- How does presenting the definition and the use of the word "fatwa" impact your thinking about Murphy's examples? What imagery is it mean to evoke?
- What areas of life are being focused on, according to Murphy, by people who want to legislate morality?
- What is the "creeping moralism" that Murphy refers to in paragraph 5? What is his opinion of it? How do you know?
- Select a portion of text with details that strike you as intriguing and analyze why it is effective and what impact it has on you as the reader.
- Respond to the content of one other classmate's post-- what can you add or contribute to their analysis?
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Fatwa City
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2. What areas of life are being focused on, according to Murphy, by people who want to legislate morality?
ReplyDeleteThe areas that are being foucsed on are, freedom to express ones self. I don’t think that they should be able to pass a legisation on how people dress.
3. What is the "creeping moralism" that Murphy refers to in paragraph 5? What is his opinion of it? How do you know?
ReplyDeleteHe is refering to the application of a religious gloss to activities or phenomena where previously there had been none. He feels that it is ok. He asked a qution at the end og the paragraph “if killed during a conflict with the Axis of evil, should he be denied a Satanic service".
1. Fatwa is a very loaded word, which brings up images of oppressive terrorist regimes and startling Muslim extremism. Because fatwa’s have also been issued to execute those who slam Islam, Salman Rushdie for example, it’s an almost evil word. If a senate ruling is referred to as a fatwa, it puts the law into perspective- making us question the impact the measure has on our freedom.
ReplyDelete2. According to Murphy, those wishing to legislate morality are doing so by attacking the “nanobehavoir of everyday life.” This includes how pants are worn, who gets to drive, how people drive (listening to loud music or slouching too far back in their seat), where people can smoke, and what they can say, among others.
ReplyDelete3. According to Murphy, creeping moralism is “the application of religious gloss to activities or phenomena where previously there were none.” It is clear through his sardonic and mocking tone that Murphy finds this to be ridiculous.
ReplyDelete4. Murphy’s description of a Satanist sailor in the Royal Navy is a particularly interesting passage. Murphy juxtaposes the integrity, honor, and goodness associated with the navy with the mysterious and dark practice of Satanism. It is almost humorous to imagine a navy officer performing Satanist rituals aboard a navy ship, let alone a Church of Satan funeral if he were to die in the line of duty.
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ReplyDelete1. I believe by including the definition and the use of the word “Fatwa” in the title and throughout article reveals some hidden sarcasm about how Murphy interprets the laws that are passed by legislators. By using this word it shows me just as the Islamic extremists passed laws to prohibit certain things we’re in our own way becoming the extremist in our own country by making laws to limit the way people dress or how loudly we blast our music. The title itself also suggests the type of society we’re changing into.
ReplyDelete1. Having the definition and use of the word “fatwa” presented to me before the reading helped me have a different perspective and a different impact on Murphy’s examples. The definition of “fatwa” has to do with a religious ruling by an authority. Instead of just understanding these examples as rules or regulations that would affect certain things or people, it also put a religious view on the examples the Murphy has given in his essay and seems to restrict certain freedoms that we think we have.
ReplyDelete4.Select a portion of text with visual details that strikes you as intriguing and analyze why it is effective and what impact it has on you as the reader.
ReplyDeleteThe text that I selected was from the first paragraph: “Underwear is called underwear for a reason-because it is normally worn under you cloths”. That example was offered to fellow legislators earlier this year by a member of Virginia’s House of Delegates. It came over a floor debate that Algie T. Howell a Democrat from Norflok that would levy a $50 fine for wearing of pants that drooped.
I don’t think that it is right that he wants to levy people $50 dollars for wearing pants that sag. I think it is wrong and unethical. If he was to do that then everybody that dresses in an inappropriate matter should be fined as well.
2. The areas of life that are being focused on by people who want the legislate morality vary. Some areas include the way we dress, entertainment, ability to drive, the words that we can use on television and to eachother and even how loud the radio is in one’s car.
ReplyDelete1. How does presenting the definition and the use of the word "fatwa" impact your thinking about Murphy's examples? What imagery is it mean to evoke?
ReplyDeleteThe use of the word fatwa in the text exemplifies the similarities between extremists that we have in this country and the extremists overseas. I imagine our law makers reading a bible, making up laws according to the teachings of their Holy Book. Very similar to the Islamic extremists killing people for defaming Islam.
Question1. To me the word Fatwa means giving up your rights to think for yourself by allowing other to tell you what to do and doing those things.
ReplyDelete3. When Murphy uses the term “creeping moralism” he is referring to something that once had no religious affect or background to it, and suddenly there is a religious tie, some way or another. We know this because he states, "creeping moralism is the application of a religious gloss to activities or phenomena where previously there had been none."
ReplyDelete2. What areas of life are being focused on, according to Murphy, by people who want to legislate morality?
ReplyDeleteEvery aspect of life could be legislated if we start legislating what some people consider to be moral or immoral. From how people wear their pants to being able to show public displays of affection in from of a church. Anything that could offend a person or group could be legislated in the name of “morals” I am usually irritated by the “slippery slope” argument when that card is played by conservatives, however I think this is a great example of how it could be detrimental to our society.
4. In paragraph 1 Murphy writes, “…a democrat from Norfolk, that would levy a $50 fine for the wearing of pants that droop, hip-hop style, allowing underwear to show.” This portion of the text strikes me as intriguing mainly because a person would be fined an amount of money mainly because of the way they wear their pants. Even though we have all of these “rights” that are granted to us as citizens, but the way we dress can end up in us paying a ticket fine.
ReplyDelete2.The areas of life that are being focused on differ all around. Some areas like how we entertain ourselves, what we can and cannot say on the radio and television, etc. it also includes the lifestyle of a person. Say for instance, a person likes loud music and keeps their pants low. That’s their lifestyle and the people trying to legislate against those actions don’t really have any power over a person’s lifestyle no matter how harsh the laws.
ReplyDelete1. How does presenting the definition and the use of the word "fatwa" impact your thinking about Murphy's examples? What imagery is it mean to evoke?
ReplyDeleteAccording to the author definition “fatwa” is a religious ruling that practice by extremist. He brought up the image of every action is justify by “fatwa” causes, when he give the example o Osama bin Ladin received a fatwa to launch his attack on the U.S., or “The mayor’s office issued a fatwa to purge the streets of homeless people. With those example reader can visual image of tyranny over the people.
2. What areas of life are being focused on, according to Murphy, by people who want to legislate morality? The areas of life that is being focused on is the freedom of the people. The freedom is being taken away if they do something bad. Everybody is not perfect so let them live their own lives
ReplyDeleteQuestion2. The areas of life thats being focus on is showimg and having respect for others thats around.Also being aware of whats damageing your body either by food intake or other chemicals.lauguage is a target.
ReplyDelete2. What areas of life are being focused on, according to Murphy, by people who want to legislate morality?
ReplyDeleteThe area of life are being focused on are the self interest of morality. The because of that it lead to restriction of other people freedom. People are forcing their ideals of what right and what wrong upon others.
1.Besides the actual definition of fatwa, after reading this entry to me it basically mean “because I said so.” Murphy’s examples of these laws trying to be passed or have been passed before go against the people’s right or freedom.
ReplyDelete2. According to Murphy, he feels that legislators are taking too much interest of citizens’ private lives such as, the way they dress, or the forbidding of soliciting sex toys, or even slouching in the seats of our own vehicle. These are expels of how legislators are prying in too deeply into to how we as Americans conduct our personal lives. We have a right to our own morality and that shouldn’t be limited by anyone.
ReplyDelete3. the creeping moralism that Murphy is referring to in paragraph 5 is that things that didn't have any religious ties to it all of a sudden are controversial because people want to associate it with religion in one way or another even though it's not necessary.
ReplyDelete1. How does presenting the definition and the use of the word "fatwa" impact your thinking about Murphy's examples? What imagery is it mean to evoke? The word fatwa means doing what I said or else…. Many people have a problem with this word because not everyone follows rules. Rules are meant to be broken and the people that break it have consequences to deal with. The imagery I get from this is that you do wrong I cut your fingers off. This all is taking away a person will to live.
ReplyDelete3. Murphy says that “creeping moralism is the application of religious gloss to activities or phenomena where previously there had been none. I think that he think its ridicules. I think this because of the comment he made about the seaman in the Royal Navy that was a devil worshiper. And how he was to have Satanic service if he was to fall in battle. Murphy says “which brings up an intriguing theological point: if killed during a conflict with the Axis of Evil, should he be denied a Satanic service?” Is that doesn’t say he thinks it’s a jock I don’t know what will.
ReplyDelete2.The areas of life that these legislators are focused on do not matter and do not make a positive impact on society. If you tell the people they cannot do these harmless things they are going to find way to do so and even more than before the law was passed.
ReplyDelete5. In regards to Ama Dia's number 1 response, I tend to agree with it. I never actually thought about that as a possible meaning to the word fatwa. After reading the response, it seems to fit in well with the essay. I also like the imagery that they got from reading the essay and understanding the definition of "fatwa" and the way that they described it.
ReplyDelete3. What is the "creeping moralism" that Murphy refers to in paragraph 5? What is his opinion of it? How do you know?
ReplyDeleteThe “creeping moralism” that Murphy refers to is the legislating morality that doesn’t required the actual legislation. It seem that he doesn’t take a stand on this issue he kind of go for agreeing with legislation, but he don’t want it to limit his rights too much. He mention this in his final paragraph
3. I think the “Creeping Moralism” is the legislators trying to make laws according to religious accordance or their own personal philosophy on how people should behave in public. The authors opinion is simply that lawmakers are trying to add a, “Religious Gloss” to the activities that go on nationwide
ReplyDelete4. “I take a libertotalitarian stance, believing that government should not legislate my morality but in certain areas could do a lot of other people’s.”
ReplyDeleteThis particular quote stuck out to me because of the significance of the word, ”libertotalitarian” this word tells me that he is in control of every aspect private or personal and no man has diction over what he does.
2 The areas of life being focused on, according to Murphy, by people who want to legislate morality, are people’s freedom and the ability expresses one’s self. They attack and try to control the way we dress, what we can say, what we buy, how much a person weighs, and who gets to drive. “Teenagers under eighteen to have a grade-point average of 2.0 or above in order to be issued a driver’s license.” 50 dollar fined for paints that droop. A monthly weight report card, and a fine for saying 911.
ReplyDelete1 I think that presenting the definition and the use of the word "fatwa" before hand helped with understanding Murphy’s examples. With the definition of the word in mind you can see what he’s trying to imply. I believe that this info is meant to show the similarities of people who misused fatwa and some of the legislators. That just like some Muslims that try to push their fatwa on others, so do some legislator try to push their beliefs on others too.
ReplyDelete5 In response to ebonyPrincess #(2) I have to agree. I too believe that they take too much entrust in to our lives. I especially agree that “We have a right to our own morality and that shouldn’t be limited by anyone.” Yes rules are needed, but not total control.
ReplyDelete