(July 5, 2011 at 11:49 am)Rayaan Wrote: It is certainly degrading to the woman. But that's the point. When you do something really bad, a disciplinary action is allowed for those things which are mentioned in the Quran, such as this. But you can also forgive her.I'm glad you raised the romance angle Rayaan. I think that's a very challenging view to westerners. They just can't compute it.
Yes there are similar exhaltations in the bible, but these are secular practices seen as applicable in the culture of the time but always open to interpretation. Because it's in the text and therefore you don't think about it - that's anti god in my view. It's religion over observance. Works over faith. Words over what you're really thinking. I don't think God want's empty rituals... I don't see how that is doing anything that would please him.
Forgiveness is civilized, and in my opinion secularism could never justify forgiveness over retribution.
