The superiority of the Qur'anic discourse was, and still is, challenging. The Qur'an itself called upon its opponents to try to produce a discourse that measures up to it.

The Qur'an repeatedly states that if the opponents will produce at any time a comparable discourse, they will automatically disprove the whole faith of Islam. The Qur'an has remained standing above and beyond any comparison in the whole Arabic literature ever since its revelation in the 7th century The Holy Qur'an, therefore, has remained since the time of its introduction until now a great source of attraction for the Islamic faith.

2. THE PERSONALITY OF THE PROPHET OF ISLAM

Mohammad was born under the shining light of history. No cloud has shrouded his birth, his existence or his life among his people. If any other prophet is considered a part of the religious history, Mohammad is a part of both the religious and the world history.

Mohammad was born in Mecca from a well-known father and mother and lived with his people forty years before he was commissioned as a prophet of God. He was observed by the people during his childhood and manhood. He was noticed by all his associates as an example of honesty and integrity. People never found in him a fault. They called him the Truthful, the Trustworthy.

Mohammad did not live as an isolated person. On the contrary, he associated with the people constantly. As a businessman, Mohammad travelled and associated with people from all walks of life, but he was never affected by their low desires or worldly ambitions. He lived in a pagan society, dominated by idol-worshippers, but he never subscribed to their ideas, nor did he join them in their faith. He lived in that world as a world to himself. He was respected by his enemies and admired by his friends, and no prophet in history received as much as Mohammad did of spontaneous obedience from his companions.

3. THE STRONG FAITH OF THE EARLY MUSLIMS

Due to the complete honesty and the influence of the appealing personality of Mohammad, the faith of his companions in him was unusually strong. It was based on their first-hand acquaintance with his exemplary life.

We are told that the followers of Moses refused to enter Jerusalem when commanded to do so and told him that he and his Lord should go to fight the enemies. We are told that the multitudes who had gathered around Jesus deserted him when the crisis came. Even his disciples deserted him. His chief disciple denied him three times before dawn on that fateful night. Similar situations happened to most of the prophets. None of them enjoyed a true support from their followers when they encountered a crisis.

The companions of Mohammad, however, were different. When Mohammad was in Mecca, he and the hundreds of his followers were powerless and without any legal protection. All of them stood the test of the crisis, and none of them abandoned the faith or the Prophet. The actions of those Muslims proved their faith in Islam and the Prophet. All of them preached Islam and practiced what they preached, and every genuine Muslim gave his faith a genuine support in word and in deed.

4. THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM WERE A GREAT SOURCE OF ATTRACTION BECAUSE THEY WERE, AND ARE, LOGICAL AND CLEAR

Upon serious thought, one can easily accept a religious teaching which declares the following: There is no God but the Almighty Who created the whole universe; none is worthy of worship but He; He is the Lord alone, without partner, associate, or son; He did not beget nor was He begotten, and nothing is like Him; He is the Just, the Merciful, and the Powerful, neither anthropomorphic nor physical; and His power encompasses the whole universe.

Such a simple and uncompromising monotheism is readily acceptable to the human mind which seeks an explanation to the existence of the world. It does not confuse the human mind by stating that God is One and that He, at the same time, is more than one. Nor does it represent God as a human being born out of another human being.

5. THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM ARE CONSISTENT AND COHESIVE

They do not contradict each other, nor do they contradict any other established truth. Christianity, Judaism, and Islam all advocate the justice of God and His fairness. Islam, however, takes this fundamental concept and follows it thoroughly. It builds on it many other religious concepts which follow the concept of justice inseparably. When God is just and fair, He does not impose on any soul to do what is beyond its ability. Islam tells us also that the Most Just does not hold an individual responsible except for what he does by his own choice. He does not hold a person responsible for the sins of his father or forefathers because he had no control over their actions.

Islam tells us also that because God does not hold a person responsible for what his father did, He does not condemn the whole human race for a sin that was committed before the existence of any human generation. Such a condemnation is contradictory to the concept of the justice of God Instead of burdening mankind with the original sin, Islam tells us that every human being is born pure and free of any sin, and will stay so, until he commits a sin as an adult.

6. THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM HAVE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ALL ASPECTS OF THE HUMAN LIFE

Islam, unlike many other religions, stresses the importance of both the spiritual and material aspects of the human life. God, according to Islam, does not want man to neglect his biological needs, nor is there an intrinsical conflict between our response to these needs and our spiritual development. On the contrary, the two sides are interdependent. They merge in each other and can be united in most of the human activities. A man who lacks the necessary food, warmth, and shelter, can hardly meditate, perform a devotional duty, or do good for other human beings. But when such necessities are satisfied, man can easily direct himself to his Lord.

Therefore, the well-intended work for meeting the bodily needs ought to be a portion of our religious duty. Religion, according to the Islamic teaching, does not aim at suppression of the biological desires; it aims at cultivating them and preventing the individual from becoming excessive and harmful to himself or to society.

7. THE PRINCIPLES OF ISLAM ARE UNIVERSAL

The universality of the Islamic teaching can be shown in its non-discriminatory teaching in regard to the human race, and in the recognition of all the previous prophets.

Since the time of its birth, Islam has carried the brand of universality. It addressed itself to the whole human race, discriminating neither among nations nor among ethnic groups. Every human being is a member of a huge family. No individual or nation is God's chosen or favorite creation because of birth, nationality, or belief in a particular dogma. People are equal in the sight of God, and everyone may have an access to the kingdom of God, if he (she) is righteous.

A truth never contradicts another truth. Therefore, Islam proclaims that there is only one heavenly religion which has been revealed at different times to the prophets whom the Almighty had commissioned to convey His messages to mankind. It is inconceivable that the Almighty would reveal a certain doctrine to one messenger and then reveal to another messenger a doctrine that contradicts the first one. The Almighty has revealed his heavenly principles, commandments and laws at different stages of the human civilization according to the capacity of the human understanding. The subsequent revelation supplements, and never contradicts, the previous ones. Therefore, Islam says that it is a duty for every Muslim to recognize and respect Jesus, Moses, and all true prophets and their true teachings. This is repeatedly recorded in the Holy Qur'an:

"Say: We believe in God and (in) that which has been revealed to us, and to Abraham, .. .and that which was given to Moses and Jesus, and that which was given to the prophets from their Lord. We do not make any distinction between any of them, and to Him do we submit." 2:136

The Christians who were in contact with the Muslims in the early days of Islam observed the great respect the Muslims had for Jesus. As a result, millions of them embraced Islam, not because they wanted to abandon the teaching of Jesus, but because they wanted to continue their adherence to his true teaching within the coherent teaching of Islam.

2007-01-08 20:17:23 · 9 answers · asked by MUHAMMAD 3 in Religion & Spirituality

2007-01-08 20:15:12 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Other - Cultures & Groups

2007-01-08 20:13:11 · 30 answers · asked by britzygail 1 in Religion & Spirituality

ask a question on here and their bashing other people already when they do. Why do they continue to keep on doing it only with another bashing question? And how does that make Y'all feel?

2007-01-08 20:10:54 · 4 answers · asked by 2sweet4u 4 in Other - Society & Culture

about women being with other women. Is this true? Please don't jump to the conslusion that I'm against men and men being together, or women and women. I'm just curios. Thanks.

2007-01-08 20:09:51 · 15 answers · asked by James S 1 in Religion & Spirituality

about women being with other women. Is this true? Please don't jump to the conslusion that I'm against men and men being together, or women and women. I'm just curios. Thanks.

2007-01-08 20:08:32 · 11 answers · asked by James S 1 in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender

Fairly new to this forum, sincere question about use of word "God." Is it general practice here to mean Christian (Holy Trinity, someone just clarified) God when you say "God."
I ask wondering if the fact that a billion-plus Muslims worship a non-Christian god is generally ignored here.
Pls no flaming, thanks.

2007-01-08 20:08:05 · 20 answers · asked by barry 4 in Religion & Spirituality

there is a tendancy to convict and fine people but more and more no conviction is recorded.
no conviction ,no crime statistic?
thus crime is cut ,yet crime goes on but not by official record?
is it also not then statisticlly a lie?

2007-01-08 20:07:43 · 2 answers · asked by Anonymous in Other - Society & Culture

books or songs that changed your life?

2007-01-08 20:07:27 · 3 answers · asked by latenightdrives 3 in Other - Cultures & Groups

I don't believe it is inside job, I just want to know more about you, if you believe in that 9/11 is inside job.

2007-01-08 20:06:44 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Religion & Spirituality

I know that some of us do and some of us don't, but do you??? Don't try to tell me that you can't be a true Satanist if you really believe that there is. Or that you can't be a Satanist if you believe that there is a supreme ruler.
Ave Satanas

2007-01-08 20:06:21 · 6 answers · asked by Voodoo 2 in Religion & Spirituality