Alright, I don’t get it. What is so funny about circumambulating a square box like zombies with a big stone which was originaly was called Allah, the largest black stone god?
Oh, they worship as one, all right. Carefully separated as to Sunni or Shi’ite sects.
Occasionally the devil doesn’t get stoned, when someone gets between a thrown rock and a hard symbol. Strangely, the affronted will often retaliate by throwing a rock back in the general direction of their assailant, with no hope of hitting him. Mayhem follows.
If that really were the Devil In Petra, he probably would be enjoying himself immensely.
I dunno, doesn’t seem any more or less reasonable than any of the other superstitious rituals any religion has. Which is to say they all seem pretty darn silly to me.
Let’s praise Allah that there were no deaths like the years before by stampedes…
Oh actually no! If they die there, they go straight to Heaven for a fast meeting with the virgins!
Yes, dont forget that the ladies don’t get to worship a large lump of rock sticking up into the air..perhaps in case it gives them any funny ideas?
It’s long overdue for us to sort out whether someone’s beliefs demand respect just by virtue of them having them sincerely and strongly or because of their actual content.
If the former then the inhabitants of the local psychiatric hospital (many of whom also think that they are prophets) need to be afforded the same respect.
If the latter then this bunch of bronze-age idiots might be treated with fear but that is not really the same as respect now, is it?
Been watching ‘Make Me A Muslim’ on C4 this week, thinking about this column. The best bit had to be when they got in a muslim stand-up ‘comedian’. Proof, if proof were needed, that unless someone is actually poking fun at religion (J&M and their readers) believers ain’t the greatest of wits.
“His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner; his fondness for excruciatingly bad puns…”
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December 18th, 2007 at 7:35 am
…and worship a meteorite.
December 18th, 2007 at 8:31 am
Admittedly I know next to nothing about the muslim religion, only the bare bones of it… but where does the meteorite come into this?
December 18th, 2007 at 9:36 am
@Warren
That fact has kept me highly amused decades!
December 18th, 2007 at 9:38 am
jONES
Have a look at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Stone
December 18th, 2007 at 3:04 pm
Alright, I don’t get it. What is so funny about circumambulating a square box like zombies with a big stone which was originaly was called Allah, the largest black stone god?
December 18th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
Oh, they worship as one, all right. Carefully separated as to Sunni or Shi’ite sects.
Occasionally the devil doesn’t get stoned, when someone gets between a thrown rock and a hard symbol. Strangely, the affronted will often retaliate by throwing a rock back in the general direction of their assailant, with no hope of hitting him. Mayhem follows.
If that really were the Devil In Petra, he probably would be enjoying himself immensely.
December 19th, 2007 at 10:10 am
I dunno, doesn’t seem any more or less reasonable than any of the other superstitious rituals any religion has. Which is to say they all seem pretty darn silly to me.
December 19th, 2007 at 11:43 am
well that explains alot… the whole religion is stoned…
seems like a kinda rocky basis for a religion which has risen into meteoric prominence in the region…
December 19th, 2007 at 1:41 pm
jONES, you are the new Richard Whitley (That’ll only make sense if you’re from the UK!)
December 19th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Let’s praise Allah that there were no deaths like the years before by stampedes…
Oh actually no! If they die there, they go straight to Heaven for a fast meeting with the virgins!
December 20th, 2007 at 3:40 am
Yes, dont forget that the ladies don’t get to worship a large lump of rock sticking up into the air..perhaps in case it gives them any funny ideas?
It’s long overdue for us to sort out whether someone’s beliefs demand respect just by virtue of them having them sincerely and strongly or because of their actual content.
If the former then the inhabitants of the local psychiatric hospital (many of whom also think that they are prophets) need to be afforded the same respect.
If the latter then this bunch of bronze-age idiots might be treated with fear but that is not really the same as respect now, is it?
December 20th, 2007 at 4:36 am
Been watching ‘Make Me A Muslim’ on C4 this week, thinking about this column. The best bit had to be when they got in a muslim stand-up ‘comedian’. Proof, if proof were needed, that unless someone is actually poking fun at religion (J&M and their readers) believers ain’t the greatest of wits.
December 21st, 2007 at 12:15 am
“believers ain’t the greatest of wits”
I once asked a hindu whats the difference bettween hinduism and christianity. He said we worship shiva not shava (shava = corpse in sanskrit).
December 21st, 2007 at 6:41 am
By the way, how can an omniscient god change his mind (as in the “Flood”)? Think about it.
December 24th, 2007 at 8:21 am
Well, as the hindu said to the hot dog stand owner:
“Make me one with everything”.
Funnier when spoken, try it on a friend.
http://boskolives.wordpress.com/
December 27th, 2007 at 7:13 am
Nope, not from the UK… Richard who-now?
January 2nd, 2008 at 7:12 am
@jONES
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Whiteley
“His trademarks were his jolly, avuncular manner; his fondness for excruciatingly bad puns…”