About Religious fundamentalism!
Wikipedia refers to fundamentalism as a belief in a strict adherence to an established set of basic principles (often religious in nature), sometimes as a reaction to perceived doctrinal compromises with modern social and political life.
I on the other hand perceive it as a reluctance or better still the complete refusal to engage or in a mind set that is contradictory to your own. It is the extreme form of radicalism to me!
Now in the last couple of days, President Barrack Hussein Obama ( as his tormentors so affectionately like to refer to him) has got the hard end of christian fundamentalists all over the world (but more so in the U.S) for his purported indifference at the proposed construction of a mosque right next to the site of the fateful September the 11th bombings in New york city. Because of that, a recent survey shows that 18% of Americans surveyed think President Obama is a Muslim, many argue that he is not in that case worthy to hold office simply because they believe to be one.
Now this blog is not about Obama or anybody's religious inclinations for that matter. What I am interested in pointing out is the consequence of our refusal to accept and mingle with the "other" people in equal setting.
Religion (the word used interchangeably with faith) is a very powerful thing in society and must never be taken lightly because people in the past and even recent times have been seen to make the ultimate sacrifice for it's sake!(martyrdom)
So if we stick to completely opposing sides as is the case with fundamentalism and draw ourselves to the the very limited question questions of are you? or are you you not?, yes or no? We are going to create in this world two very distinct polarities that will eventually evolve into a state of constant abrasion that will only end in the bloodiest way possible!
We do not want to have that do we? We cannot respond to aggression with aggression but we must rather seek out means and paths that lead us into a melange of ideas living and surviving together in a state of constant symbiosis, because ultimately with globalization and all, no man is an island we all need and depend on each other!
I on the other hand perceive it as a reluctance or better still the complete refusal to engage or in a mind set that is contradictory to your own. It is the extreme form of radicalism to me!
Now in the last couple of days, President Barrack Hussein Obama ( as his tormentors so affectionately like to refer to him) has got the hard end of christian fundamentalists all over the world (but more so in the U.S) for his purported indifference at the proposed construction of a mosque right next to the site of the fateful September the 11th bombings in New york city. Because of that, a recent survey shows that 18% of Americans surveyed think President Obama is a Muslim, many argue that he is not in that case worthy to hold office simply because they believe to be one.
Now this blog is not about Obama or anybody's religious inclinations for that matter. What I am interested in pointing out is the consequence of our refusal to accept and mingle with the "other" people in equal setting.
Religion (the word used interchangeably with faith) is a very powerful thing in society and must never be taken lightly because people in the past and even recent times have been seen to make the ultimate sacrifice for it's sake!(martyrdom)
So if we stick to completely opposing sides as is the case with fundamentalism and draw ourselves to the the very limited question questions of are you? or are you you not?, yes or no? We are going to create in this world two very distinct polarities that will eventually evolve into a state of constant abrasion that will only end in the bloodiest way possible!
We do not want to have that do we? We cannot respond to aggression with aggression but we must rather seek out means and paths that lead us into a melange of ideas living and surviving together in a state of constant symbiosis, because ultimately with globalization and all, no man is an island we all need and depend on each other!
"Like all decent people, I am horrified by much that goes on in the name of 'Islam,' and I consider it a duty of all moderate Muslims to recognize that many of the doctrines espoused in the Qur'an and hadith present some unique liabilities... at this moment in history. Our traditional ideas about martyrdom, jihad, blasphemy, apostasy, and the status of women must be abandoned, as they are proving disastrous in the 21st century. Many of Islam's critics have fully justified concerns about the state of discourse in parts of the Muslim world--where it is a tissue of conspiracy theories, genocidal ravings regarding the Jews, and the most abject, triumphalist fantasies about conquering the world for the glory of Allah. While the scriptures of Judaism and Christianity also contain terrible passages, it has been many centuries since they truly informed the mainstream faith. Hence, we do not tend to see vast numbers of Jews and Christians calling for the murder of apostates today. This is not true of Islam, and there is simply no honest way of denying this shocking disparity. We are members of a faith community that appears more concerned about harmless cartoons than about the daily atrocities committed in its name--and no one suffers from this stupidity and barbarism more than our fellow Muslims. Islam must grow up. And Muslim moderates like ourselves must be the first to defend the rights of novelists, cartoonists, and public intellectuals to criticize all religious faiths, including our own." - Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf. (he is the moderate muslim spear heading the building of the 'ground zero mosque' as it is affectionately known).
ReplyDeletethas a very positive statement, like they have opinions so do others! one cannot constantly wail and cry out for respect and acceptance into a socciety when he/she is not willing to accord others that same right to speech and living as they too wish! thank you Phillip!
ReplyDeleteur welcome boss... (i luv the change in ur attitude... what the hell have u been smoking?)
ReplyDeleteam not smoking anything
ReplyDeleteand b4 u get all mushy please note that my views on the the sexuality tpic still stand, just btoning it dwn a lill maybe