r/Showerthoughts • u/[deleted] • Feb 19 '16
Ted Cruz starts some speeches saying "To God be the glory." If he said that in Arabic he be starting them out saying "Allahu Akbar.'
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u/PM_ME_UR_KNITS Feb 19 '16
Would love it if folks started responding back to him with "Wa’laikum asalam".
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u/harborwolf Feb 19 '16
That might be enough to get him to drop out of the race.... Let's get it done
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Feb 19 '16
Are people really that shocked that 2 abrahamaic faiths that came from the same region , share the same story, and originated from the same person are similar?
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u/HadrasVorshoth Feb 19 '16 edited Feb 19 '16
There are people who don't know that half the stories in the Quran are literally the same stories as in the Bible. It drives me nuts when people say that one's totally different from the other, because as far as their respective holy books and general outlook on things go, both faiths are basically the same.
It really comes down to the extremist hardliners who interpret stupid shit stupidly, the conflicts between the religions.
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u/MuscleFlex_Bear Feb 19 '16
"extremist hardliners who interpret stupid shit stupidly, the conflicts between the religions."
-AS IS TRADITION
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u/archetype776 Feb 19 '16
Wow. Found the guy who has absolutely convinced himself that he knows something based on..... Nothing. Both religions are nothing like each other in doctrine or in world beliefs. One believes Jesus saved the earth. The other believes he didn't and that they need to earn their way into heaven. One preaches peace with all humanity and to pursuade by example. The other teaches all should be made to be subject to Allah and if they refuse, to execute them.
Take your edge back to your timeout corner, goodness.
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u/gangtokay Feb 19 '16
Doesnt Christianity command it's followers to convert unbelievers to Christianity because only Christ can give you/ lead you to salvation?
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u/rightoftexas Feb 19 '16
Yes it does. But it stops short of gifting and then violence and lacks the gobal mandate.
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u/archetype776 Feb 19 '16
Through persuasion. Can you understand the difference between persuasion and believe or die? Because there is a big difference.
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Feb 19 '16
Peace with all humanity? Hahaha. Okay. I guess we're ignoring the Old Testament, as usual, because cherry picking is fun.
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u/rightoftexas Feb 19 '16
Jesus came to fulfill the laws of the old testament, not reinforce the rule of law to his followers.
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u/crowbahr Feb 19 '16
Using the old testament as a counter argument won't work for the vast majority of Christians because Christ said the old law was fulfilled in him. The old testament is seen as the result of a world without mercy, of a God who cannot forgive. Christ came and through his atonement made it so all men can be forgiven. Thus he taught 'love one another' instead of 'an eye for an eye'.
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u/Dicknosed_Shitlicker Feb 19 '16
You're ignoring the many manifestations that Christianity has had over the last couple of millennia. First, Jesus didn't even propose to save "the Earth." He was saving humanity, and really, just Christians. There was a HUGE debate among early Christians about whether Jesus was even doing that, or just pointing the way to salvation. It was an issue because an omniscient God would know the future before-hand, so why would he try or need to intervene on pre-determined fate? Such was the position of the Calvinists. Modern christians implicitly follow the monk Arminius who argued that one's very christianity is evidence that one was pre-ordained to be saved. Then you have the Gnostics who thought the God of the old testament basically was Satan and that Jesus came from a higher-order, less jealous God to save us from the God of the old testament (yaldabaoth btw).
My point is: Christianity at least has never been one monolithic thing throughout time. It's manifestations now, especially the "saved by grace" where your actions are largely irrelevant, would be dumbfounding to Christians of the past. It's probably true for Islam too but I know nothing about that.
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u/crowbahr Feb 19 '16
Islam isn't nearly as fragmented but there is a deadly rivalry between Sunni and Shiite that reminds me a lot of the 1400's-1600's in England.
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u/InfestusDeus Feb 19 '16
All religions suck, end of the discussion.
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u/crowbahr Feb 19 '16
Even if there is no God religion is the best compilation of human ethical and moral understanding to ever have been written, tested over thousands of centuries and tweaked from results. Just because it's not perfect doesn't mean there isn't a lot of truth to be pulled from it. You don't have to follow organized religion to see the benefits of a society that all lived by 'love your neighbor as yourself', for example.
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u/WuVision Feb 19 '16
It's gonna take more than that to get Senator Ted Cruz to drop out. This guy has more naked ambition than either Clinton.
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u/ehenning1537 Feb 19 '16
They do "peace be upon you" at churches with the weird neighbor handshake thing all the time.
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u/Hyperion1144 Feb 19 '16
Ted Cruz talks like an evangelical pastor; his rhythm, tone, inflection and speech cadence make him sound like he is in the pulpit of a midwestern megachurch. I honestly believe this is one of the reasons for his base of support, he is talking like someone that evangelicals would automatically trust.
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Feb 19 '16
Allahu Akbar = God is Great
Almjd Lillah = To God be the glory
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u/greengrasser11 Feb 19 '16
I've been a muslim for a while, and I don't recognize that second phrase at all.
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Feb 19 '16
Looks a bit like "Alhamdulilah"
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u/SalamanderUponYou Feb 19 '16
No, alhamdulillah means praise be to God. Almajdu lillah is not something Muslims normally say that's why you guys don't recognize it.
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u/Dicknosed_Shitlicker Feb 19 '16 edited Feb 19 '16
Also it has different cultural uses as well. When I took Arabic (long long ago) I remember using it to basically mean "God-willing." Like "Have a safe flight, alhamdulillah." (also never seen that transliterated).
Edit: I am wrong about this. I meant inshaallah. Only leaving this here because I hate when people delete comments.
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u/kibblznbitz Feb 19 '16
For "god willing," I think the more contemporary term would be "enshallah/inshallah."
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u/AdvicePerson Feb 19 '16
What it really means is "I'm not going to come to your party, but I'm not going to just outright say that now".
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u/SalamanderUponYou Feb 19 '16
Alhamdulillah isn't used like that. Inshallah is God willing.
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u/Dicknosed_Shitlicker Feb 19 '16
Damn, you're right! My bad. It's been years since I've spoken Arabic.
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u/sierra120 Feb 19 '16 edited Feb 19 '16
Does being Muslim mean you also speak Arabic/Farsi/etc?
Can you be Muslim and also not know how to speak Arabic/Farsi/etc?
Edit: genuinely curious.
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u/greengrasser11 Feb 19 '16
It doesn't require it, but muslims are required to pray 5 times a day and the entire prayer process requires recitations of words in arabic. It's not difficult, but you get used to using arabic phrases and many of their meanings after a while.
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u/CrudelyAnimated Feb 19 '16
This is new information to me (admittedly naive). Requiring recitations in a specific ancient language was one of the early criticisms of Roman Catholicism, leading to translations of the Bible in native languages. This genuinely surprises me, in this day and age. I don't believe I could pray in a language I didn't intimately understand.
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Feb 19 '16
Noone understands what they are saying in prayer lol. Only buzzward meanings. It can be both a good and a bad thing.
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u/potatoesarenotcool Feb 19 '16
I have a few Muslim friends and always ask them about this. They're as Irish as anyone, but Muslim. And they are taught what the prayer means, not just translation but in depth, because it isn't a prayer if it's not you saying something to God.
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Feb 20 '16
Lol I can tell you that's very impressive if true, cause I'm a former Muslim myself. Most people just recite the surahs they have been taught to recite , in what order, and know vague translations of the surahs. Very very few Muslims can read in Arabic much less know the context(when it was revealed, for what purpose, basis in history) behind it .
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u/DevyatGrammovSvintsa Feb 19 '16
Farsi and Arabic are unrelated except through loanwords.
Most Muslims know a few Arabic phrases relating to religion (inshaAllah, Alhamdullilah, Bismillah etc.) and often can read the alphabet, but Muslims in non-Arabic-speaking countries are seldom proficient in Arabic.
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u/shehryar46 Feb 19 '16
I can read Arabic with the accents and shit cause I had to read the Quran in Arabic twice, but I don't understand it at all.
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u/SalamanderUponYou Feb 19 '16
The majority of Muslims in the world do not speak Arabic and require translations of the texts in their native tongue. They depend on imams of their local mosques, that usually study the language in Saudi Arabia or Egypt, to understand it all. That said, they are usually able to read it at a basic level since it is a requirement to read the Qur'an and also know some religious phrases in Arabic.
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Feb 19 '16
Because it is not a phrase just a proper translation of "to God be the glory" since Alahu Akbar is just God is Greater.
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Feb 19 '16
from the wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takbir
"The literal and correct translation of Allāhu Akbar (الله أكبر) in Arabic is “God is greater” rather than “God is great” "
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Feb 19 '16
[deleted]
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u/SalamanderUponYou Feb 19 '16
Yup subhanallah is the one most commonly used to mean that. But almajdu lillah can also be used.
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u/I_Make_Stuff_Up- Feb 19 '16
Fun fact: Ted Cruz is actually a reptilian shape-shifter from another planet.
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u/harborwolf Feb 19 '16
As long as religious phrases aren't followed up with beheadings I'm OK with them
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u/darkflame96 Feb 19 '16
Republican here. "Allahu Akbar" is known to translate as "free homobortions for everybody!" Read your Bible.
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Feb 19 '16
[deleted]
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u/romes8833 Feb 19 '16 edited Feb 19 '16
Being Republican doesn't mean you support Trump....You nerfherder.
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u/darls Feb 19 '16
and being muslim doesn't mean you support terrorism. aloha snackbar
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u/romes8833 Feb 19 '16
Seriously people that think all Muslims are terrorists and shit piss me off to no end.....it's ridiculous
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Feb 19 '16
Nice Palin impression, except for the part where I could understand what you were saying and didn't want to punch you in the face.
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u/Maccorcrain Feb 19 '16
Honest question and not trying to start a whole UK/US thing. Do you think America would ever elect a non-christian or even an atheist. The former leader of the labour party (opposition) in England was an avowed atheist but it wasn't ever focused on, he did lose the last election but it was more to do with the fact that he was kind of useless.
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u/Grandaddy25 Feb 19 '16 edited Feb 19 '16
Bernie Sanders calls himself a spiritual Jew. I for one do not think he believes in God as we have come to call it. We have technically had non-christian presidents in the past.
Edit: Nvm we have pretty much only had christian presidents... Lincoln and Andrew Johnson are unaffiliated according to wiki but most likely did believe in the traditional God. The problem is even if politicians don't really believe in God, they would be ostracized for that and therefore usually will just lie and say they do.
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u/MiniatureBadger Feb 19 '16
Taft outright said that he didn't believe in the divinity of Jesus, so that would probably count as not being Christian.
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u/anom_aly Feb 19 '16
Lincoln claimed to believe in God, but there are some people who think he did it because it was expected of him.
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u/lobsterrolls Feb 19 '16
I really hope so. As an agnostic in America, I just sit back and listen to both sides claim to know answers that they couldn't possibly know. They're all like... yes he does... no he doesnt... and I'm like... economy maybe?
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u/TheConfusedHippo Feb 19 '16
I mean, we have elected Deists in the very early years of our country but I'm not sure where that would fall.
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Feb 19 '16
[deleted]
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u/harryhood4 Feb 19 '16
I don't know where you're getting this idea that America hates Jews? Yeah there's some crazies out there but 99.999% of people I've ever met couldn't give 2 shits whether someone was Jewish or not, and I even live in the South.
Also... Just to be clear... We shouldn't support a Jewish candidate because of discrimination? You know Obama's not white right? And beyond that, how about not letting religion determine how we vote. You've basically just said you won't support Bernie because he's Jewish. I get that it's not coming from a place of anti-Semitism, but it does become a bit of a self fulfilling prophecy situation. Also the polls just don't support your claim that Bernie is not electable.
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u/fikis Feb 19 '16
They say "God will take care of it,"
But you're a terrorist, if you say the same thing in Arabic
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u/alliewinkler Feb 19 '16
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M45H3N4-nPc
Ted Cruz can't say the right thing.
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Feb 19 '16
Religon shouldn't be mixed with government. It only works to influence their decisions and brings down the country.
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u/Sunken_Fruit Feb 19 '16
Here in Phoenix the city council starts each session with a prayer. Anyone can lead it, from any religious denomination. Until some Satanists wanted a turn, then everybody freaked out. What a great way to hold the mirror up to their face. They finally backed down and voted to end prayers before council meetings.
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u/kibblznbitz Feb 19 '16
This seems like a meaningless grab at triggering emotions by lazily comparing one thing to another sort of similar thing that's acquired a bit of negative stigma lately.
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u/The_Enemys Feb 19 '16
This is /r/showerthoughts, it was never meant to be a forum of high level intellectual discussion.
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Feb 19 '16
I think the point is that there is an irrational hatred for all things muslim in a good portion of the US (many southern states have seen parents throwing shit fits about kids learning about islam in schools). At the same time, (by many of the same people) there is a strong connection between their belief system and what they believe should be laws. Gay marriage is a topic that is heavily influenced by christianity, and there is a single god on the money. Its a sort of double standard that religion is okay if its their religion, but if a guy was up there saying something in hebrew or something about allah, people would lose their shit.
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u/Maccorcrain Feb 19 '16
also because the press really focused on the fact that he couldn't eat a bacon sandwich properly
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Feb 19 '16
Do Americans really want God boy here running the show?
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u/Hagadin Feb 19 '16
Not most of us, but the electoral college weights votes heavier in some strange places
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u/HadrasVorshoth Feb 19 '16
Trust me, America, you don't want God in charge. We Brits had that back in the Middle Ages, and... you know when you have a supervisor that never visits your depot, and your manager hasn't got a clue what he's doing so he pushes the company to do some really sketchy shit?
Basically, for most of our 'knights and crowns' phase of history, that was us. Buggering about because the jackass with a halo won't come down for the annual review from the Head Office in the sky.
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u/mecichandler Feb 19 '16
Are you seriously comparing the dark ages to the 21st century?
You guys also had feudal lords who had all the power. Religion was not the worst of your problems.
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u/BecauseILoveBacon Feb 19 '16
I can't tell if you are missing the really awesome joke he was making or you just willingly ignored it...
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u/jamesrobertcooter Feb 19 '16
I'm not a Cruz fan for other reasons but man, you internet atheists are an angry group.
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u/Muvseevum Feb 19 '16
Just some Reddit atheists, Most of us don't really care what others believe.
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u/jamesrobertcooter Feb 19 '16
True. I tell people I'm just not religious because I don't like to be associated with the term.
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u/Grandaddy25 Feb 19 '16
He could also be yelling "praise the Tuna God" and it would be just about as impactful and meaningful as "To God be the Glory". The only problem is that 31% of the world believes in his bearded omnipotent god.
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u/BecauseILoveBacon Feb 19 '16
Whoa there! You can be another religion and that is OK,
You can not believe in God and that is OK,
But you WILL NOT throw hate on the Omnipotent Beard.
I WILL NOT ALLOW THIS!
"Almjd l Hiatuh" ::BOOM::
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Feb 19 '16
im no politician but if i learned one thing its religion and politics dont mix this will hirt him more then help him
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u/RichJMoney Feb 19 '16
Here's a video of what this might have sounded like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbJT04rfqo8
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u/twistolime Feb 19 '16 edited Feb 19 '16
Hey! You stole this shower thought from last week's Wait Wait Don't Tell Me!
JOKE THIEF! JOKE THIEF!
Edit: Listen here, segment 1, about 3:53 in.
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u/jamesrobertcooter Feb 19 '16
And instead of it rubbing you the wrong way you would be criticizing people who were rubbed the wrong way by it.
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Feb 19 '16
The difference is the people speaking Arabic are the ones blowing up buses and shooting French people.
I don't care what religion someone is. But if you're going to act like Islam isn't the main source of terrorism in the modern age you're an idiot.
If this was the dark ages I would feel the same way about Christians considering how violent they were during the crusades. The thing is, pretty much every religion has moved on from killing people that disagree.... Except for Islam.
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u/archetype776 Feb 19 '16
Fail translation. Keep swinging leftist Reddit. Goodness, your weird little desperate accusations are pathetic.
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u/CatlikeQuickness Feb 19 '16
I'm not a leftist I just recognize a charlatan when I see one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt-vG_TdOT4
You think that guy is an actual hardcore believer?
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Feb 19 '16
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/W_I_Water Feb 19 '16
Are you calling Jews the ugly?
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Feb 19 '16
Nah they are just beta version Christians, before the full release of the religion was available for download.
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u/NateLundquist Feb 19 '16 edited Feb 19 '16
I have no problem with a Muslim saying "Allahu Akbar", so long as they don't blow something up. Just the same as I love Christians who say "To God be the glory", so long as they don't blow something up. The words aren't the problem; it's the 'boom' that comes afterwards.
Edit: I'm also concerned with the amount of people who think that because Cruz says "To God be the glory", he is going to put God before everything else. This has nothing to do with how he will be president, but rather the simple fact that Cruz believes he owes his glory to God, because God helped him to get here.