Reflection on sacred space: mosques and churches
I came across an interesting article by
After reading through them, I came to some preliminary conclusions. Islam doesn't view its mosques as santified places; I suspect that's to prevent idolotry as they understand it. Also given the historical fusion between the secular and the sacred in Islamic history (the caliph is both ruler and Allah's vice regent on earth) the religious permeates the secular; so there's no need to have dinstinct sanctified places because life is sacred by definition.
By contrast, with Christanity, at its origins, Jesus made a clear distinction between the secular and the sacred; each had its legitmate jusrisdiction. This division of competencies developed the Two swords doctrine. Theologically- and I refer to the Catholic position as I'm more familiar with it- the church's sanctity comes from the tabernacle where the host is placed and displayed. Catholic theology states that host is the Real Presence of Jesus; hence he's at always at Church. Also to underscore the church's sanctity is the ceremony of consecration. If one looks at the word's etmology: it's from the Latin con+sacrare: to sanctify with/together. So the parishioners and the building are both sanctified.
The other preliminary conclusion is that because Moslems don't view their mosques as sacred places, they sometimes fail-deliberately or in good faith- to accord a similar respect to other religions which do for their buildings. The most vivid example is the seige at the Church of the Holy Suplecher. During and after the standoff there were reports that the gun men inside had committed egregious acts of disrespect (i.e. desecration)within the Church and adjoining annexes.
The contrasting concept of sanctity underscores the obvious fundamental differences between the 2 religions as well as the societies they undergrid. My question is how can the faithful from both religions work out a modus vivendi arrangement that accords respect to religious buildings/grounds without compromising important values of either.
La pub ne fait pas de la morale
Arabnews se plain que les publicités recourrent à 'l'immoralité' On comprend le sentiment mais la pub ne fait pas la moralité; ses buts sont beaucoup plus modestes que banaux: vendre un produit ou service d'une manière séduisante. Je suis d'accord qu'on n'a pas vraiment besoin de l'érotisme ou d'abaisser les appétits de consommateurs poteniels afin de convaincre les gent. Cependant, vous avez de choix: protester aux média; écrire une lettre à l'entreprise qui annonce ses pridoits et si vous concluez: organiser un boycott.
Mark Steyn: no kidding
With all due respect to Steyn's article he's telling us stuff we already know. As a blogger who sits on the crossroads between the Anglopshere, the Francophonie and the Iberian world, I'm just as sentistive and cognizant that the Islamic integrists suffer from a superiority complex that demands that the world submit to their interpretation of Islam and if not they'll kill us.
Hell, I've been writing articles that deplores the divisions within the West and reminds his readers that Europe, the Americas and their politico-cultural descendents that we're all together in this conflict or we'll succumb separately.
Once again the open societies and Western civilization are under assault and I'm frankly not in the mood to hear about the wonders of the Anglopshere or the exasperating anti-Americanism of the Europeans. That Europe and America have their differences is great; what I resent is when both sides chest thump of how much better each is compare to the other. The Islamists don't care insofar as the divisions simplify their plans for world conquest.
I won't let these lowlives use the differences and divisions between the West to conquer us but to highlight its strength is precisely its diversity.
L'anglès: llengua mundial
Com sempre s'ha de matisar els articles d'Arabnews quan analitzen l'història
L'aràb fou una de les llengües dels culturats. Doncs es patentment fals a dir que l'àrab preservà tot el coneixement del Mòn classic. No nego que la civilitzación musulmana però s'ha de recordar que la preservació era un esforç de tothom i no sols dels àrabs. Que més em molesta es aquesta manía de superioritat que sense els àrabs o la civitizació islamica, l'occident jamés s'ahuria sortit de l'Edat ocsura. Els àrabs no tingueren cap interès amb les humanitats. Dante descobrí les Cartes familars i altres escrits i els publicà ademés d'escruire un poema en tuscà. Quant a la bibía, els erudits podien consultar la versió greiga, àmarica, sírica ademés la llatí. Tampoc la música, la literatura la pintura, l'escupltura, les reformes cal.ligràfiques i un gran etcétera. Els islamics es limitaren a preservar les ciències practiques i alguns corrents filosfiques no contàraies al Islam com recorda Bernard Lewis.
A part d'aquest crítica, estic plenament dacord amb l'articulista que preconiza que aprendre l'anglès no es cap traició. ans el contrari aprendre un nova llengua es obrir-se una nova porta al univers.
Hotmail woes
Hotmail is really starting to piss me off.I write a note and all of a sudden the little hour glass appears and sends the note before I'm even done. I guess it's because I use Mozilla. Who cares? I'm really becoming irritated that I have to start a message 2 or 3 times.
I've been a member of Hotmail long before MS bought it. I've never been impressed by the company as owner. True those who've read my Penguinsta posts over the years know that I'm a vociferous MS critic and dismiss me as not-credible. Fine but I'm not the only one who's bitched about Hotmail's failings over the years. It's really frustrating to restart a new e mail message when there's no reason to.
Mark Steyn: no kidding
With all due respect to Steyn's article he's telling us stuff we already know. As a blogger who sits on the crossroads between the Anglopshere, the Francophonie and the Iberian world, I'm just as sentistive and cognizant that the Islamic integrists suffer from a superiority complex that demands that the world submit to their interpretation of Islam and if not they'll kill us.
Hell, I've been writing articles that deplores the divisions within the West and reminds his readers that Europe, the Americas and their politico-cultural descendents that we're all together in this conflict or we'll succumb separately.
Once again the open societies and Western civilization are under assault and I'm frankly not in the mood to hear about the wonders of the Anglopshere or the exasperating anti-Americanism of the Europeans. That Europe and America have their differences is great; what I resent is when both sides chest thump of how much better each is compare to the other. The Islamists don't care insofar as the divisions simplify their plans for world conquest.
I won't let these lowlives use the differences and divisions between the West to conquer us but to highlight its strength is precisely its diversity.
L'anglès: llengua mundial
Com sempre s'ha de matisar els articles d'Arabnews quan analitzen l'història
L'aràb fou una de les llengües dels culturats. Doncs es patentment fals a dir que l'àrab preservà tot el coneixement del Mòn classic. No nego que la civilitzación musulmana però s'ha de recordar que la preservació era un esforç de tothom i no sols dels àrabs. Que més em molesta es aquesta manía de superioritat que sense els àrabs o la civitizació islamica, l'occident jamés s'ahuria sortit de l'Edat ocsura. Els àrabs no tingueren cap interès amb les humanitats. Dante descobrí les Cartes familars i altres escrits i els publicà ademés d'escruire un poema en tuscà. Quant a la bibía, els erudits podien consultar la versió greiga, àmarica, sírica ademés la llatí. Tampoc la música, la literatura la pintura, l'escupltura, les reformes cal.ligràfiques i un gran etcétera. Els islamics es limitaren a preservar les ciències practiques i alguns corrents filosfiques no contàraies al Islam com recorda Bernard Lewis.
A part d'aquest crítica, estic plenament dacord amb l'articulista que preconiza que aprendre l'anglès no es cap traició. ans el contrari aprendre un nova llengua es obrir-se una nova porta al univers.
Hotmail woes
Hotmail is really starting to piss me off.I write a note and all of a sudden the little hour glass appears and sends the note before I'm even done. I guess it's because I use Mozilla. Who cares? I'm really becoming irritated that I have to start a message 2 or 3 times.
I've been a member of Hotmail long before MS bought it. I've never been impressed by the company as owner. True those who've read my Penguinsta posts over the years know that I'm a vociferous MS critic and dismiss me as not-credible. Fine but I'm not the only one who's bitched about Hotmail's failings over the years. It's really frustrating to restart a new e mail message when there's no reason to.
Europe is screwed: let's throw up our hands in frustration
My title exaggerates the gist of the Paul Johnson's article However, Johnson fails to persuade me that the European Union's social and economic policies are the cause of the Continent's anti-Americanism. I find him more cogent when he reminds his readers that Europe pretty much destroyed itself in 2 world conflicts; henceforth, the Europeans have become intensely risk adverse.
My major complaint with Johnson's article is the sanguine attitude towards Schumpeter's creative destruction of capitalism. True, it's one of captialism counterintuitive trends that as it creates great wealth and employment opportunities; it also destroys with the same intensity the 'old' economy. However, I was somewhat put off by Johnson's breezinees about that creative destruction (aka risk) in capitalism. Even in the United States, risk doesn't have free reign; on the contrary, the public authorities domesticate it via a complex series of legislation as well as the market's own rules and dynamism. The perennial debate is: how much risk is too much or not enough?
Perhaps Europe has forgotten that some risk is necessary because it acts as the necessary catalyst to stimulate incentives, creativity and entrpreneurship towards seemingly insoluable dilemmas of how to sell, make and distribute a product or offer a service. At the same time, I sometimes view Europe's reserve towards creative destruction as a healthy alternative that shouldn't be casually dismissed either
Más evidencia de la religión de paz
En su ofensiva a persuadir el mundo ajeno y ancho que el Islam es una religión de paz Abu Bakar Bashi- clérigo del grupo integrista Yeamaa Islamya sentenció que los muertos de Balí se han ido al infierno. Gracias por tu delicado tacto a conmiserar con los familiares que tu grupo ha perpetuado. Claro que cuando se impone la shar'ia al mundo no habrá conflictos por que los infieles estaran muertos o esclavos. Tu problema es que no toleras niguna verdadera diferencía al mundo que se ajunta con una actitud revindicativa que el mundo paretence al islam intégrista y te exasperes cuando te das cuenta que el mundo no hace caso o hasta te reiste.
Comolos enemigos anteriors de la sociedad abierta, has provocado la rabía de sus ciudandos y acabarás en la basura de la historía.
Indonesian police capture bomb maker
The son of a bitch laments the massive loss oflife?! What the hell did he think would happen when he made that bomb that would be detonated in crowded discos? Frankly, I disbelieve his regret.
What's even more interesting is that the bombmaker is a ex-airforce soldier kicked out for misconduct. The fact that he's ex-military will raise serious even more serious questions about Washington's and Syndey's policy to assist the Indonesian government.
I recognize that there are rivalries between various factions but which one is serious about hunting down the terrorists within Indonesia and those that aide and abet them?
La marche de la décentralisation se poursuit
Le projet de loi qui vise modifier la Constitution française se poursuit. Qu'on parle de décogestioner, décentraliser ou même débarasser, la signifigance n'est pas perdue. D'après plus de 2 siècles, la France fait un virage le plus radical depuis la Revolution. Personellement, je souhaite que cette décentralisation reuissise car ell e aura un impact qui influera la reste du Continent. Il serait fort intéresant de voir comment réagirons le PP et PSOE en Espagne face à ce virage. Ces deux parties politique principales ont toujour imitié les français surtout dans leurs modèle d'état et leurs plateformes politiques depuis la Transition ont toujour prôné pour une centralisation assez forte vis-à-vis les autonomies dites historiques.
Encore je me demande si les effets réseautiques qui influencent l'Anglosphère, font leurs effets à la France et bientôt envers la Francophonie?
Solidaritat amb els australians
A totes les victimes i llurs famílies: plors i llàgrimes; però també esperança.
Nice: les fruits de la décentralisation?
Le Monde a publié cet article fort intéressant d'une poignée des personnes réhabilitent la culture et la langue niçoise. En fait, il y a 200 étudiants qu'apprennent la langue. Ce qui m'a frappé le plus c'est la vocation 'européenne' à laquelle les Niçois font les virages. Je me demande même si la décentralisation proposéé par le gouvernement Raffarien reveille davantage où avec les Provençal, Corses, Catalans, Bretons, et Basques tous 'victimes' de la centralisation jacobine, le Niçois manifesent un désir de s'orienter vers l'Europe pour oublier le dédain pour leur langue et culture que Paris a historiquement montrées?
Je me rappelle de l'article de James Bennett à l'égard de l'Anglosphère et je me demande si sa thèse de les effets réseautiques créera une nouvelle sphère dans laquelle on y trouvera les regions européenne dites péripherques qu'on n'a pas vues depuis les Moyen âges? Est-ce que les reformes constituionnelles de Jacques Chirace préciperait la Deuxième Revolution française ou simplement ramenerait les choses avant 1792?
En tout cas, c'est un événment fort intéressant et un donc on devra prêter beaucoup d'attention.
Com nordrir una nova visió del Islam
Arabnews publica un article sobre com amillorar l'imatge d'Islam. Tanmateix ja comença bé quan elperiodista en enculpa per nostres deficiències i per no haber demonstrat sufficentment interès al Islam. Escoltem aquesta actitud es tan típic dels musulmans. Fa 1400 anys que n'han tingut contacte amb el christanisme i jamés durant aquell temps han demonstrat el menor interès d'aprendre la teològia o la bíblia res. Doncs, ara s'adonen que no tenen les eines intel.lectuals per explicar l'Islam als no-musulmans. ¿Perqué? Si antany recorrien a l'espasa, sang i conquistes per avançar l'Islam i aquells que no es convertiren, els hi fumien la dimmitude la jirgiza i tota mena d'inhabilitacions. Aleshores, ¿per que aprendre d'un infidels inferorïtzats amb una revelació superada si no distorcionada?
Felicito, tanmateix, el desig de voler fer l'apologisme del Islam al Occident; però, es donaran compte que no el apologistes no són gaire ben preparats. En fet, la raó qui hi ha tanta terrorisme que origina del països musulmans es precisament per que encara no han integrats el desfiaments de la modernitat en llur religió deixa estar de propagar-la als països industralitzats.
Somos todos infieles
Este artículo publicado al Times de Londres resfrescará el ardor de los bloggers y comentaristas jingoistas amérianos que vean a los europeos como covardes. Los terroristas islámicos integristas por fin han articulado que siempre he dicho: no distinguen entre franceses o américanos; Angloesféria o la Franofonia; ttodos some infideles; blancos legítimos a matar, robar, terrorizar. Sin Embargo como Nick Dento comentó que los terroristas integristas se multipliquen enemigos
en fin y al cabo que pronto no podrán luchar contra todos al mismos tiempo. Mejor; se les acabarán más rápidamente.
Une autre coup pour les islamistes intégrites
182 morts maintenant à la suite d'un éclatement de deux bombes dans un discothèque fréqunait par des étrangers. On félcites les terroristes qui par leur vaillence et courage avanceront leur but. L'imposition de leur vision d'islam au monde q'il veuille ou
Vous nous révoltez mais vous en fous de ce que le monde pense. Bon continuez à agir ainsi et bientôt le monde vous donnera son avis.
Et jevous promets que la réplique serat de vous donner un goût de ce que vous faites à autrui.
Actualisation: merci à ChristopherJohnson de m'avoir envoyé le lien de Tim Blair blogguer austrailien qui nou rend un grand service en fournissant le bilan de morts et bléssés ainsi que comment la situation s'évolue telle quelle.
The Continental Enlightenments and the suppression of the Jesuits
Intro
Some time ago Iain Murray published a link to and article comparing the French and British Enligtenments As I read it I become quite despondent; the article merely reinforced my view that the Contiential Enligtenments were a traumatic experience that retorgraded European society in comparasion to the British (and Scottish) Enlighenments. I've always held the view that the supression of the Jesuits was one of the contributory factors to the mix legacy of the Continental Enligtenments.
The supression of the Jesuits
The historians of the Enligthenment devote a number of pages or monographs on the supression of the Jesuits; yet I've never been persuaded that those historians that they grasped the full signifigance of the supression of the Jesuits.
The enlightened despots of the Catholic kingdoms: Spain, Portugual, Austria and France viewed the Jesuits as an obstacle to their ambitious plans to remake their societies by embracing the revolition in values that the Enligtenment posited. Further, the same despots viewed the Jesuits as rivals who challenged their authoritanism and that was unacceptable. So they began to hrassa progressively the Jesuits until they suppresed them and then pressured the pope to abolish the order.
Neither the Enlightenment intellectuals nor the Ancien régime lost its lesson: From now on, the supression of an unpopular group or potential political rivals by a central authourity was legitimized. If their Most Catholic Majesties could ban the most powerful, well-organized, intellectually advanced religious orders in Catholicism, than anyone could be.
Harmonious mosaic and the shattered mirror
The supression of the Jesuits had intellectual consequences for the Continential Enligtenment. The Jesuits established some of the most avant-garde education institutions and had a relatively advanced pedagogy in the Catholic. The result wasn't just a renaissance of learning in the post-Reformation period but also led to some competition between the other religious orders (which often lead to very real rivalries and the competing orders aided and abeted the enligthened dspots to get rid of the Jesuits)that led to an openness to new ideas and the curiosity to debate them. The supression of the Jesuits put an end to the educational competition and diirectly led Catholic education to stagnate and close itself once again to outside influences.
The cultural and intellectual consequences of the Jesuits' abolition was that the Enlightenment intellectuals had an uncontested arena to advance radical views of man and the desire to remake society. The Jesuits would've moderated such views given their pratical missionary experiences- particularly in Paraguay (the basis of the movie The Mission) and the Catholic religious values would've been integrated into the Continetal Enligtenments. Unfortunately, the religious response to the Enligtenment was pathetic, counterproductive, unimagintaive, unpersuavie and deserving of the derision that the intellectual heaped.
Unlike the British and Scottish Enligtenments which integrated religious values with the Enlightenment into a harmonious mosaic; the Continental Enlightenments are a shattered mirror with missing shards. Religious values were excluded and excluded themslves from Europe's own revolution of values and the subsequent history underscores the legacy of the Jesuits' supression.
Some contrarian thought on the Enligtenment
I remain deeply conflicted about the Enlightenments- including the British and Scottish. To me, the fact that the enlightened despots of the Catholic kingdoms had to resort to authoritarian measures to force their societies to embrace- whether they wanted it or not- the revolution of values wrought by the Enlightenment; yet even with such heavy handed policies, those kingdoms still submitted to the Enligtenment in highly eclectic fashion should've given everyone pause. Unfortunately, there remains an intense taboo to question the Englightenment as if its legacy would somehow collapse if everyone undertook a more critical reassessment.
I have a rather controversial view that one of the unintended consequences of the Reformation- which the Enlightenments reinforced- was to shift salvation from the religious realm to politics and economics: that while there are many paths to reach God, there would now be only one way to organize a polity; only one way to ensure prosperity. If the polity doesn't imitate, absorb, integrate or copy in some manner that one way to political and economic development, the polity is an abject failure. It's time to reassess the Enlightenment.
