Qur’an Describes our Situation Today (in footnote)

[RJ Connors]

I was reading the Qur’an this morning, (for Freeper lurkers I am not a Muslim, I study the theology of many world religions) and came across this one verse, which in and of itself was not real interesting but the footnote just blew me away. I had to read it a couple of times and thought, gee, that describes our world today.

I will give the verse first for context, it is concerning a prophet named Shu’ayb, and then list the footnote.

Surah Al-A‛rāf 7:88

The leaders, the arrogant
Party among his people, said: ¹⁰⁵⁸
“O Shu’ayb! We shall
Certainly drive thee out
Of our city-(thee) and those
Who believe with thee;
Or else ye (thou and they)
Shall have to return
To our ways and religion”
He said: “What! Even
Though we do detest (them)?

Note 1058

The gentle, all-persuasive arguments of Shu’ayb fell on hard hearts. Their only reply was: “Turn him out!-him and his people.” When courtesy and a plea for toleration are pitted against bigotry, what room is there for logic? But bigotry and unrighteousness have their own crooked ways of pretending to be tolerant.

“O yes!” they said, “We are very tolerant and long-suffering! But we are for our country and religion. Come back to the ways of our fathers, and we shall graciously forgive you!” “Ways of their fathers!” - they meant injustice and oppression, high-handedness to the poor and the weak, fraud under cover of religion, and so on! Perhaps the righteous were the poor and the weak. Were they likely to love such ways? Perhaps there was implied a bribe as well as a threat. “If you come back and wink at our iniquities, you shall have scraps of prosperity thrown at you. If not, out you go in disgrace!”

Source:

[tekisui]

1. Human history repeats itself many times over.

That is why 'prophets' can appear 'prophetic'. Humans will play out again and again the same battles. I read that in the book of Nostradamus. I am interested in building a future beyond the repetition of failures of previous generations.

[RJ Connors]

2. "I am interested in building a future beyond the repetition of failures"

Isn't everybody? But as you have pointed out, this cycle of repetition we engage in never seems to stop, even though there is a lot of rhetoric about stopping it throughout history, the cycle still keeps repeating.

I'm about to the point where I am ready to accept it is just part of our basic destructive nature.

[Tumbulu]

3. But we have such a constructive nature as well

and I keep trying to figure out how it is that the destructive parts get unleashed, or even provoked. Is it in childrearing that we have a chance to tip the human balance towards construction and fairness ?

[RJ Connors]

4. Well, I do think it has to do with birth cycles to some degree

In that every 20 years or so we get a new crop of people who are all full of P & V (energy) but have a lack of experience and knowledge that only time can bring. In some instances they themselves cause problems but I would say in most cases it is the generation before them who recognizes their value in being able to manipulate them (incite) so that they, the older generation can enrich themselves.

I remain convinced that the root cause of all evil is greed, most times expressed as an endless wanting of things.

[54anickel]

5. Timely discussion in lieu of Groundhog Day...How'd Phil break the cycle again? n/t