Post by Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe on Nov 15, 2005 17:56:32 GMT -6
Here's a rather odd piece from the Muslim perspective:
Did the moon break? Why is Eid such a mystery?
This Eid, we were forced to check websites and scramble on phones, giving Ma Bell our hard earned money to figure out what the collective "wisdom" had seen. One can't help but think of the children's fable The Emperor's New Clothes as we feel obligated to see what others claim to see.
I am reminded of the church in 16th century Europe. The church was in disarray as to how the calendar would work. They couldn't figure out Christmas, Easter and other important dates. A Polish scientist named Nicolas Copernicus proposed heresy in suggesting the Sun was the center of the galaxy rather than the earth. While this was a blasphemous thing to say (and later folks were excommunicated and burned to death for espousing it), it did make the calendar work. Now, no one actually believed the earth was the center of the universe – doing so would be wrong. But by pretending this was the case, the calendar worked! And just who were the folks making these pronouncements? Well-meaning, very schooled, religious folks who had reached high positions within the church.
Think about it: a group fond of burning witches and disemboweling folks in the name of God were clear-headed enough to recognize science might have something useful for them.
So what do we have today?
Well meaning, very schooled, religious folks who have reached high positions within the Ummah have concocted a mish-mash of pseudo-authorities conversing on the finer points of how a new moon should be seen/not seen/has been/has not been seen. Caught in this melee is our Ummah. Now, for reasons of stubborn reasoning, it seems some will demand the word of Saudi reigns supreme. Others say that a group in Chicago knows best. I'll give them the upper hand on pizza – but astronomy? Others still will counter that a preponderance of evidence must be weighed, debated in a committee and voted upon. Yeah, votes.
The rest here: www.altmuslim.com/perm.php?id=1592_0_25_0_C
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Hmmmm...
An open letter to "amateur astronomers" in the Muslim World
Did the moon break? Why is Eid such a mystery?
This Eid, we were forced to check websites and scramble on phones, giving Ma Bell our hard earned money to figure out what the collective "wisdom" had seen. One can't help but think of the children's fable The Emperor's New Clothes as we feel obligated to see what others claim to see.
I am reminded of the church in 16th century Europe. The church was in disarray as to how the calendar would work. They couldn't figure out Christmas, Easter and other important dates. A Polish scientist named Nicolas Copernicus proposed heresy in suggesting the Sun was the center of the galaxy rather than the earth. While this was a blasphemous thing to say (and later folks were excommunicated and burned to death for espousing it), it did make the calendar work. Now, no one actually believed the earth was the center of the universe – doing so would be wrong. But by pretending this was the case, the calendar worked! And just who were the folks making these pronouncements? Well-meaning, very schooled, religious folks who had reached high positions within the church.
Think about it: a group fond of burning witches and disemboweling folks in the name of God were clear-headed enough to recognize science might have something useful for them.
So what do we have today?
Well meaning, very schooled, religious folks who have reached high positions within the Ummah have concocted a mish-mash of pseudo-authorities conversing on the finer points of how a new moon should be seen/not seen/has been/has not been seen. Caught in this melee is our Ummah. Now, for reasons of stubborn reasoning, it seems some will demand the word of Saudi reigns supreme. Others say that a group in Chicago knows best. I'll give them the upper hand on pizza – but astronomy? Others still will counter that a preponderance of evidence must be weighed, debated in a committee and voted upon. Yeah, votes.
The rest here: www.altmuslim.com/perm.php?id=1592_0_25_0_C
==========
Hmmmm...
