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	<title>Talk Islam &#187; orthodoxy</title>
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	<link>http://talkislam.info</link>
	<description>a crescent waxing eloquent</description>
	<pubDate>Wed, 03 Dec 2008 23:23:48 +0000</pubDate>
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		<title>Religion is experiential</title>
		<link>http://talkislam.info/2008/10/09/religion-ias-experiential/</link>
		<comments>http://talkislam.info/2008/10/09/religion-ias-experiential/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 09 Oct 2008 15:38:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>thabet</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[faith]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Islam]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[orthodoxy]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://talkislam.info/?p=2329</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I agree with this blogger that religion is primarily about individual experiences (who was ever took up a faith tradition thanks to reading a tome on scholastic theology?), but how do you form an entire society based on these experiences? Do you just summarily exclude or marginalise people who do not achieve the same experiences?
I [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I agree with <a href="http://openingheart.wordpress.com/2008/09/07/at-ease-with-orthodoxy/" target="_blank">this blogger</a> that religion is primarily about individual experiences (who was ever took up a faith tradition thanks to reading a tome on scholastic theology?), but how do you form an entire society based on these experiences? Do you just summarily exclude or marginalise people who do not achieve the same experiences?</p>
<p>I also agree that for someone who believes, prays, fasts, etc <a href="http://andalus.wordpress.com/2008/09/08/islam-%E2%89%A0-patriarchy/" target="_blank">&#8216;academic theorising&#8217;</a> might be of limited interest (in terms of <em>practice</em>*), but the appeal to &#8216;experiences&#8217; (the feeling of being at ease with a set of practices) to settle all problems is (hopelessly) idealistic, somewhat theoretical, and seems to encourage marginalisation of those who do not (for whatever reasons, and not always nefarious ones) or cannot find themselves at ease with said practices, however we characterise them. (The blogger, Saha, <a href="http://openingheart.wordpress.com/2008/09/07/at-ease-with-orthodoxy/#comment-141" target="_blank">gives the example of slavery</a> in the comments; but slavery existed in traditional Muslim societies for centuries until <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/islam/history/slavery_8.shtml" target="_blank">various internal and external pressures</a> brought it to an end on a widescale &#8212; not all of these pressures were purely the function of the pursuit of spiritual contentment.)</p>
<p><em>*Although no observant Muslim is going to dismiss the &#8216;academic&#8217; nature of the rigorous learning required to become an expert in </em>fiqh<em>, </em>hadith, <em>etc.</em></p>
<p><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2963632-10513809" target="_top">
<img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-2963632-10513809" width="468" height="60" alt="Sign Up With Blockbuster, Get 50% Off First Month." border="0"/></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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		<item>
		<title>Why does Hajj make people more tolerant? &#8230;</title>
		<link>http://talkislam.info/2008/06/10/why-does-hajj-make-people-more-tolerant/</link>
		<comments>http://talkislam.info/2008/06/10/why-does-hajj-make-people-more-tolerant/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:07:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Andrea Useem</dc:creator>
		
		<category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[hajj]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[Malcolm X]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[orthodoxy]]></category>

		<category><![CDATA[tolerance]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Why does Hajj make people more tolerant? (In this study, &#8220;people&#8221; = Pakistanis.) The  study authors, all economist, say it&#8217;s probably because of all the social interaction with fellow Muslims with different customs, a la Malcolm X. But I wonder:  maybe it&#8217;s about the religious experience itself? Having contact with God gives you [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.religionwriter.com/islam-in-america/islam/when-orthodoxy-is-good-for-you-making-sense-of-the-hajj-effect/" rel="external">Why does Hajj make people more tolerant?</a> (In <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1124213" rel="external">this study</a>, &#8220;people&#8221; = Pakistanis.) The  study authors, all economist, say it&#8217;s probably because of all the social interaction with fellow Muslims with different customs, a la Malcolm X. But I wonder:  maybe it&#8217;s about the religious experience itself? Having contact with God gives you a warm fuzzy feeling toward fellow man? Or that the rules of hajj encourage &#8212; maybe even force &#8212; you to be patient with others.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-2963632-10513809" target="_top">
<img src="http://www.awltovhc.com/image-2963632-10513809" width="468" height="60" alt="Sign Up With Blockbuster, Get 50% Off First Month." border="0"/></a></p>]]></content:encoded>
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