Profile

Who: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ
09 April 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
An Informed Atheist Re-Addresses Christianity
10 March 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
A Progressive Reform Program for America
10 March 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Supply Side and Libertarians Are Wrong and Not Supported by the Data
10 March 2018 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
How Income Inequality Injures People and the Economy
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
A Democratic Reform Program for America
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Supply Side Libertarians Are Wrong and Not Supported by the Data
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Economic Ignorance
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part VI)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part V)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part IV)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part III)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part II)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Rise of Corporate Dominance and the Rise of Income Inequality (Part I)
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Racial Hatred Is Confused
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
What To Do About North Korea
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
On Neoliberalism
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Ban Hate Marches and Assemblies
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
On Miss Piggy and Mr. Pork
22 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
The Demise of the Democratic Party
09 August 2017 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
On Elitism

On Reading the Koran (Again)

10 March 2015 | Pago Pago, American Samoa
Kimball Corson
It is truly hard to charitably read the Koran. Too much odious and offensive text and too much shabby history has to be edited out or ignored for a kindly, peaceful interpretation of Islam. As bad, the Koran's text could not pass muster in a decent freshman composition course. In almost every material regard, it is highly repetitive and its sentence and paragraph structure, even in the better translations, is awkward at best.

The Satanic verses notion centers around these facts as determined by historiography. In the early days, when his followers were very few and persecuted, and Mohammad was struggling, he paid overt alligence to and arguably worshiped the three pagan and feminine deities of the day, the Godesses of Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat whom he agreed were alongside Allah: The Arabian goddesses are mentioned in Sura an-Najm (Star) 53:19-22:

Now tell me about Al-Lat, Al-Uzza, and Manat,
The third one, another goddess.
What! For you [the Godesses] the males and for him [Allah] the females!
That indeed is an unfair division.

The statement that Allah was involved with female goddesses was in clear violation of the Old Testament declaration and mandate that there is one God, only one God and one shall worship no other Gods. Violation of this mandate, under Old Testament law, was punishable by death.

When the inhabitants of Mecca heard Muhammad's confess the importance of the ancient goddesses inside the Ka'aba, they immediately revoked their ban on him. Some followers who believed in the Goddesses had immigrated to Abyssinia (Ethiopia) before Mohammad confessed his alligence to them. They started to return home after hearing of Muhammad's confession and his acceptance in Mecca. However, later they were shocked to hear that Muhammad had retracted his confession and admitted that he had fallen prey to the whispering of Satan. In Sura Hajj (Pilgrimage) 22:52-53, Muhammad confesses his mistake, alleging that all prophets were tempted by Satan who inspires them with demonic verses, as if they were actually revealed by God.

The Koran -- which is generally claimed to be divinely inspired by God -- itself thereby admits to Satanic verses. Exactly which they are beyond the initial quote is unclear, but the idea of contamination once raised and confirmed cannot be set aside. It holds sway. Early Koranic scholars agree on this history and problem. As his following grew, Mohammad later reverted to the only one God theory and implicitly abandoned belief in the three early feminine deities. Salmon Rushdie by no means invented or discovered the satanic verses in his novel of that name.

Then of course there was Mohammad's pedophilia, which is only pedophilia by present day standards. The practice of having young wives was common among many clans and tribes during the era. His last wife was six or seven when betrothed to Muhammad and nine or ten when the marriage was consummated.

More importantly, more than one historian and scholar has concluded Mohammad was mercilessness towards the Jews and claims he had no aversion to politically expedient assassinations, was disposed to breaking promises when he found it advantageous, engaged in retaliation towards those who mocked him and was cruel and ruthless in dealing with his enemies generally.

As a prophet, in these regards, Jesus has not been understood to be so problematic.
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Vessel Name: Altaira
Vessel Make/Model: A Fair Weather Mariner 39 is a fast (PHRF 132), heavily ballasted (43%), high-aspect (6:1), stiff, comfortable, offshore performance cruiser by Bob Perry that goes to wind well (30 deg w/ good headway) and is also good up and down the Beaufort scale.
Hailing Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ
Crew: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
About:
Kimball Corson: I am a 75 year old solo sailor, by choice. However, I did take on a personable, but high maintenance female kitten, now a full grown cat, named KiKiPoo when she is sweet, or KatKatPo after she has just killed something like a bird or bat. [...]
Extra:
Although I was a lawyer and practiced law with good success for thirty years, creating significant new law, I never really believed in the law, the politics of law or in the over reaching self-interest of most lawyers I met. Too much exposure to Nietzsche and other good and seriously thoughtful [...]
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Profile

Who: Kimball Corson. Text and Photos not disclaimed or that are obviously not mine are copyright (c) Kimball Corson 2004-2016
Port: Lake Pleasant, AZ