Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Ethics & Islam

After some discussion on the practice of Islam in society, especially public punishments for moral crimes, a non-Muslim responds: 
You're avoiding the point. Your specific claim was that the Quran teachings are ethical, and that perceptions to the contrary stem from media disinformation. So I submitted to you a list of things that make me conclude that the Quran teachings are unethical. Very honestly, my previous beliefs were reinforced. We have unreconcilable views on ethics. 

My Response: Yes, our views are different. We think it unethical to cheat on our spouse, we think it's wrong to steal, we think it's perfectly ethical for a woman to try and protect herself, and so on. You object to the punishment, we object to the crime. We believe the Quran has been revealed by a higher intelligence who knows us inside out, and guides us in matters where we may not be able to legislate appropriately. We believe the laws are based on morally sound principles of justice and fair play. You're entitled to your opinion, but I strongly advise that you evaluate and ascertain for yourself that the Quran is a human invention, and not divine guidance, lest you reject something great!

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