This week’s look at the funny, the scary and just plain weird passages in humanity’s holy texts comes from listener Paul from Brisbane, Australia. We return the Holy Qu’ran of Islam, which reiterates its horrific depiction of human rights and family values.
Qur’an 23:1-6 (Yusuf Ali translation – 1938):
The Believers must (eventually) win through—those who
humble themselves in their prayers; who avoid vain talk; who are active in
deeds of charity; who abstain from sex; except with those joined to them in
the marriage bond, or (the captives) whom their right hands possess—for
(in their case) they are free from blame.
Yep. You read that correctly. Sex out of wedlock is bad…unless it’s with someone you’ve taken by force as property. And this is from a translation made in the 20th Century. Another instance of a book heralded as a beacon of wisdom and morality getting the issue of rape and slavery just plain wrong.
If you have a passage of holy scripture that you find funny, scary or just plain weird, send it our way. Whether it’s from the Bible, the Qur’an, the Bhagavad Gita, the Book of Mormon, or even Dianetics, click on the big, red, shiny button at the top of the page and we may even read it on the show!
