I think the apples are still apples, some have just been left in the sun too long.
This directly from the link maximusveritas posted:
Quote:
Wahhabism, Saudi Arabia's dominant doctrine which promotes a strict narrow interpretation of Islam, was largely to blame, he said.
"They (Wahhabis) have not allowed preservation of old buildings, especially those related to the prophet. They fear other Muslims will come to see these buildings as blessed and this could lead to polytheism and idolatry."
|
Strictly speaking, the Christian church, from the outside can look rather polytheistic, and idolatrous. Take the Trinity for a start, then think about Mary and the apostles, all the Saints, Angels and Demons that exist in the history and folk-lore. Think about the statues of Mary, or St. Paul that people kneel in front of and pray to. Think about the fact that a <i>Grilled Cheese Sandwich</i> sold on eBay for over $25,000 because it appeared to have an image of Mary on the front. To an outsider, all this idolatry, and prayer, and vested significance in a host of different Gods, Icons, Saints and Anti-Saints might appear highly contradictory for a religion that professes to be monotheistic.
But we accept all of those things, as crazy as they might appear to outsiders, because it's a part of our culture.
I think it's reasonable to assume that other religions might see things differently to ourselves - especially when you consider how strange our customs must seem when seen from the outside.