Archive for January 2011
A New Definition of Apostasy and Heretics: Sociological Analysis
January 11, 2011 | 
Author Hasan A. Yahya, Ph.Ds
Linguistically, apostasy means: a defection or revolt, from former religion. It is a term generally employed to describe the formal abandonment or renunciation of one’s religion, especially if the motive is deemed unworthy. In a technical sense, as used sometimes by sociologists without the pejorative connotations of the word, the term refers to renunciation and criticism of, or opposition to one’s former religion. One who commits apostasy is an apostate, or one who apostatizes. Apostasy is generally not a self-definition: very few former believers call themselves apostates and they generally consider this term to be a pejorative. One of the possible reasons for this renunciation is loss of faith, another is the failure of alleged religious indoctrination or brainwashing.
The difference between apostasy and heresy is that the latter refers to rejection or corruption of certain doctrines, not to the complete abandonment of one’s religion. Heretics claim to still be following a religion (or to be the “true followers”), whereas apostates reject it. Arab countries I believe, are mostly and conveniently be described as heretics. While they do not reject Islam as a religion, but their daily practices negate principles of Islam. Many religious movements consider it a vice or sin, a corruption of the virtue of piety in the sense that when piety fails, apostasy is the result.
Posted in Sociology | 
Tags: Analysis, Apostasy, Definition, formal abandonment, Heretics, pejorative connotations, religious indoctrination, Sociological | 
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The Psychology of a Confident Child
Raising a confident child is key to ensuring a successful transition into adulthood. Enhancing a child’s self confidence is undoubtedly tantamount to creating healthy, stable adults. The experiences and lessons of childhood stay with us into adulthood. A confident child who is valued will feel valued throughout life. A child who feels bad and incompetent will continue to live with those feelings as an adult.
To boost a child’s confidence, it is important that they receive constant positive feedback. A few simple words such as, “That’s a lovely drawing” go far in raising self esteem. A child hearing positive reinforcement will keep trying harder. A confident child who doesn’t receive positive feedback will soon wonder if it can do anything right and if any effort is really worth it.
Children thrive on encouragement. The world is filled with so many things that to a child seem impossible to accomplish or understand. Encouraging a youngster leads to the realization that he or she can do things and solve problems. Such a realization is a tremendous confidence-enhancer.
Confident children are permitted to stretch their limits. If a parent rigidly chooses what a child wears every day, the child will reach the conclusion that it is incapable of making such a decision. A child that is allowed to make some of its own choices learns that it can be in control of its life. With a growing sense of control the child learns to rely on itself rather than an adult world.
Posted in Psychology | Tags: child, Confident, confident child, confident children, positive reinforcement, Psychology | No Comments »
The Philosophy Exam Vs Kabbalah
There was a story, an urban legend, of a philosophy professor who wrote only one question on his final exam. The question was “Why?” His students thought carefully before putting pen to paper. Many then began writing long expositions. However, the professor deemed each student’s answer wrong except one – “Why not?”
You can imagine how angered the students were. Some thought that this was unethical, even downright cruel. Some even left philosophy thinking that the professor did not have any true perception of life’s purpose whatsoever, thinking that all life happened accidentally.
Can philosophy accurately answer the question, “What is the purpose of my life?” Everyone can write a different answer, since philosophy deals with what each person sees within his or her own mind. When a hundred students try to answer this question, there will be a hundred different answers; and even when a philosophy professor finds wisdom in only one paper – especially in the response “Why not?” – This does not provide any true help for any of us and we do not get any closer to finding the true answer.
To find this answer, what we need is a scientific method, and the wisdom of Kabbalah provides just such a method. From the first Kabbalist – who was able to penetrate through matter and discover the hidden laws of Nature governing the universe – this wisdom has been transferred from teacher to student for millennia, from one generation to the next. Each teacher had personally researched and understood the governing laws of Nature, and thus discovered that there was indeed a purpose. These teachers, who undertook to examine this question in complete detail, are called Kabbalists.
Posted in Philosophy | Tags: answer, Exam, Kabbalah, perception of life, Philosophy, philosophy deals, question, true perception | No Comments »