Summarise the beliefs regarding whether religion can be replaced or not:
CAN BE REPLACED:
- It can be replaced by dominant forces of politics.
For example, the soviet union replaced religion but more as an instrument of political power.
This was because they thought people didn’t know what to believe anymore so they were getting extremes + superstions. Politcal power got rid of this
CAN’T BE REPLACED:
- It cannot be replaced. For many people religion is a way of life.
Most religions hold one similar function which is having a God. Whether that’s multiple or one,
If you take away the act of worship, becomes less valuable + more random.
Many people grow up with the values of their religion deeply embedded into them by primary agencies such as your family.
To get out of a constant mind-set and routine could hold to be very challenging for many people.
Summarise + define Humanism:
~ Committment to the interests + centrality of human persons.
A belief that reason + autonomy as foundational aspects of human existance.
- They make their ethical decisions based on Reason.
- Appeal to reason > revelations
- Rejects ideas of supernatural.
Summarise + define Science:
- Believes religion has no record of discovering hidden truths
- Believe that if someone can’t Falsify their beliefs, then it is meaningless
- Science can be tested in against the world, whereas religion cannot.
Summarise + define Athiesm:
Athiesm ~ The absence of belief in any Gods/spiritual beings.
- Don’t use God to explain existance of universe
- Some argue that the world is so bad, so cant be a God
- Insufficient evidence to support religion
- Religion has harmed the world
Summarise Warsi + Militant Secualrisation:
Militant Secualrisation ~ Denying people the right to a religious identity.
A label that signifies extremism
Warsi ~ First female muslim to serve as a Priminster
- Warsi fears that society is holding back religious identities
- Religion is downgarded in public sphere + often side lined
- She argues that people need to feel stronger in their religious identities.
- Individuals should not deny their religious heritages
- Politicans need to give faith a seat in their public life.
Summarise why Muslims are Anti - secular + What Satan has to do with secularism?
- Muslims are anti secular as sole purpose of life is to worship Allah.
“I have created jinn and humans to only worship me” - Rejection of worship invloves grave consequences (Quran)
“Whoever rejects the rememberance of their lord, will go through unbearable punishment” - Satan rebelling + disobeying Allahs order. makes people confused to their own religion
- Satan makes muslims have excessive craving of wordly desires, results into muslims being confused + derives away from religion
What is driving muslims away + how are families affecting?
- Life after death seems the furthest thing away for muslims.
- Desires + temptaions of the worldis far greater than peoples beliefs
- Consumer culture is driving muslims away + making secualrism stronger
- Tenchnolgy increases secualrism (porn)
- Traditional inistitutions are eliminated + hate groups are encouraged
- Traditional roles of women + men in families have meddled, which led to families being stressful as rights are not the same.
What does Al - Hakim Murad mean by ‘“Gang rape” of the planet:
- Toxic by products + way natural places are being treated has led to this.
Overfishing, desruction…
Summarise focus of a capitalist society + why does Islam oppose this arrangement?
- Capitalist society ensured profit replaced teachings of the Prophet.
- Profits which drive education such as private schools, make students think in particular way.
- Islam opposed this arrangement as political + social action leaves void in human soul.
Whole then filled with consumerism. (McDonalds + KFC appeared in Mecca)
- Consumerism will destroy earth.
- Eliminating oppression + protecting people is made possible by an ultimate reality (Allah)
“Corruption has appeared in the land and sea becauseof what the hands of men wrought by their sinful recklessness”
- Abuse and waste which happens in contemporary secular world, is condemned in Quran.
“Eat and drink from the provision of Allah, and don’t go through the earth working corruption”
Why should Muslims protect the rights of a creature?
- honor the rights of those creatures as part of our custodianship over the Earth.
- However, petty little Islamic groups cannot exercise that custodianship.
- If Muslims are to provide badly needed direction for humanity,
we will have to beat the divisions, which in many cases are the byproducts of the ill-conceived schemes.
How can one stop secularisation?
- Muslims will have to unite as an Ummah and serve Allah
- Can be done by following mainstream sunnah + avoid specific definitions.
- Adapting a broad view will allow us to move ahead + avoid secularisation.
Define Anti - Realism + Realism:
- Doctrine in which there are no objective moral values. Theres no true moral facts.
- Realism ~ What one percieves is real + exists out there in reality
Summsrise Scientefic anti - realism:
- Applies to claims about non - reality of “unobservable” entities, which are not detectable with human sense
- However, some deny that unobservables exist, even as non - truth conditioned instrument.
Can religions exists side by side + be valid? Summarise arguments + counter arguments for this?
CAN’T:
- Some argue that all other religions are incorrect + only consider their own beliefs
- Also increases secuarisation as studying another religion means they might convert to that
- If all religions were same, then its same to say that it doesnt matter what you believe in
- Diff religions have diff beliefs. (Multiple gods, one god..)
- Ignores fundamental truth of what you believe
- Islam is not a pluralist religion
CAN: - If everyone sticks to their own beliefs, it coul work
- Islam can be inclusive for christian + jews only.
- “Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship. For you is your religion and for me is mine”
Shows how they cant exist side by side
Define Liberation Theory:
- Religious content which focuses on liberation + the oppressed.
How is Islam seen as an oppressive religion?
- Seen as oppressing women, and the only way they can gain freedom is by leaving religion
- Many believe hijab is forced upon women, and they dont have a choice
- Women cant be religious leaders
How is Islam NOT seen as an oppressive religion?
- Islam forces freedom + disagrees with idea of controlling the poor + slavery
- Liberating poor is seen as important in Islam. Duty of being a Khalifa
- Liberation theory is seen as a political threat
- In life of Prophet Muhammad, taught peace +to treat everyone equally, despite their wealth
- Fighting for injustice, is seen highest form of Inam
- When colonialism occured, Malcom X (NOI) went to Hajj, + saw the equality
Led to him publically speaking ssbout liberation theory + bought change
Summarise Ajmal Masroor + how Islam encourages social justice?
- Standing firm for justice is considered closest to Godliness
“Be just, that it closest to Godliness”
- Quran reminds to stand for justice at all time, even if it means going against yourself or family
- For him, social justice starts at home. Responsibilty starts at home + have to take care of parent
(Story of prophet + man about hajj)
- Social justuce is even persuaded for those who are not related such as neighbours, orphans + needy
“He is not a muslim who sleeps with his stomach full while his neighbout stays hungry”
- Have to take care of our enviroment as we are “custodian” of this earth.
Summarise what arguments Richard Dawkins put across + Ajmols response to it:
RICHARD:
religion is selfish and it’s not about community.
He talks about how many wars have been fought for religion
AJMOLS RESPONSE:
religion is acc to do with justice and they’re to be treated well.
In Islam prisoners of war are treated well.
In the Quran justice is mentioned a lot.
RICHARD:
Religion is not peaceful as it causes arguments + divisions.
AJMOLS RESPONSE:
islam itself is peace and lots of stories about prophet is also peaceful.
You’re not allwoed to attack but allwoed to defend. The best form of Inam is If you see injustice of any kind not only Muslims, yoh actually do something about it.
As a child the responsibility to look aftwe ur parents shows islam is a religion of mercy.
Social justice starts at home.
RICHARD:
Religion is harsh + has no morals
AJMOLS RESPONSE:
Have to take care of the needy and orphans.
Islam stands against this kind of poverty.
Islam teaches us to share of what we have with others who don’t have that.
Define Nafs al lawwama + Nafs al amara
(Postmodernism):
Nafs al amara ~ Self that seeks only to fulfil its base needs
Nafs al lawwama ~ Self continually blames us for our
choices. It’s indecisive in its
struggle to choose an action.
Summarise Islam + Postmodernism:
- The main role of Muslim is to worship Allah + thays our identity + status
- In America, Muslim youth have more relations with non Muslims. Compared to before.
- Muslims in America suffer from lack of knowledge in deem
- Technology has diverted out attention span + drives us away from the purpose of Islam.
- Salam provides us that withdrawal we need from the world.
Does Islam support death penalty?
Tariq Ramadan
- Some agree. Esp countries who practice strict sharia + associate with old death penalty.
Death penalty is valid in the Quran + Sunnah.
- Some disagree. Western countries have abolished it.
Social justice is much more important.
Argue why some Muslims would agree/disagree with the idea of death penalty?
Agree:
- Scholars may receive backlash if they don’t follow quran + sunnah to practice death penalty.
- Countries who lost their moral capacity need sharia law + death penalty.
Disagree:
- People in countries aren’t educated in this aspect properly, they do it to just benefit themselves
- Muslims in today’s society thinks equality matters
more. - Mostly poor people receive death penalty > unjust.
Summarise pros + cons of death penalty:
Pros:
- provides justice to individual + relatives
“Support your brother” - Spreads wave of terror for crimes committed against the state.
- State of self defence.
- Reforms the criminal. Some say after they’ve received punishment in this world, in the hereafter they may not get questioned.
- 2 ways it’s justified: 1- Zina/Adultery. 2- Proven murder.
Cons:
- Responsibility of a Muslim is justice. Will killing of a murderer produce justice?
- 3 options before death penalty: Compensation, killing murderer + forgiving.
- Forgiveness seen as higher in sight of God.
- Rich never get death penalty. Mostly poor.
Lots of capmpaigonh to show it’s unjust, but some countries can get away for it such as Saudi as they’re a rich country. This is also unjust.
