Of the Qran and its stylistic resources: deconstructing the persuasiveness Draft

Raw_Power

(It's my first time posting an article, so please go easy on me.)

I wonder if anyone ever fully analysed the Qran and all the resources it uses to tug at the feelings of the reader? It is a remarkably persuasive (if not at all convincing) book, even if I say so myself as an ex Muslim. I've started recognizing some patterns since I started reading this site, but I'd like to know if there is a full-blown, complete, exhaustive deconstruction of that book, that is not dripped in islamophobia, ethnocentrism, and other common failures I have seen in Western theologians when applied to Islam. Not a book about "How the Qran is evil" or "How the Qran is Wrong" or "How IT'S A FAAAKE" but "How, precisely, it manipulates you". Can anyone here point me towards such a work?

And where is the markup help in this blog? I can't seem to find it and it frustrates the hell out of me when I'm commenting usual posts.

(It's my first time posting an article, so please go easy on me.)

And where is the markup help in this blog? I can't seem to find it and it frustrates the hell out of me when I'm commenting usual posts.

LW isn't really the place to discuss the relative merits of different religions, so I don't want to prolong this.

I wasn't aware that that was the way you saw this discussion. Why compare things that are equally false? But I understand that, from your perspective, the text is boringly monotonous. I had similar problems when reading the Bible. All those names one after the other, with no introduction, no context, no Character Establishing Moments, nothing... Well, at least you have just demonstrated that there is something strongly subjective about the appeal and power of the Qran. Then again, to return to the Obama example, his speeches will probably appeal and move much more the choir he is preaching to rather than his detractors, no matter how well done they are.

When you read Allah Knows All and variations, you do not feel the scrutiny of the LORD looking upon your shoulders, policing all your thoughts, knowing your decisions before yourself. It's like Big Brother Is Watching, except on a Cosmic Horror scale. And Big Brother loves you and is just and fair and merciful. My God a pattern for a Qran/1984/TheMatrix/CtuthluMythos crossover parody is forming in my mind. Now that would be an attack against Islam (and theism in general). AND it could be hilarious.

By the way

They consider it a favor to you that they have accepted Islam. Say, "Do not consider your Islam a favor to me. Rather, Allah has conferred favor upon you that He has guided you to the faith, if you should be truthful."

I think I have heard something similar over here

Do not consider you are giving others a favour by accepting their arguments. The favour is to yourself. (paraphrased)

wonder if there are statistics on the number of people, worldwide, voluntarily converting to or from the various faiths (plus atheism)?

That would mean officially classifying citizens according to religion, which can lead to discrimination. No secular state would ever dream of doing such a thing.

wonder if there are statistics on the number of people, worldwide, voluntarily converting to or from the various faiths (plus atheism)?

That would mean officially classifying citizens according to religion, which can lead to discrimination. No secular state would ever dream of doing such a thing.

You could use voluntary surveys.

3Richard_Kennaway16y

You'd have to believe a little already. So, an affective death spiral. The more you believe, the more the Book terrorises you into believing. Going off on a tangent though, that last phrase, "knowing your decisions before yourself" reminds me of Libet's experiments on detecting decisions before the person making them is aware of them. I started wondering what sort of Dark Arts-based religion could be constructed even out of rationalism. [...] The UK isn't very religious, but the 10-year censuses do ask people to declare a religion. I think most countries' censuses do. It's something practically useful to know, even for benign purposes.