In the latest series of cases involving blasphemy laws in Indonesia, a TikToker with more than than 2 million followers is found guilty and jailed for two years for saying an Islamic phrase before eating crispy pork skin.
I think that “amen” has become detached from its religious meaning in that context and is more just an expression of support. There are even churches that are pro gay rights. To me this is more purposely combining something deeply sacred with something deeply profane. If you imagine the religious right’s reaction to a video of someone masturbating while reciting the Lord’s prayer I think you get a bit closer to the cultural significance of this act.
I’m not Indonesian or Muslim, so I may have overstepped.
In my area, which has a large Muslim population, it is said by observant and non observant Muslims, as well as by non Muslims who hang in Muslim circles frequently. To the point that people say it when they cheers with alcohol. Where I am, it seems to be about as disconnected from true religious expression as wallah is. Perhaps that’s the sort of thing that happens more with a diaspora group, or I’m just surrounded by blasphemers.
Should I stop saying it in case I offend more religious Muslims?
Oh I can’t speak to what you should or shouldn’t do in order to respect religious muslims, and I may have been wrong in how I understood “bismillah” to be used in Muslim majority areas. I apologize for stepping out of my lane, my point was simply that in the US the phrase “amen” has become a general expression of assent and lost almost all of its religious connotation outside of when it’s actually being used during a prayer.
I think that “amen” has become detached from its religious meaning in that context and is more just an expression of support. There are even churches that are pro gay rights. To me this is more purposely combining something deeply sacred with something deeply profane. If you imagine the religious right’s reaction to a video of someone masturbating while reciting the Lord’s prayer I think you get a bit closer to the cultural significance of this act.
I’m not Indonesian or Muslim, so I may have overstepped.
In my area, which has a large Muslim population, it is said by observant and non observant Muslims, as well as by non Muslims who hang in Muslim circles frequently. To the point that people say it when they cheers with alcohol. Where I am, it seems to be about as disconnected from true religious expression as wallah is. Perhaps that’s the sort of thing that happens more with a diaspora group, or I’m just surrounded by blasphemers.
Should I stop saying it in case I offend more religious Muslims?
Oh I can’t speak to what you should or shouldn’t do in order to respect religious muslims, and I may have been wrong in how I understood “bismillah” to be used in Muslim majority areas. I apologize for stepping out of my lane, my point was simply that in the US the phrase “amen” has become a general expression of assent and lost almost all of its religious connotation outside of when it’s actually being used during a prayer.
That’s 100% what it’s like where I am, completely disconnected. We say it for bon Appetit, cheers, and sarcastic “lie back and think of England”