Nova
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- Aug 18, 2003
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I guess I don't see it as a custom. It has been a rule since 1699.
That's why I have said it's a tough call. IMO
I'm sure there's a distinction to Sikhs, but to outsiders such as I, a custom is a rule is a custom is a rule. I don't recognize any divine authority that requires the carrying of a dagger.
To use an extreme example, aren't we all demanding that Muslims everywhere interpret jihad as a symbolic process rather than a literal war on the infidel (and rightfully so)? Well, jihad is a "rule", too, and a far older one than the kirpan.
Religious rules change, often out of necessity, and reasonable and creative alternatives can almost always be found.