Why chess upsets religious fundamentalists

[rug]

Jan 22nd 2016, 16:45 by B.C.

Chess is a “waste of time” and causes enmity between players, according to the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Abdulaziz al-Sheikh. It is therefore as much to be forbidden as more obviously sinful activities like indulging in alcohol or gambling.

His remarks, on a television show last year, resurfaced in the media this week as the kingdom prepared to host a tournament, and they were immediately rejected by a member of the Saudi chess association, who tweeted that the game flourished in the kingdom and would continue to do so. Because the cleric’s word were an off-the-cuff answer to a question rather than a formal decree, they are not expected to be enforced harshly.

This is not the first time that a spiritual leader has denounced chess as a distraction from religious devotions. An Italian sage of the 11th century, Saint Peter Damian, scolded the bishop of Florence for his weakness for the game. Chess was initially outlawed by Iranian Revolution which prevailed in 1979; however in 1988, Ayatollah Khomeini said it was permissible as long as it is not combined with gambling. However a contemporary Shia leader, Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani of Iraq, has emphatically forbidden all forms of chess, whether played online or with physical pieces, and regardless of whether betting is involved.

Why do religious leaders feel threatened by chess? Perhaps because the game is one of those great, consuming products of human ingenuity. It flourished as a courtly pastime in Persia in late antiquity, having originated, probably, in India. After Persia’s embrace of Islam, it travelled through the Muslim world, reaching Spain via the Moors. Very soon after, it was flourishing on Europe’s westernmost fringes.

http://www.economist.com/blogs/prospero/2016/01/games-people-play

Caïssa help us.

[StandingInLeftField]

1. Religion, what a waste of time

And I mean that about ALL religions, regardless.

BTW I don't regard Buddhism as a religion, at least Theravada Buddhism, as there is no creator-god. So there...

[thereismore]

12. YES and "AMEN" to THIS ^^^^

[Festivito]

16. Imagine the time lost touting a lack of religion. eom

[StandingInLeftField]

22. As far as my time goes...

about 3:45. Equally EOM.

[Festivito]

23. I'm not that good. I end up using the full five minutes. eom

[MisterP]

20. if Buddhism's not a religion then Cabbalistic Judaism or existentialist Catholicism are doubly so

[StandingInLeftField]

21. I'll agree with you

only if there is no creator-god in their cosmology. I don't know enough about either tendency to make an informed judgement, but will certainly inquire further.

[hlthe2b]

2. I glanced at the subject line and read it as "cheese".... which, if banned, would make about as much

sense.

Heavens deliver us from religious fundies, no matter the stripe.

[Hoppy]

7. --- but aren't cheesemakers blessed?

I saw a documentary one time where it said, "And blessed are the cheese makers."

[PJMcK]

9. They beat their swords into cheese graters (n/t)

[awoke_in_2003]

11. Well, obviously, it's not meant to be taken literally

it refers to any manufacturers of dairy products.

[PassingFair]

24. I think that's Pastafarian doctrine, too...

&lc=qaTlcdBCHsHajjc1lTAbtPO85PLNobFr7Uc2VQbJ_JQ

[Xipe Totec]

3. Religion is a “waste of time” and causes enmity between believers nt

[Depaysement]

4. Thinking person's game

It requires calculation, judgment, spatial relationships, strategy, tactics and humility. It has been claimed there are more possible chess positions than atoms in the observable universe.

Can't have people thinking now, can we?

[rug]

6. Well, there was always Bobby Fischer.

But he probably lost his mind by then.

[jonno99]

8. But not a "gentleman's" game. Chess is one of the few games where the goal

is to completely annihilate your opponent by deception, exploiting and killing off his weakest members, and fighting to the death - giving no quarter.

Humility? For players like me, certainly. But many of the chess masters were/are egomaniacs (or so it seems...).

[Depaysement]

10. It teaches you humility

Even the best lose a lot.

[6chars]

14. What? You just sit and move pieces

and try to make it so one piece has no moves that would prevent it from being removed and then the game is over.

Annihilating? Killing? No, MMA it ain't.

[potone]

5. I suspect the real reason is that it requires thinking.

Religious fundamentalists tend to discourage that.

[NastyRiffraff]

15. Ding Ding Ding!

We have a winner.

[Blue Owl]

19. And that the queen has the power

n/t

[TlalocW]

13. Sounds to me

Like a lot of religious leaders over the centuries have gotten their asses kicked in chess.

TlalocW

[goldent]

17. Every Catholic Gentleman should have at least a cursory knowledge of chess

Every Catholic Gentleman should have at least a cursory knowledge of chess. The game demands a certain amount of patience, prudence, and restraint, virtues every Catholic man should work to achieve. Popes Leo XIII, Gregory VI, Innocent III, Leo X, John Paul I, and John Paul II are just a few of the noted Church figures reportedly proficient in chess.

St. Gennadius, the first Catholic saint associated with the game, used the game to help his contemplative concentration. He was so exceptional at chess that his pieces were linked to various miracles in folk lore and have been preserved since his death in 936 A.D. Father Rodrigo Lopez de Segura, a Franciscan, is considered by many to be the first unofficial world champion in chess, and his authoritative book on modern chess is still useful to today’s players. Chess champion Bobby Fischer, who died in 2008, requested a Catholic burial shortly before his death, leading many to believe that he secretly converted to the Faith in his later years.

http://www.whiskeycatholic.com/2013/03/01/the-catholic-gentleman-chess/

[Cartoonist]

18. What do the Bishops have to say?

My first reaction to reading the OP title was that Bishops objected to being vulnerable to pawns.