Comments on: How Many Virgins?

By: toddyenglish

toddyenglish — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:11:07 +0000

Y’know…
After the first seven virgins I’d be lookin for a pro.

By: VidLord

VidLord — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 02:45:14 +0000

amon: “but the fact that he murdered/raped/beat my sister will mean that I still have real concerns about his presence in the heavenly mansion next to mine”

facinating point! Take that one step further to what if the person that murdered YOU made it into heaven!!! Can you imagine that? The depraved fool that killed you had a death bed conversion and is your neighbor in heaven LOL. Now that would rightly suck.

By: Not A 9-11 Inside Story « The Critical Thinker(tm)

Not A 9-11 Inside Story « The Critical Thinker(tm) — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 01:36:42 +0000

[...] to Unreasonable Faith for sharing [...]

By: zach

zach — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:59:34 +0000

Well guys, if any of you end up in heaven, chat me up on this blog so I can know what it’s like.

By: Jeff Eyges

Jeff Eyges — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 03:16:38 +0000

Yes – God’s omnipotence always seems to take a holiday when confronted with the specter of our free will. Seems to be like Kryptonite to him.

But I’m a poor, benighted fool who doesn’t have the Holy Spirit whispering the secrets of the universe into my ear – eh, Stephen?

By: spence-bob

spence-bob — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:55:01 +0000

I noticed that too, Roger. And was utterly unsurprised by it.

By: latsot

latsot — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 16:07:58 +0000

So unless god brainwashes us into liking heaven, the only way we could achieve bliss would be if heaven were individually tailored to each person’s particular requirements. Which makes a mockery of the standard offer of 72 virgins, mansions or whatever.

Obviously, then, heaven is the real marketplace for religion, so you think you’d get to do a deal. Personally, I’d probably just want to get a bit of reading done without people interrupting me the whole time. And decent internet access.

Could god organise that or do I have to go with the virgins option? Perhaps we should petition the world’s religions to work us out the best tarrifs. We were halfway there with indulgences, but those failed to take the free marketplace into account. As far as the religions go, it’s bums on seats, so I’d have thought we as the punters should be in the position of power.

By: latsot

latsot — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 15:50:45 +0000

I suspect it’s something like this, coupled with what Ty said. How can it be about anything other than power and domination?

Bill is right: logic about enjoying sex points to non-virgins. Logic about how to dominate someone points to virgins. More creepiness.

By: Sara

Sara — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:46:53 +0000

But see, most Christians don’t want to be reminded that the “evil Muslims” are, like themselves, People of the Book. *sigh*

By: Roger

Roger — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:42:26 +0000

It’s interesting how you’re liking this thread about Muslims, but when the blog eviscerates some of the more idiotic teachings to come from Christianity, you’re complaining. Islam and Christianity allegedly worship the same (abusive, egomaniacal, sadistic, juvenile, petty, head-up-his-ass) god, so what accounts for the dissonance here?

By: Mathurine

Mathurine — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:10:29 +0000

Oh also, the whole mansions of pearls and bricks of gold and ‘the true reward is to see the face of Big Al’ stuff is also in Islam. So you get a pearly mansion, chillin’ with the big guy, and virgins (or to be a virgin, whatevs). Plus, cushions and garments of silk and brocade (18:31)! So… yeah!

Funny, with all that, Osama and the rest of them still have to use that ‘bridegroom in heaven’ rhetoric to motivate people. Hell, even regular non-terrorist types will talk about ‘the bridegrooms of heaven’ (typically flowery language to describe the men of heaven meeting up with their wide eyed maidens).

By: Mathurine

Mathurine — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:01:07 +0000

Very funny video. I shall have to share it with my friends.

By: Mathurine

Mathurine — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 09:00:03 +0000

Well, it’s not inconsistent if you’re a Muslim. Remember, logic need not apply when faith is the issue. Islam teaches that we must have rules about sex or food or money here on earth but in Jannah, or paradise, there will be none.

For example, it is haraam, or forbidden, to drink alcohol on earth, but in paradise, you can drink all the wine you want to, with no negative side effects like vomiting and waking up next to a stranger the next morning.

By the by, just as a former Muzzle who lived most of my life in the West, I did find Islam’s attitude towards sex within marriage rather open. I suppose that is because when you look at the prohibitions in general – sex outside of marriage, no gay sex – I saw those also among Christians, and Islam also has a quiet but long history of sex manuals being written and very open and explicit questioning about sexual matters to the scholars. I mean, I have sat in rooms with scholars who were being asked about cunnilingus and other matters and no one was blushing or saying that it was wrong. Would I find the same in a church? I don’t know; it is moot now. :)

By: Mathurine

Mathurine — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:55:18 +0000

Probably because virginity was so highly prized in a bride for so very long. Plus that whole ‘I got there first!’ nonsense. Why, the hadith even say that Muslim women who are awarded paradise will be resurrected *as virgins* when they go to Heaven.

By: Mathurine

Mathurine — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 08:53:19 +0000

Unfortunately, it doesn’t work – these attempts to make it sound like Muslims were fantasising about grapes this whole time. The language of the hadiths – which are the foundation of tafseer – is quite clear: virgins, women, wives, concubines, maidens of lsiight, and so on. (The # of 72 comes from hadith. The Quran only mentions hur al ayn, and there is no way that can be understood as a glass of water either).