Does It Matter What We Call Him?

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I've taken up listening to NPR over the summer and this gem was reported on air today.

Evidently, the Girl Scouts are changing their pledge to allow those that prefer to do so to pledge to Allah rather than God.

So, I thought, that's cool. Diversity, acceptance of others beliefs, etc.

Then I came in to see if I could find an internet reference to this news item to read more and came across this older item:

Quote:

So, God and Allah are okay but Mother Earth isn't? Pledging to God or Allah is sacred, but Native American earth spirits are the work of the devil?

Is a God by any other name just as sweet?

What's in a name?

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ok ok,
this isnt the point of the thread, but I could NOT get past this statement :

Quote:

The Girl Scout pledge "to serve God"

"Girl Scouting is not Girl Scouting without that commitment," said Bonnie McEwan, a spokes-woman for the Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. "If a girl doesn't feel she can make that promise, she doesn't have to join."

How in THE HELL do girl scouts serve a 'god' ? Who cares what it is called?
Where in the world did the idea that girl scouts are god-servants come from in the first place?

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Here's a link to the NPR report I heard earlier:

http://news.minnesota.publicradio.org/features/2005/06/30_tonessb_girlscouts/

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shewolfnm wrote:

How in THE HELL do girl scouts serve a 'god' ? Who cares what it is called?
Where in the world did the idea that girl scouts are god-servants come from in the first place?

You think those cookies just bake themselves?

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Boy Scouts make the same pledge, but have changed it to "my God" so that no matter what faith everyone is included, not to mention that probably sounds a lot better when they are all reciting the pledge at the start of their meeting.

This just happens to be in Time this week, too.

Time: Duty, Honor and Allah

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Oh - I thought "god" was a generic term?

I wouldathunk Muslims could only really moan if the god was named as Yahweh, or Jehovah, or some damn thing.

I, of course, would object strongly to god at all - and, if gods were mandatory, would have argued for goddess, instead - to correct a couple of thousand years of bloody patriarchal oppression.

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I kinda considered it generic, too.

We certainly don't need anyone moaning over the cookies as they prepare them for Setanta!

They have Scouts in Europe that take the same pledge. are there none downunder?

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Quick sidebar about the "god" thing, remember reading something from a Muslim scholar (Islamic scholar?) how annoying it is that the typical journalistic thing to do is to translate a bunch of Arabic into English but leave "Allah" -- "Allah" just means "God." It's false and distancing.

Yes, the Muslim god is different from the Christian god, but so is the Jewish god and a whole bunch of other religions that all refer to their own god with the word "God."

(That's quick and off the top of my head, might not be right.)

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Theres a new roller derby team with girl scout uniforms and, I further understand that its members are all hotties.

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Well, they are all the SAME god, as it happens - honoured by jews, christians and islam alike - all "people of the book" as muslims call them.Share lots of the old testament and all.

Same prophets. Same abraham and all that.

Jesus is a prophet for jews and muslims alike.

Just fall out over the rest.

I don't know if Oz scouts and so on still swear to god.

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Setanta wrote:

You think those cookies just bake themselves?

so whaaa?
The wrath of GOD is 350 degrees for 45 minutes?

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dlowan wrote:

Well, they are all the SAME god, as it happens - honoured by jews, christians and islam alike - all "people of the book" as muslims call them.Share lots of the old testament and all.

Same prophets. Same abraham and all that.

Jesus is a prophet for jews and muslims alike.

Just fall out over the rest.

I don't know if Oz scouts and so on still swear to god.

The following is the OZ Scoat oath/oaths. They have a choice of 2.

Australian Scout Promise

There are two versions of the Scout Promise. Individuals taking the Promise may choose from either of the following:
On my honour
I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to my God and
To the Queen of Australia,
To help other people, and
To live by the Scout Law

On my honour
I promise that I will do my best
To do my duty to my God, and
To Australia
To help other people, and
To the live by the Scout Law

Australian Scout Law
A Scout is trustworthy
A Scout is loyal
A Scout is helpful
A Scout is friendly
A Scout is cheerful
A Scout is considerate
A Scout is thrifty
A Scout is courageous
A Scout is respectful
A Scout cares for the environment

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Heehee - so the queen's gone......it's only a matter of time for god.......

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dlowan wrote:

Heehee - so the queen's gone......it's only a matter of time for god.......

I hope you have lots of time Smile

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shewolfnm wrote:

so whaaa?
The wrath of GOD is 350 degrees for 45 minutes?

Now that's just plain silly . . .

. . . different cookies have different times and temperatures . . .

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shewolfnm wrote:

so whaaa?
The wrath of GOD is 350 degrees for 45 minutes?

Eternity on the hips, though - eternity on the hips....

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dlowan wrote:

Jesus is a prophet for jews and muslims alike.

I don't know about that. I am unfamiliar with the intricacies of Islam, but Jesus was never a prophet for the Jewish people. He was a radical Jew whose followers began a splinter group after his death, which has caused a lot of misery for Jews over history.

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I thought they acknowledged him as a prophet - just not the Messiah?

I have read that in Jewish books - and some Jewish friends say that.

Mebbe they are just being polite?

His followers sure have caused a passel of trouble for them over the years....

Edit: Come to think of it, I have also read some very anti-Jesus stuff in jewish books - as you would expect!

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Quote:

Judaism

Judaism sees Jesus as a false messiah, and also rejects the Muslim belief that Jesus was a prophet. Religious Jews are still awaiting the coming of the Messiah (a notable exception concerns many members of the Chabad Lubavitch sect, who view their last rebbe as being the Messiah). As for the historical personality of Jesus, Judaism has fewer objections to quotes attributed to him than they do with subsequent confessions by early Christian adherents, Paul in particular. Some Jewish scholars believe that Jesus is mentioned as Yeshu in the Jewish Talmud, although other scholars dispute this. Joseph Klausner, a prominent Israeli scholar, was vigorous in asserting the Judaism of Jesus.

Jewish movements (both religious and secular) view Messianic Judaism as a Christian and not a Jewish movement.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus

Although I certainly would not classify Wikipedia, where this quote was taken, as the ultimate in scholarly thought, it is consonant with what I have always understood as the Jewish perspective on Jesus.

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Ah - interesting!

Still, they all share the same damned god!

He just changes from time to time and calls himself different names.

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Does It Matter What We Call Him?

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