Islam is running about 1000 years behind xianity on the curve; its most ardent followers - and I am talking only of those who have declared holy war on the U.S., and who have decided that indiscriminate terrorism will be their weapon of choice - are some of the scariest people on the planet. And the ardent, like the xian zealots of a thousand years ago, imagine they have a mandate from godhisownself to convert the entire planet to their brand of fantasy. And, as with the xians of a thousand years ago, dissent and criticism are highly lethal pursuits. Radical, violent Islamic fundamentalists are significantly scarier than our own domestic brand. These are people who are completely immersed in Islam from birth and already live in lands high in poverty and desperation, and who believe that the only true freedom is the freedom to dedicate your life completely to Allah. They hold life in very low regard, especially yours; life is worthless and to be human is awful and temporary. Islamic terrorists are trained professionals who are institutionally taught to hate and kill as many Americans as possible while making no distinction between combatants and baby girls - much like xianity of a thousand years ago. Now, these murderous thugs, empowered by fairy tales, and emboldened by our failure of awareness have committed the single worst act of murder in history. Their religion somehow convinced them that there was great honor in sneaking up and murdering thousands of unarmed and unsuspecting civilian men, women, and children. That is more than inhuman - it is anti-human, and is the most cruelly immoral act imaginable. Some claim that that is not Islam. Excuse me, but Bullshit. The people who did this are not a separate and distinct religion. Rather they are one end of a continuum of people who practice Islam. Arguably, they are the most religious people on that continuum and, according to themselves, the purest practitioners. Well, sorry folks, it IS Islam as understood and practiced by its strongest adherents and you don't get to disown it when it gets embarrassing. I make little distinction between terrorists and those who enable them, excuse them, and fail to condemn them. Those who take the position that we are not at war with Islam may turn out to be incredibly naive and may, as of yet, fail to grasp the implications of 1.3 billion people with a direct mandate from Allah. The most extreme elements of Islam are certainly at war with us and have stated as much loudly, arrogantly, in highly public ways, and on numerous occasions. They have a stated goal of destroying the United States. To them, it is ALL about religion; that is the context against which every aspect of existence and behavior is judged. That is what makes their differences with us not merely political, but a holy war. Christianity has been tempered, and its own historical murderous capacity attenuated, by the last several hundred years of symbiosis with market economies (although we should not forget the clinic-bombing xian terrorists in this country). Religions only seem safe when limited by constitutional democracies. When religion is government, people die for the sin of thinking that human life is worth something.
Islam, like all religions, is at its worst where there is ignorance and squalor and where there is no other anchor for hope. In most of southern Asia and in Africa, Islam has violently become the official religion. When and where that has happened, tolerance, as well as any pretense of democracy, has been utterly and cruelly abandoned. Where this has happened, as it did with xianity, human life has been devalued. This is, of course, contrary to common sense, common decency, and any sense of respect for the most inherent of human traits - the desire for peace, the quest for knowledge and understanding, and respect for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. As
stated elsewhere, the privately held
beliefs (read religious practices) of
individuals are of no consequence to me.
On September 11th, 2001, we were rudely
reminded that religion can justify horrific
mass murder of innocents. That is NOT "privately
held" and
IS of some consequence to us all. |
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| ©The Assertive Atheist | |||||||
New York City before religious
fanatics got done with it
Photo by Rick Wingrove
"It's not the religion!"
In an attempt to be politically correct and to avoid anything that might insult someone's religion, you will frequently hear the defense that it is not the religion but just some fanatics who are committing acts of terrorism.
I contend that it is the religion.
While it is true that the vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists, It appears that a significant percentage of Muslims are, at the very least, sympathetic or openly supportive of the terrorists.
Under the banner of their religion, many Islamic clerics are openly calling for Jihad and exhorting their followers to commit violent acts against Americans, promising very special rewards in heaven to those who martyr themselves in the act. It is, indeed, their religion which provides the framework and support structure as well as the direct justifications for their actions.
But here is the true test: if it ain't the religion, where are all the Atheist suicide bombers?
