My grandmother hated it when we said 'gosh' as she had read that it was just slang way of using the Lord's name in vain. I still think twice* about saying it around deeply religous people.
*once just as I am saying it and another as I am looking out the corner of my eye to see if there was any damage (rarely in time not to say it).
quote:
Originally posted by Pogo:
[b]My grandmother hated it when we said 'gosh' as she had read that it was just slang way of using the Lord's name in vain. I still think twice* about saying it around deeply religous people.[/b]
What about [i]"gol dern it!!"[/i]???
[img]wink.gif" border="0[/img] [img]tongue.gif" border="0[/img]
[ 12 September 2008: Message edited by: Sven ]
It is all about politeness. Just like there is someone I work with that I won't tell jokes about stupid idiots running companies into the ground.
A lot of people posting here seem to think
1, I am not racist
2, so nothing I have said is racist
3, so if I have said something in the past and you imply it is racist, you need your head ripped off.
Said people would be better looking again at points 1, and/or 2. We can ALL learn to be more sensitive to other peoples feelings.
quote:
Originally posted by Pogo:
[b]It is all about politeness. Just like there is someone I work with that I won't tell jokes about stupid idiots running companies into the ground.[/b]
Something you want to get off your chest? [img]biggrin.gif" border="0[/img]
quote:
Originally posted by unionist:
[b]The idea that a normal person of any (or no) faith would be "offended" by a harmless expression is a bit condescending to that person - isn't it? Doesn't it imply that their religion is so overpowering that they feel bad even when no offence is intended?[/b]
I feel that unionist raises a good point.
I think both the left and the right are guilty of overgeneralizing and stereotyping when it comes to Muslims.
Why?
Well, it's obvious what the right does - they infantilize and denigrate Muslims and treat the lot of them as though they were Pavlovian automatons who go berserk the instant an imam says "fatwa", "American devil" and so on.
But consider the left; there is an unstated but definite bias against the showy piousness (you have no idea how close I came to writing Piusness [img]wink.gif" border="0[/img] ) of organized Christianity, and certainly in many left-wing circles, Israel's bullying tactics and its government's willingness to hide behind the concept of the "Jewish state" when convenient, are quite repellent.
However no such equivalent skepticism seems to be about when it comes to the Muslim faith, as far as I can tell, among left-wing circles. It is, at least as I see it, considered acceptable for various sexist tendencies to make themselves felt and given the imprimatur of legal force, as witness the kerfluffle over potentially allowing Muslims to bypass the civil courts and apply Sharia in Canadian civil proceedings (which, we have been assured, could create a built-in imbalance against a woman trying to bring suit against a man).
This, I think, hides an unstated assumption that questioning the validity of faith can only be done when certain religions are involved.
quote:
Originally posted by DrConway:
[b]...they infantilize and denigrate Muslims...[/b]
Whoops!! DrConway said [url=http://www.rabble.ca/babble/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic&f=47&t=000029]"denigrate"[/url].
Thank you, Trolly McTroll, but I'm not interested in your cheap attempt to derail the topic. Address the topic or make a new one, but plztonotbederailingkthx.
[ 13 September 2008: Message edited by: DrConway ]
For some reason this thread popped up on the Rabble sidebar. Never seen it before. Interesting - not just because way back in my university days there was a dopesmoking spot which everyone called "Mecca". And because some years later a Muslim friend said he did at the time consider it offensive (I never would have thought so, considering his politics).
Doesn't mean I would never use the term as a metaphor (for the reasons mentioned above) but there is a big difference between blasphemy referring to dominant Christian faiths and against minority religions.
I don't think there would be much question if we were talking about "peace pipes". Sure you are well within your rights to say it; doesn't mean it is a good idea.
Well that was a fun read. Some great old babblers heard from. For what it's worth I stand by my post #36.
I am reminded how much fun it was working with Michelle, as well as how many babblers I used to meet in person back then.
Tabarnak, I think that religious people generally don't take offense. I hear many of my Protestant friends call a turkey's rump the Pope's nose at Xmas but no one seems to mind. I think that if you made similar comparisons of Mohamed it would be taken more seriously. I think that making fun of superstition is not a morale lapse, only rudeness.
It is far more offensive at a moral and societal level to tell women what they can wear on their heads. Canada's racism runs far deeper than using mecca as a descriptor of ski resorts and other pleasant locales.
Sure. But the fact murder is worse doesn't make a racial slur or halloween costume okay. And really, it isn't for the rest of us to decide what is and isn't.
There aren't that many hard rules around this. I was actually fine with that high-profile case of Scandinavian newspapers publishing those pictures of Mohammed because it was a political action aimed at a religion. Was there a racist element? Of course, because it is was certainly fuel for some haters. But there was also a legitimate press freedom issue.
But again, it isn't quite the same when it is directed at a major Christian religion (and it might draw some anti-clerical atheists or anti-Catholics) and when it is directed at a minority group (and you wind up with the whole gamut of racists and jingoists piling on).
Most Christians aren't seriously worried that stuff like this might mean them getting attacked or killed.
That's the problem of rationalizing it as not serious or just a joke. Sometimes it is, but a lot of the time it isn't.
Tabarnak, I think that religious people generally don't take offense. I hear many of my Protestant friends call a turkey's rump the Pope's nose at Xmas but no one seems to mind. I think that if you made similar comparisons of Mohamed it would be taken more seriously. I think that making fun of superstition is not a morale lapse, only rudeness.
It is far more offensive at a moral and societal level to tell women what they can wear on their heads. Canada's racism runs far deeper than using mecca as a descriptor of ski resorts and other pleasant locales.
Agreed, totally. And I always thought that people should have kept calling in to Harper's "Barbaric Practices Hotline" and continually reporting him for the barbaric practice of setting up the Barbaric Practices Hotline.
Small point...I've heard that Catholics(this might be more of a US thing) called that part of a turkey "the parson's nose".
Answer from ChatGPT:
It is not necessarily insensitive to use the term "Mecca" as an expression, but it may be viewed as disrespectful or offensive by some Muslims. The city of Mecca is the holiest city in Islam, and it is considered to be a sacred site by Muslims. As a result, many Muslims view the city with great reverence and may take offense if its name is used casually or in a way that they perceive as disrespectful.
That being said, the use of the term "Mecca" as an expression does not necessarily imply disrespect or insensitivity toward Islam or Muslims. The term is often used to refer to a place that is considered to be the center or focus of a particular activity or interest. In this context, the term may be used to refer to any city or place that is considered to be especially important or significant, regardless of its religious significance.
Ultimately, the decision to use the term "Mecca" as an expression will depend on the specific context and the audience that is being addressed. If the term is being used in a way that may be perceived as disrespectful or offensive to Muslims, it may be best to avoid using it or to use an alternative term instead. In general, it is always a good idea to be sensitive to the potential cultural and religious implications of the language that we use and to avoid using terms that may cause offense or harm.
I grew up in a devout Catholic household, and we called the turkey's butt the Pope's nose. Of course this was in the times of Pius XII and John XXIV, and it kinda looked like that. I think it is a rare Muslim who would take offence, and if one did, I guwss I'd just say "oh, ok, sorry" and probably watch everything I said when they were around, which wouldn't be often.
Many years ago Volkswagen used one of Alan Price's songs from "O Lucky Man" in an ad - the melody was taken from "What a Friend We Have in Jesus". My grandma, who is in no way a judgmental person, and would never impose her will on others, mentioned to me that she didn't appreciate what they did with that hymn.
So yeah. It isn't going to stop me from enjoying the album, but you never know.
I have always loved blasphemy and fell comfortable in engaging in it about the religion I was born into but not so much about other people religions. I lived in a coop for two decades where at least a third of the people were Muslims and I can't imagine any of them being offended but then I never asked. The older generation all attended the Ismailis mosque and we arranged all our events and meetings around that religious calendar as well as the secular calendar. There is no use having a general meeting when half of the people will want to be at mosque. I suspect that for many of them a personal "mecca" would be a weekend on Bell Island (The Bahamas) and a cruise aboard the Alamshar.
I lived in a coop for two decades where at least a third of the people were Muslims and I can't imagine any of them being offended but then I never asked.
It was in the socialist Republic of Burnaby.I lived in a coop for two decades where at least a third of the people were Muslims and I can't imagine any of them being offended but then I never asked.
Was this in Canada or abroad?
I just happened to walk by Byrne Creek Housing Co-Op here in Burnaby.
Burnaby has a lot of coops. They are great for security of tenancy and reasonable housing charges. As a single Dad it was nice to have a community to live in.
Co-Ops are great! They do breed a strong sense of community. And of course they provide much needed affordable housing. Hopefully Eby's much ballyhooed affordable housing plans will include building a lot more Co-Ops.
It was in the socialist Republic of Burnaby.I lived in a coop for two decades where at least a third of the people were Muslims and I can't imagine any of them being offended but then I never asked.
Was this in Canada or abroad?
Here! Here!
I couldn't agree more- thank you for this.
I'm Muslim, and I couldn't care less. I mean, I'm not like most fanatical lunatics and burst into flame upon the "misuse" of certain words or trivial bullshit like the cartoons of the Prophet (pbuh). Seriously, there's more important things Muslims should focus on than dumb bullshit like that. Poverty, equality, justice and liberty for instance.
