Religious question for Popcornbird

[smokey the elder]

That's a bummer that your post got logged out. You are the best spokesperson for Islam that I've ever encountered. If people knew you they would realize what your faith is REALLY all about. Too bad they don't let women be imams.

[popcornbird]

Too bad they don't let women be imams.

Still didn't get a chance to sit down and type all over again, but quickly, I did want to respond to this. No way would I want to be an imam. LOL! That's like a woman pope of a woman priest. It just doesn't happen. Though men and women are equal before God, that doesn't mean they don't have different roles in society, in certain issues. This is one of them. Though there are women scholars, knowledgable women that people ask religious questions from, an imam is just different. That's a man's role, and as there have never been women popes or priests, there won't be women imams either. I don't get why its looked down upon in Islam, but in Christianity, if men take care of a particular 'role', its okay. Some roles are for men and its WEIRD for women to take that role, and some roles are for women and its WEIRD for a man to take that role. Imagine a woman growing a beard, or a man giving birth to a child. There ARE women who have hormonal issues and can grow a beard, but if she let's it grow, everyone would think she's awfully strange...because, that's just a man thing. Weird comparison, I know, but I'd rather leave some things to the men and keep some things to the women with the men out of it.

[caseysmom]

Oh PCB I don't think saying that we wish you could become an Iman is saying Islam is chauvinistic. I wish the pope could be a women, heck I think if women lead nations there would be a lot more peace on earth.

[Karen]

Oh PCB I don't think saying that we wish you could become an Iman is saying Islam is chauvinistic. I wish the pope could be a women, heck I think if women lead nations there would be a lot more peace on earth.

I wish that were true, but I lived for a year in an all-women dorm in college, and I can tell you that women can be meaner, nastier, and more back-biting and vicious in nature than any guys I have met. Not the women of Pet Talk, of course ...

Perhaps we wish Popcornbird could be a world-recognized leader as a teacher of peace.

[caseysmom]

Oh Karen, you reminded me of all the drama with my teenage daughter...oh maybe never mind

[Catty1]

Centuries ago...Jews being tortured to death for refusing to convert to Christianity...the Crusades that did much the same, spreading Christianity through Europe...and yes, some Muslim and other religious laws that demand death as punishment...

It just seems to me that a few radicals will twist religious words to justify their own ends.

And it seems pointless, to me, to single out a religion that is doing such things right now as "unique".

The human race is like a box of chocolates - there are a few nuts in there, and it's hard to tell where they are!

(Sorry Forrest)

Catty1

[Lady's Human]

I seriously doubt there would be more peace on earth if there were all female leaders.

For example:

Elizabeth of Russia
Catherine I
Catherine the Great
Queen Elizabeth I
Golde Meir
Queen Victoria

[Cincy'sMom]

That's a man's role, and as there have never been women popes or priests,

Not to change the topic of the thread, but just a point of history that is debated. Was there a female Pope?

Pope Joan?

[beeniesmom]

Not to change the topic of the thread, but just a point of history that is debated. Was there a female Pope?

Pope Joan?

NO< there has never been a female Pope and thier never should be according to the Catholic religion. I agree w/pcb: certain roles are for men and others are for women.

[VTJess03]

It seems to me that pretty much all spiritual doctrines claim that death will come to those who desert the 'true' faith, whatever it might be. The difference here is that the people practicing the religion are the ones that want to carry out God's justice for Him. To me, that seems like they are over-reaching a bit and taking on a bit more responsibility than God assigned them. I may be totally misinformed about Islam, but I thought that Allah was the all-powerful, all-knowing distributor of justice and wisdom, not the men who happen to worship Him.

Our destination after our life ends here is determined by our decisions, actions, beliefs, etc. I think that the one that converted will have more peace with the situation and the results than will the clerics calling for his demise. The convert (I'm sorry, I don't remember his name) is confident enough in his new faith to face death head-on, and the clerics of Islam that are calling for his death seem to me to feel threatened by the introduction of a new religion in 'their' country. If they are so confident in their understanding of Allah and what He would have them to do, why do they feel so threatened by one convert? Why not just let him go his own way (the wrong way, according to Islam) and suffer his own punishment in his own time?

I happen to practice Christianity, and am therefore most familiar with it; if you look at the big picture, Christianity teaches that all those who do not acknowledge Christ will go to an eternity of punishment in Hell (e.g. eternal death) while those who maintain purity of faith, motives, and action will inherit the eternal life in Heaven (obviously, since no one is perfect, we accept that Christ was the sacrificial atonement for the world's sins, and our mistakes will be covered by that sacrifice, etc. etc.) I have never thought about killing someone for converting to Islam from Christianity! I think that is ludicrous! God created men with free will; choice of religion is a free-will kind of choice.

We all think we are right, or we wouldn't think that way. We try to convince others that our way is right; that is how converts from or to any religion come about. Threatening death to someone is not the best way to change their mind, at least it doesn't seem that way to me.