« Looking for a Storm in a Port | Main | Ever New Ways to Tax »
February 22, 2006
My Last Word on the Danish ‘Cartoons’ Affair
The violence and uproar aside, the larger issue is this though: We in the post-modern, secular, cynical, and worldly West just simply cannot fathom that there still exist in the world people who do in fact “believe in things”. Things like ideology, religion, tradition, and a knowable sense of right and wrong. Things they believe in passionately, completely, and without reservation. Things that they are willing to kill for, die for, and sacrifice anything for.
I cannot imagine Senator Edward Kennedy would ever be willing to sacrifice himself, his fortune, his family, or his place in the world to stop the Bush administration, the NRA, or Judge Alito’s appointment to the SCOTUS. Or conversely, rightwing Senator Rick Santorum either for his agenda. But this level of commitment would go without saying in most of the Middle East and the rest of Muslim world.
You see, they really do believe. Truly, and without reservation too. All the “rhetorical crap” (as we in the West view it) they mean. Ponder on that.
Posted by Ali Massoud at February 22, 2006 01:36 PM
Comments
This is something I have been saying to people throughout this whole thing. At least these people take their faith seriously, which is more than can be said for most Westerners of any faith, including Christians. Evangelical Christians, for example, talk a good game about morality and "family values," but in practice one would be hard pressed to find much difference in their lives and attitudes from those of the secular mainstream. (Just check out the divorce rate among Christians, to take one example.) Certainly many would rather recant almost any article of their faith and its moral implications for fear of appearing uncool among their unbelieving friends. They're always willing to complain about the immorality of modern Hollywood product, but then they'll turn around and partake of it (as long as it's not "too bad") just the same. Westerners can't understand serious Muslims because most of us don't believe in anything too seriously--except, perhaps, that the most important thing in life is never to be considered a square.
Posted by: Mike Tennant ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.strike-the-root.com/blog/nav-commenters.gif){kind=small}
at February 22, 2006 03:15 PM
I'd really rather people not take their faith all that seriously. I'd rather they realize faith, as an irrational belief system, should never be forced on others acting in our rational real world.
Faith, as long as it is voluntary, doesn't employ force, it is agreeable, but while it may have good moral/ethical teachings, it does not usually offer a coherent philosophical starting point for how individuals should treat each other, as most religions base their arguments for proper social interaction on force, force mind you, in the form of promised (or threatened) after-life consequences. (and sometimes inferred present life fate from the unseen hand of whatever power.)
Which is why they will fight and die for irrational beliefs; They don't actually believe death is the end of their existence, and fear threats of eternal consequence far more.
I'll take a peaceful religious hypocrite over the faithful aggressors any day.
Posted by: Libertas Infinitus at February 26, 2006 12:41 AM
Post a comment
Thanks for signing in, . Now you can comment. (sign out)
(If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.)