just ice
There are nearly 1.8 BILLION Muslims across the world. With such a large population you will find people who answer to all sorts of descriptions including stupid and even very stupid. However, Islam doesn't teach stupidity, quite the opposite really if you care to study it with an open mind, uninfluenced by the barrage of negative stereotyping that is almost impossible to avoid even for 24 hours these days.
The Muslim scripture, the HQ, makes many statements about nature and natural phenomena, and asks its readers to ponder over them and urges them not to believe blindly but to think, question and investigate.
These HQ exhortations went on to inspire the early Muslims to push forward the frontiers of human knowledge for nearly eight centuries [that’s over half the 14 century age of Islam] changing much that was accepted as facts and establishing many new facts and even new disciplines.
They developed a methodology of establishing facts through investigation, experimentation and repeatable demonstration. This approach of theirs not only progressed human understanding, technology and civilisation but actually gave birth to what we today call science.
The impact on us has been so profound and irrefutable that even the official American website
@ http://iipdigital.usembassy.gov/st/english/publication/2008/06/20080608224127srenod0.9640619.html#ixzz2gPIAQWqI acknowledges that -
“The preponderance of technical and scientific terms entering English from Arabic during the Middle Ages suggests accurately enough the general superiority of Arab-Islamic civilization in the area of scientific achievement during this period. Revealing too is the fact that the next broad category of Arabic words suggests an advantage in terms of luxury and creature comforts and, consequently, a higher standard of living."
Although we take them for granted now, items like the humble but essential soap, scents, coffee even the word alcohol [Arabic el-kohl] came to us from the Muslim world. We did not hesitate to ditch our Roman numerals in preference for the decimal Arabic numerals which together with the concept of zero totally revolutionised mathematics.
==============================
To the Guy With An Opinion that,
"Islam is stupid because it claims that seawater and freshwater don't mix. See 'Brackish Water" "
No the HQ does not say that. It merely draws attention to [hidden/invisible] barriers or walls in the world's oceans and waters. This is now a well established fact. Whereas the HQ mentioned [invisible] barriers between salty and fresh waters there are invisible barriers in the oceans between different temperature zones within the one body of the earth's oceans and the rivers that flow into it.
Comments/corrections are most welcome, but please don't post them here. I won't be notified. Post them in my answers on www.blurtit.com. I will get notified.
Anonymous
Islam is not "stupid" and more than justice or other ideals can be. It's misunderstood because of a pernicious western ideology.
The bible is a book - books are not something that can be stupid or clever
?
terrible men use religion to control people. The Muslim cleric's are very rich in a very poor country. Why? Because people think they are liked by God better than others. Some men have always believed that. The Pharisees looked down on the common people. A very good example was luke 18:11 where he was praying and said, I thank you God I am so much better than other men. You have to read the account to fully appreciate how arrogant they were. Jesus called them rich money lovers. Sound like religious leaders today?
wombatfreaks
I do not think gods are real, but I do not automatically assume all religions or religious people are 'stupid'.
As a species, we desire answers, religion gives people answers for some of the unanswerable questions they have. An answer, even if it is wrong, or simply unprovable, gives people comfort and certainty.
I disagree with that approach, but I understand why people do it.
Alice in Genderland
I don't find them inherently stupid. They are a historical document that can tell us a great deal about the beliefs and practices of the people who wrote them. What's stupid is looking at an ancient text full of inaccuracies from another culture for guidance on how to live your life.