IDOLATRY: the religious worship of images

The attempt on the life of Kurt Westergaard, the Danish cartoonist, has brought the issue of Islamic prohibitions against idolatry back into the news again. At the invitation of a Danish newspaper in 2005 Westergaard produced twelve cartoons poking fun at the Islamic prohibition against depicting the image of Mohammad. Since then there have been condemnations of Westergaard, including numerous threats of death. Some Islamic leaders have called upon followers to kill him.

Those who have investigated the prohibition against depicting the image of Mohammad have discovered that it is not from the Qur'an, the Holy Book of Islam, but is a practice originating from the rules and regulations of Islam based upon the Hadith, the words believed to have been uttered by Mohammad. The prohibitions are not limited to images of Mohammad, but generally reject the practice of depicting the image of any living being, which is seen by Muslims as idolatry.

Prohibitions against idolatry are not exclusive to Islam. In Jewish and Christian tradition there are examples of similar prohibitions stemming from the Ten Commandments attributed to Moses. Some rigid Christian denominations prohibit the display of visual depictions of God or Jesus. Devout Orthodox Jews never print the name of God, believing it to be idolatrous. Instead they substitute the term G-d. Ironically, there are some traditions in Christianity which not only fail to reject worship before paintings, statues and other artistic depictions, but actually encourage it. Iconography, encouraged in Orthodox Christianity, defines the presence of the one depicted in an Icon as approachable in the Icon, capable of worship.

My perspective on the current Islamic issue asks two separate questions:

1) Is the Islamic prohibition restricted to those who practice Islam or is it a generic law which affects non-Islamic people as well? I suppose this question stems from my own understanding that there are a variety of faiths in the world, each having valid rules and regulations relating to adherents. However, Muslims, especially fundamentalist Muslims, seem to believe that Islam is the true religion, and they are required to monitor the practices of the entire population. The goal of these fundamentalists is to assure purity. That purity is defiled by the practices of those who are not adherents.

2) Is it appropriate for the general population to poke fun at the beliefs of a specific religion? This is more an ethical question than one of dogma. Islamic spokespersons have pointed out, for instance, that generally it is understood that making light of the Holocaust is inappropriate. The media discovered a long time ago that this practice is deemed distasteful and capable of causing great damage to one's credibility. The question raised is whether this same ethical understanding should apply to Islam's prohibition against idolatry.

Islam is exceedingly vulnerable right now. Ignorance and prejudice are rampant regarding the teachings of Islam. Fundamentalist sects are confused with the practice of Islam by millions of people who do not condone the practices or beliefs of the sects. Consequently, a response of Islamic spokespersons to what is seen as disrespect of Islamic belief is merged with international anger over the practices of the Islamic fundamentalists. The result is anti-Islamic bias, much of which is unfounded and unfortunate.

Only through better efforts to educate the Western world to the legitimate teachings and practices of Islam will we come to a place where toleration and respect are the norm. In the current climate of fear it is difficult to arrive at that place.


Photo Credit: http://face-of-muhammed.blogspot.com/

HOLIDAY:a day fixed by law or custom on which ordinary business is suspended in commemoration of some event or in honor of some person

The controversy over what to say to people these days as a seasonal greeting can get silly. Granted, I prefer for people to say Merry Christmas when referring to the December 25 event, but I understand that it is uncomfortable for some. I find that strange, but I'm sensitive to that discomfort. I love to say "Happy Hanukkah" to my Jewish friends. I'm a little more uncomfortable about "Happy Kwanzaa" or "Blessed Ramadan," as I know that some African-Americans are not supportive of the holiday created for African-Americans to celebrate their heritage. And I've never been sure that Muslims wanted non-Muslims to acknowledge Ramadan.

So, to be truthful, "Happy Holidays" is not a bad thing to say. It's a little bland, but it covers the gamut. Probably by being generic it loses some of the steam intended.

It has been my understanding that the word holiday was a simple spelling variation on the words holy day. Consequently, I was surprised when I went to the dictionary and found that I had to scroll down a ways in the listed definitions before I came to a reference to Holiday having something to do with religious celebrations. I suppose it's implied in the preferred definition above, but I thought it would be more prominent a definition.

Just out of curiosity I went to a website called Holiday Insights. I was curious to see what they could add to my research. I typed in December 25 and found what I expected, that it is a day on which most Christians celebrate Christmas, the birth of Jesus of Nazareth.

But to my amusement, I was surprised to find that December 25 is also known as Pumpkin Pie Day,a day on which some people celebrate the glories of pumpkin pies. To be fair, the day only exists, it tells me, because it is one of the most common American foods eaten at Christmas. I have to say that I have never had anyone tell me "Happy Pumpkin Pie Day"...and I'm not sure I'm comfortable trying it out on friends. It sounds to me like a creation of some commercial institution, such as a company that provides canned pumpkin pie filling. I don't know that for sure, but doesn't it sound likely?

I'm equally suspicious of other "holidays" that have become popular in our country, such as Mother's Day, Father's Day, Grandparent Day, Children's day. I refer to them as Hallmark Card days. Any excuse to get people to purchase cards, flowers, and other gifts during a slow season. I'm not stupid enough to ignore Mother's Day, and I enjoy the special treatment on Father's Day, but I do acknowledge the flaw.

Most of my Jewish friends are not only comfortable, but enthusiastic, about saying "Merry Christmas" to me. They seem to get it, that for Christians it is a special holiday...a holy day...with theological significance. That aspect of Christmas has faded for much of the population, for whom it is a secular holiday more focused on gift-giving and gift-receiving than anything else. My limited cynical side recognizes that the holiday has been co-opted by commercial enterprises. But we'll celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve at Saint Bartholomew's Church in New York City, where a magnificent choir, inspired preaching and an awesomely-beautiful setting will inspire us. More on that in a couple of days.

I'll practice my "Happy Pumpkin Pie Day" greeting, but don't be surprised if I don't say it to you.

Photo Credit: Copyright 2000-2010: holidayinsights.com © By Premier Star Co.
Definition Credit: http://dictionary.reference.com/

MYTH: a traditional or legendary story... with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation....(Dictionary.com)

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The word myth is most commonly used to refer to ancient stories told by Greeks, Norsemen or Native Americans. The myths popularized by them are classic, and serve well to define the word. Deities who have supernatural powers to create the earth, regulate the weather, control the seas, and other feats of greatness capture our imaginations and serve as fodder for literature and the other arts.

But there is another meaning for myth which became familiar to us through the teachings of Joseph Campbell, author of The Power of Myth. (Doubleday, 1988) It is the result of a fascinating series of interviews with Bill Moyers.

"A fundamental belief of Campbell's was that all spirituality is a search for the same basic, unknown force from which everything came, within which everything currently exists, and into which everything will return. This elemental force is ultimately “unknowable” because it exists before words and knowledge. Although this basic driving force cannot be expressed in words, spiritual rituals and stories refer to the force through the use of "metaphors"—these metaphors being the various stories, deities, and objects of spirituality we see in the world. For example, the Genesis myth in the Bible ought not be taken as a literal description of actual events, but rather its poetic, metaphorical meaning should be examined for clues concerning the fundamental truths of the world and our existence." (Wikipedia)

I find the work of Campbell to be enlightening. Some do not. To some, for whom spirituality or faith must be unquestionably factual, the use of myth as Campbell uses it, is offensive and even heretical. The literal reading of scripture is a necessity.

But for Campbell, a Christian, myth is not a pejorative term, but a helpful explanation about faith which leads to a deeper understanding of those who participated in the foundations of faith experience. Myth becomes a tool, acted out in our rituals and liturgies, incorporated into our stories, and the subject of the arts which help to define our faith experience.

Myth, to many, is a synonym for false or fictional. That is not an accurate definition of myth, which can be an element of fiction or an element of non-fiction, depending upon its use. The story of Noah and the Ark, for instance, is a myth which may incorporate elements of meteorological history about a time of great flooding in the Middle East. But its greatest value is the teaching it projects about faith and tenacity in the face of skeptical thought. It relates the theme of consistency of God's love for creation and God's promise to preserve that which has been created. In today's world it is an inspiration for those who seek to remind us of the sacredness of creation and the need for ecological and environmental morality.
We need not be fearful of reading history with an openness to the presence of myth . To the contrary, being open to the nature of myth may provide the reader with a fresh way of approaching one's faith. The Creator, by whatever name known, becomes a more acceptable element of one's faith, and religious history becomes more easily understood when the power of myth is acknowledged.