There was an interesting in-class discussion about Margaret Fell and her argument for Quaker women speaking in worship services. Relating Fell to Harris caused quite a stir, ultimately it seemed like she, unlike Harris, took passages in context while arguing for a tangible goal. The question came up whether or not it is ever possible to prove anything using the Bible. It seemed like people generally agreed that in taking it as allegory it is possible, but there are various levels of convincing.
I think it’s tricky to legitimately prove anything (besides distinctly religious cases) with the Bible as a primary source. Allegories allow quite a bit of room for interpretation, and nothing is definite because the Bible itself is not composed of facts. The Bible is, however, a respected holy book; when addressing religious issues (like Fell did) it can be used as a legitimate source. She did selectively interpret the Bible, but also addresses how she justifies her arguments with the entirety of the Bible. Margaret Fell ultimately gained much more credibility than Sam Harris because she had an argument and a proposed course of action, for one thing, and she managed to justify her selective interpretation of the Bible, rather than take passages completely out of context and expect them to sound credible.
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Wednesday, June 6, 2007
"Yeh, Holy Mount Zion"
Related to Ethiopian Christianity (Some Ethiopian Christians consider themselves Rastafarian in ideology), Rastafarians also used the Kebra Negast to glorify Ethiopia and its head of state, Haile Selassie (whom they call Jah- God incarnate). It was interesting to read how, initially, Rastafari promoted African supremacy (some still do) rather than equality. However, Selassie explicitly condemned racism in a speech that turned around that movement into more of one of equality.
The lack of structure in the “religion” made it quite interesting to read about. I don’t know if it can be called a religion, as there is no strict doctrine or worldview pressed upon its believers. There is a huge focus on the self, finding inner spirituality through various channels. The use of marijuana as a central aspect for “seeing the light”, and the abstinence from alcohol and meats were also pretty unique aspects of this movement.
I’ve visited the Caribbean a couple times and have been surprised by the huge glorification of Bob Marley (apparent everywhere) both times. My sister had completed a school project on Bob Marley and Rastafarianism shortly before (and she has been obsessed ever since), so she purchased a Bob Marley necklace in a small store (in St. John, V.I.) and the woman shopkeeper spent about 5 minutes discussing the greatness of Bob Marley. It was a lot of fun, my sister was thrilled, and it really stuck out to me as a unique experience to that part of the world. After reading more about Rastafarianism, and listening more closely to Bob Marley’s actual lyrics, I can see why he would be an emblem for the movement.
I can accept the general peace-loving, equality-promoting ideologies as such, but the religious aspects of Rastafarianism (I word I shouldn’t be using) are trickier to codify and declare a “religion”. Though, if considering the overlying frame definition of religion, this definitely qualifies as a frame for ones life, a way to live.
The lack of structure in the “religion” made it quite interesting to read about. I don’t know if it can be called a religion, as there is no strict doctrine or worldview pressed upon its believers. There is a huge focus on the self, finding inner spirituality through various channels. The use of marijuana as a central aspect for “seeing the light”, and the abstinence from alcohol and meats were also pretty unique aspects of this movement.
I’ve visited the Caribbean a couple times and have been surprised by the huge glorification of Bob Marley (apparent everywhere) both times. My sister had completed a school project on Bob Marley and Rastafarianism shortly before (and she has been obsessed ever since), so she purchased a Bob Marley necklace in a small store (in St. John, V.I.) and the woman shopkeeper spent about 5 minutes discussing the greatness of Bob Marley. It was a lot of fun, my sister was thrilled, and it really stuck out to me as a unique experience to that part of the world. After reading more about Rastafarianism, and listening more closely to Bob Marley’s actual lyrics, I can see why he would be an emblem for the movement.
I can accept the general peace-loving, equality-promoting ideologies as such, but the religious aspects of Rastafarianism (I word I shouldn’t be using) are trickier to codify and declare a “religion”. Though, if considering the overlying frame definition of religion, this definitely qualifies as a frame for ones life, a way to live.
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