Friday, January 16

Different culture, or just barbaric?

A mother in so-called "progressive" Northern Iraq, on the practice of castrating young females:
"This is the practice of the Kurdish people for as long as anyone can remember. We don't know why we do it, but we will never stop because Islam and our elders require it."
Note how the article refers to the practice as "female circumcision." Now there's a euphemism! Let's call it like it is. [Insert slam on liberal newspaper here].

Apparently up to 60% of Kurdish people in the area have had this horrific practice visited upon them by their mothers. I don't blame them, they are caught up in a vicious cycle, and the mother's quote above spells that out.

Where do we draw the line with our own beliefs? At what point do we say, enough is enough? That is up for everyone to decide for themselves, but like my father said recently, if the prophet commands us to slaughter another wagon train from Arkansas, I'm out!

What kinds of faith-related things have been difficult in your life? Obviously "faith" is not really knowing, but where would you draw the line? If there has already been something too much in your life or religion, what made you say "okay, this is too much"?

7 comments:

  1. I think there are some things where it is easy to say that's where we'd draw a line.

    Other things, it's hard to say, and I'm not sure I'd want to have a line on them, because then I'd feel like I was waiting for an excuse to leave, and that doesn't really seem healthy.

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  2. Re: "waiting for an excuse to leave" - I could see that, and I think I would have to weigh everything, just as I do now. At the same time, things seem so much more black and white when you're looking at other people's beliefs.

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  3. For me, The Word of Wisdom (obviously trivial with this topic) was something that I considered trivial, but the way others treated me b/c of my beliefs on it encouraged me to say "this is too much".

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  4. things seem so much more black and white when you're looking at other people's beliefs

    Exactly. Like your quote- I find that barbaric- that would be over the top for me, and I really can't understand how a mother could do such a horrible thing to her own child. It's easy for me to view that as black and white.

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  5. "At the same time, things seem so much more black and white when you're looking at other people's beliefs."

    Well said. I really like this comment.

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  6. Cultural conflicts must be recognized for how dangerous and seductive they can be. Consider David Whitmer and the other Whitmers. As the steps in the restoration unfolded and the infant church organization began to take form with high priests, elders, and a quorum of the twelve, David could not reconcile this with his congregationalist religious views, (his culture). He wanted the free spirited and impromptu, spontaneous, Quaker-like meetings with very little organization.

    Joseph Smith and the concepts of the restoration culture were so foreign to early 19th Century America it cost him his life and the lives of many others and serious persecution upon his followers. It is still being played out as we saw Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney continue to thrust and to parry over this peculiar Mormon culture.

    I chafe today because of the influences of certain cultural elements here in Utah that are viewed by many as part of the "gospel." Yet, I know they are not, at least I believe they are not. I admit I could be mistaken however. I could be as right as David Whitmer and find myself living out my days in Missouri when everyone else who moved on.

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  7. Hmmm. Prop 8 got pretty close to the line for me, actually.

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