advancedatheist
Thinker
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2005
- Messages
- 200
Some freethinking scholars have disputed Muhammad's historicity, and the evidence from the early history of Islam does seem muddled and not in accordance with what the "official" version of events says. But I find Muhammad plausible as a historical cult leader for the following reason:
Muhammad used his religious authority to "marry" and inseminate a number of women, according to the Muslims' own ahadith or "traditions" about him -- traditions which Muslim men apparently approve, I might add. (They don't consider them a slander on his character, that is.)
In other words, Muhammad fits into the profile of a common sort of cult leader for which we have many recent examples whose historicity nobody doubts. For example, the Anabaptist cult leader John of Leiden in the 16th Century declared he had the right to marry multiple women during the time he ran the city of Munster. Joseph Smith in the early 19th Century taught and practiced similar "plural marriages." In more recent times cult leaders like David Koresh and Rael have also reportedly used their authority to engage in sexual promiscuity. No doubt people versed in the sociology of cults could provide other examples.
Maybe evolutionary psychologists have already written about this, but you could make the case that the occasional outbreak of religious insanity provides some men with more sexual opportunities than they would otherwise have. For the man with the cult leader personality, religion becomes a superior reproductive strategy. Muhammad's career seems less odd in light of the overall pattern.
Muhammad used his religious authority to "marry" and inseminate a number of women, according to the Muslims' own ahadith or "traditions" about him -- traditions which Muslim men apparently approve, I might add. (They don't consider them a slander on his character, that is.)
In other words, Muhammad fits into the profile of a common sort of cult leader for which we have many recent examples whose historicity nobody doubts. For example, the Anabaptist cult leader John of Leiden in the 16th Century declared he had the right to marry multiple women during the time he ran the city of Munster. Joseph Smith in the early 19th Century taught and practiced similar "plural marriages." In more recent times cult leaders like David Koresh and Rael have also reportedly used their authority to engage in sexual promiscuity. No doubt people versed in the sociology of cults could provide other examples.
Maybe evolutionary psychologists have already written about this, but you could make the case that the occasional outbreak of religious insanity provides some men with more sexual opportunities than they would otherwise have. For the man with the cult leader personality, religion becomes a superior reproductive strategy. Muhammad's career seems less odd in light of the overall pattern.