Okay, I'm a sad, sad person and I LIKE it. I'm watching Bill Moyer's Faith and Reason series on PBS not because I'm trying to impress anyone but because I'm honestly interested.
But, I wanted to ask really quickly.
Why is it that to show disdain for something, like, say Salman Rushdie's book, or the American flag, people set fire to it? Because fire, it cleanses, and it purifies, and it's holy in a heck of a lot of religions starting back as far as humans go so far as we can tell. So, my dear fellow humans, why exactly are you honoring the thing you view with such digust in this way? Just asking.
Not to point out that when humans in general go all extreme on us they're not the most logical of critters.
(Hello internet, you're my new family) Salman Rushdie, just want to say, you're my man. Points I personally like:
It's not sensitivity, it's cowardice
In a free society, offense is not the limiting point
when there is conflict between liberty of speech and the belief of private individuals, liberty of speech must take precedence. (testify man!)
What kind of a god is it that is upset by a cartoon in Danish?
Gosh darnit, I think my social conscience is being sluggishly awakened. I would like, in my pitiful way, to add my tiny voice here. Freedom of speech MUST be supported in order to support the freedom of religion. The two are NOT unique and separate. If we allow fear to dictate freedom of speech over one religious issue then we allow it over ALL religious issues...
okay, I'm probably over-tired and all that stuff. But, c'mon guys, we're all human here, right? We all want to have the chance to worship (or not) as we see fit, right?
Tiredness speaking... I'm so discouraged. Why the heck is it that belief in an essentially loving god requires such massive amounts of violence, particularly against those who are most closely affiliated with one's own credo?
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I'm so discouraged. Why the heck is it that belief in an essentially loving god requires such massive amounts of violence, particularly against those who are most closely affiliated with one's own credo?
Seems like somewhere in human history, compassion and kindness became a sign of weakness while violence a sign of strength. But the opposite is true. Those who advocate violence, and most especially religious violence, are the weakest of all.
We could get into a discussion on violence as a means of defense, but defense wouldn't be necessary if there wasn't some threat of violence to begin with.
And yeah, it's discouraging. The world's religions have more in common than they do differences.
Some thoughts...
Our Savior told us that he who takes offense and does not forgive is guilty of a greater sin than he who gives offense.
Judges 6 tells the story of Gideon, who at the command of God destroyed a shrine to baal near his father's house. The locals were crazy-mad and wanted to kill Gideon for it, but his father rebuked them in vs. 31, saying that if baal was real he would avenge his own 'dissing', and shame on the men who tried to take the job from him. It seems the same--why do we never see allah fighting his own battles? It is always violent men who do his dirty work for him, and getting enriched themselves in the process in some way, even just counting those plentiful virgins.
I used to think that Muslims worshipped the same deity I do. Recent events have taught me different. Do men gather thorns of grapes, or thistles of figs?
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