RANT & CHAT - No Politics

[gp100357]

Tate202 - thanks for the quick response .....

Seems you have posted an article from Loyola's school paper, reporting on a lecture presented by this professor ..... which states his 'proposed meaning' for 'jihad' ..... and even here one finds the references to war and conflict.

Should you prefer to accept this one professor's 'proposed' meanings for the word jihad, that is your affair... I would strongly suggest however, that you research some other sources and see how, for example, the Palestinians interpret the word ... in their terroristic strikes against Israel, for example and the west in general.

It is indeed nice to believe all the warm fuzzy stuff we hear, and would be even better if it were really true. I doubt seriously, however, that Dr. Young's 'proposals' for the meaning of the word would carry much weight in the real world, outside of academia, and for sure, were I to hear that I was going to be a target of the 'jihad' ..... I doubt that I'd trust his interpretation enough to stand and wait for some peace-loving muslim to try and lovingly persaude me to convert to Islam. And honestly, I doubt that he would either.

"Some Muslims interpret jihad as war on all those who do not believe in the Muslim faith.

Others, however, believe a jihad is only needed when Muslims are attacked because of their faith, or are forced to give up their religion because of others' conflicting beliefs.

"Hatred, racism and oppression shape the [negative] context of Islam," Young stated in his lecture.

"Through education and the broadening of experience, [one] can reshape the jihad ideal."

In other words it seems he was saying that if all the hatred, racism and oppression were to be eliminated, and everyone was educated to think the same way, and experiences confirmed their educations ..... we might be able to change the meaning of 'jihad' to mean something other than war.

See that happening anytime soon?

It was one man's views, Tate202 ...... hardly reason or justification for a wholesale ignoring of the definitions given in out most prestigious dictionaries ........ unless one just wants to be swayed, in which case, nothing reasonable would make sense.

Remember Jim Jones and Marshall Applewhite? Some ..... believed them too.