Banning a game he doesn't know how to play because he thinks it's gambling.
How embarrassing.
Saudi cleric bans chess
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It's true though some people use it for gambling. In some places there is a "chess square" and the people challenge each other and bet money on who wins, much like it's done with pool.
You can gamle on the weather though also, so maybe they should ban weather as well :)
katakombist wrote:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/21/chess-forbidden-in-islam-rules-saudi-arabia-grand-mufti
Research doesn't count, does it? Poor kids!
So we're back to those days again. Like the first stanza of that Jule Styne-Sammy Cahn song, It seems to me I've heard that song before, It's from an old familiar score. I know it well, that melody. The world goes 'round and 'round, and where it stops is no more profound.
ok, so it was like advice. a Q/A from a religous leader...
something like "compulsively playing chess (and not reading your scriptures daily)" isn't good for your spiritual development.
A leader in my church might say the same thing (they problably wouldn't, though).
re-read the article! it DOESN'T say that the cleric banned chess.
thegreat_patzer wrote:
ok, so it was like advice. a Q/A from a religous leader...
something like "compulsively playing chess (and not reading your scriptures daily)" isn't good for your spiritual development.
A leader in my church might say the same thing (they problably wouldn't, though).
re-read the article! it DOESN'T say that the cleric banned chess.
From the Wikipedia entry titled The History of Chess:
"The philosopher and theologist Al-Ghazali mentions chess in The Alchemy of Happiness (c. 1100). He uses it as a specific example of a habit that may cloud a person's good disposition:
Indeed, a person who has become habituated to gaming with pigeons, playing chess, or gambling, so that it becomes second-nature to him, will give all the comforts of the world and all that he has for those (pursuits) and cannot keep away from them."
Hey, maybe the Grand Mufti has a point. 
Just a strict arabian mate, what can you do about it.
fightingbob wrote:
thegreat_patzer wrote:
ok, so it was like advice. a Q/A from a religous leader...
something like "compulsively playing chess (and not reading your scriptures daily)" isn't good for your spiritual development.
A leader in my church might say the same thing (they problably wouldn't, though).
re-read the article! it DOESN'T say that the cleric banned chess.
From the Wikipedia entry titled The History of Chess:
"The philosopher and theologist Al-Ghazali mentions chess in The Alchemy of Happiness (c. 1100). He uses it as a specific example of a habit that may cloud a person's good disposition:
Indeed, a person who has become habituated to gaming with pigeons, playing chess, or gambling, so that it becomes second-nature to him, will give all the comforts of the world and all that he has for those (pursuits) and cannot keep away from them."
Hey, maybe the Grand Mufti has a point.
A lot of blitz players around here would be a lot better off if they listened to him.
Chess is very similar to gambling, especially blitz. It has the same slot machine effect, of course importantly it doesn't normally involve money... but that is only one of the downsides of gambling.
True... but I think the attitude we take about chess is really important. I know it might seeem silly to all the pastafarians out there, but I have thought hard about the spiritual meaning of my intense desire to improve in chess.
It seems to me that chess improvement is a matter of having clear thoughts, and understanding the reality of the position. chess improvement occurs when we restrain ourselves from making rash, risky, reckless moves while being alert to opportunities that require bold principled play against the opponent's peices.
this is all a great analogy of life itself, and spiritually I think learning to think more clearly and be more self-disciplined, is good for the soul.
----
I think the islamic faith that invented chess was struck by the thoughtful, introspective, battle against rash impulses.... but I fear, that modern chess with its quicker time controls, and heavy preoccupation on money and awards is harder to sanction.
Uhohspaghettio1 wrote:
looking at your profile notes it's obvious you're in no position to be giving moral advice.
fightingbob wrote:
thegreat_patzer wrote:
ok, so it was like advice. a Q/A from a religous leader...
something like "compulsively playing chess (and not reading your scriptures daily)" isn't good for your spiritual development.
A leader in my church might say the same thing (they problably wouldn't, though).
re-read the article! it DOESN'T say that the cleric banned chess.
From the Wikipedia entry titled The History of Chess:
"The philosopher and theologist Al-Ghazali mentions chess in The Alchemy of Happiness (c. 1100). He uses it as a specific example of a habit that may cloud a person's good disposition:
Indeed, a person who has become habituated to gaming with pigeons, playing chess, or gambling, so that it becomes second-nature to him, will give all the comforts of the world and all that he has for those (pursuits) and cannot keep away from them."
Hey, maybe the Grand Mufti has a point.
A lot of blitz players around here would be a lot better off if they listened to him.
Chess is very similar to gambling, especially blitz. It has the same slot machine effect, of course importantly it doesn't normally involve money... but that is only one of the downsides of gambling.
That's pretty crazy! I'm hoping someone will be able to stand up to this nonsense. You never know how much a idea will take off such as this for the worse.
Fanatical religion is no different than a totalitarian government. Islam and communism are the greatest threats to human liberty in the world today.
mikesully52 wrote:
Uhohspaghettio1 wrote:
fightingbob wrote:
thegreat_patzer wrote:
ok, so it was like advice. a Q/A from a religous leader...
something like "compulsively playing chess (and not reading your scriptures daily)" isn't good for your spiritual development.
A leader in my church might say the same thing (they problably wouldn't, though).
re-read the article! it DOESN'T say that the cleric banned chess.
From the Wikipedia entry titled The History of Chess:
"The philosopher and theologist Al-Ghazali mentions chess in The Alchemy of Happiness (c. 1100). He uses it as a specific example of a habit that may cloud a person's good disposition:
Indeed, a person who has become habituated to gaming with pigeons, playing chess, or gambling, so that it becomes second-nature to him, will give all the comforts of the world and all that he has for those (pursuits) and cannot keep away from them."
Hey, maybe the Grand Mufti has a point.
A lot of blitz players around here would be a lot better off if they listened to him.
Chess is very similar to gambling, especially blitz. It has the same slot machine effect, of course importantly it doesn't normally involve money... but that is only one of the downsides of gambling.
looking at your profile notes it's obvious you're in no position to be giving moral advice.
That's your contention and it is a stupid one.
thegreat_patzer wrote:
True... but I think the attitude we take about chess is really important. I know it might seeem silly to all the pastafarians out there, but I have thought hard about the spiritual meaning of my intense desire to improve in chess.
It seems to me that chess improvement is a matter of having clear thoughts, and understanding the reality of the position. chess improvement occurs when we restrain ourselves from making rash, risky, reckless moves while being alert to opportunities that require bold principled play against the opponent's peices.
this is all a great analogy of life itself, and spiritually I think learning to think more clearly and be more self-disciplined, is good for the soul.
----
I think the islamic faith that invented chess was struck by the thoughtful, introspective, battle against rash impulses.... but I fear, that modern chess with its quicker time controls, and heavy preoccupation on money and awards is harder to sanction.
All good points ... until you get to Blitz and Bullet, as you point out. But is classical chess good for the soul? Perhaps the most important question to ask is, "Does playing chess develop character?" Probably as much as any game where winning and losing is a part, but there will always be players whose integrity is first and foremost and others where winning at all costs is paramount. One thing is certain, it trains the player to look ahead and see the consequences of his actions, but so do quite a few other board games. Whether that extends to other areas of life depends upon the individual.
I love chess because it has been a vital part of me for so long that it would be hard to imagine life without it. Frankly, it's not the competitive element that keeps me interested, though that is definitely part of it, but the aesthetic pleasure I get from playing through a grandmaster's brilliant game, win or draw, against an equally brilliant opponent, or solving a beautifully composed endgame study. So for me it's not the spiritual but the aesthetic, a very Kierkegaardian distinction. Perhaps my review of Edward Lasker's Chess for Fun and Chess for Blood at Amazon expresses my feelings best.
denner90 wrote:
Fanatical religion is no different than a totalitarian government. Islam and communism are the greatest threats to human liberty in the world today.
No, this is the greatest threat to human liberty facing humanity:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesinsights/2014/03/25/the-67-people-as-wealthy-as-the-worlds-poorest-3-5-billion/#2715e4857a0b1e7b086090ab
67 people hold half the world's total wealth.
Never knew Chess has this much impact on religion!!!!!
If David copper field, wright brothers', Michael farade, Alfred Nobel and other great scientists would take birth in Saudi, Iran or Afganistan , they would be beheaded for doing magic. As a result of their action,World would use horse, camel to travel instead of Aeroplane and motor Car.
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Earth64 wrote:
If David copper field, wright brothers', Michael farade, Alfred Nobel and other great scientists would take birth in Saudi, Iran or Afganistan , they would be beheaded for doing magic. As a result of their action,World would use horse, camel to travel instead of Aeroplane and motor Car.
Aeroplanes and motor cars don't particularly please Allah.
Beheadings and camels though...
Just saying, I don't think He'd be too upset about it.
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http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jan/21/chess-forbidden-in-islam-rules-saudi-arabia-grand-mufti
Research doesn't count, does it? Poor kids!