Islam As Pagan Monotheism

[NewReformation]

[quote name='hot stuff' post='1075769' date='Sep 26 2006, 02:31 PM']
I'm referring to the Canaanite religion referred to in Scripture. Read the OT and specifically Leviticus. The rules listed there are to combat the pagan acts of the Canaanites. They worshipped Baal and Ishrael.

And I'm not painting with a "very very wide brush". Is it painting with a wide brush to say all those religions who call themselves Christian consider themselves in service to the Lord?

No
[/quote]
They worshipped "Ishrael?" There's no such god or goddess in the pantheons of the Caananite religions that I'm aware of. Are you referring to Ashteroth?

How are you defining "manipulation" here?

BTW-Could you list some references that refer to this manipulation you speak of?

Edited September 26, 2006 by NewReformation

[Aloysius]

another basis of pagan gods is that they and their power can be manipulated. in the same sense that the pagans take this (they do not say that they have power over these gods (except that to some extent they see the use of that god's name as requiring that god to help), but they still try to manipulate them)... this is also a very institutional thing to do in islam; examples were cited earlier in the thread.

if we look at pagan religions on their own terms (as we ougth to), it is not the perogative of pagan religions that they have power over their gods (neither is it the perogative of muslims that they have power over allah)... they feel that in knowing and applying a god's name they force that god into action lest he be disgraced. this, in many ways, describes the way muslims use the name of allah; but this is not my principal point regarding whether or not allah is seen the way pagan deities were..

my point still remains: radical monotheism makes God a complete transcendent and definitive reality; pagan monotheism makes god's temperments and personality the decider of what things should be like. that is the fundamental difference between a pagan god and the god of revolutionary monotheism. this is a more fundamental difference which can apply to all pagan gods (except, perhaps, the concept of brahman in hinduism; but each individual manifestation of that can still be applied) whether or not the society attempts to manipulate them. there are Christians who attempt to manipulate our God, there were Old Testament Jews who attempted to manipulate their God, and while I think it may be more institutional to the religion but that is arguable, there are muslims who attempt to manipulate allah. The more fundamental question is: what do they think about the nature of God, not what do they attempt to do in relation to him.

[Aloysius]

because I found an artical confirming my assertion

[url="http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=95902"]http://www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=95902[/url]