Wow, there's a guy who has some strong anger management issues. But as luck would have it, I received another reply responding to the aforementioned jerk this way: "So basically you're going to judge 1.6 billion people on the actions of 15 from the same religion? Should we do the same with Christianity because of Waco and Jim Jones? ( I would add the Spanish Inquisition, the Crusades, and Timothy McVeigh to that list) There are extremists in every religion, creed and nation, but that's not a reason to generalize everyone in that category as an extremist."
Now that sounds like a well thought out, common sense, opinion. However, when it comes to conservatives having common sense, it's not all that common.
Perhaps when you are king you can crush the keyboards of people who park conservative chain email in your in box.
ReplyDeleteKnee... Jerking... Can't... Stop...
ReplyDeleteThe stereotyping of the Muslim community as a collection of terrorists and terrorist sympathizers is an unquestionably false view. In any large enough statistical sampling of human beings, we will find an impressively diverse range of opinion. That the Muslim community has a numerous, vocal, and extremist long tail shouldn't surprise us. Nor should it be viewed as a condemnation of all the other bands in the bell curve. Any attempt to do so is at best ignorant. At worst it's xenophobic cultural bigotry.
However, I've got to point out that we don't have to suppose that all Muslims are terrorists in order to have legitimate problems with Islam as an ideology. Its just like how we don't have to suppose that all Christians are secretly abortion-clinic bombers in order to have legitimate problems with Christianity as an ideology.
I also have to point out that at the current point in history Islam's tail of extremists is noticeably more virulent to that of other faiths - Islam is different in a way that other faiths aren't. It isn't lunacy or bigotry to suggest that the specific tenets of that ideology may be one of multiple nuanced causes that have contributed to the current state of affairs.
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Okay... Knee jerking done now. All is well. ^_^
donK - great idea
ReplyDeleteYou know, a lot more people died because of the conscious inactions of Pius XII than because of the conscious actions of a handful of terrorists on airplanes.
ReplyDeleteConservatives want to deprive law-abiding American citizens of their constitutional rights because of their religion. When it comes down to it, political viewpoints and religions are essentially the same - ideologies. Perhaps you could give them a taste of what they're trying to force on others. If they want to prevent Muslims from congregating, we can apply the "Golden Rule" to assume that they also wish to have someone prevent them from congregating. After all, a good Christian treats everyone else the same way they want to be treated.
ReplyDeleteThe "Golden Rule" (which exists in many religions beyond Christianity) and politics / ideology have been proved completely incompatible. Demanding one's own free speech rights while denying free speech to others is independent of political philosophy. While some conservatives want to deny freedom of religion, a radical fringe on the other side wants all religious practice driven as deeply into the closet as homosexuality used to be (the extreme of "freedom from religion" which is offended by the publicly visible existence of a church or mosque).
ReplyDeleteChain emails, hate, and common sense went out the window when liberals were talking about George W. Bush based on things I received a few years ago. The problem is strong ideology, not a particular point of view.
Knee... Jerking... Can't... Stop...
ReplyDeleteThe stereotyping of the Muslim community as a collection of terrorists and terrorist sympathizers is an unquestionably false view. In any large enough statistical sampling of human beings, we will find an impressively diverse range of opinion. That the Muslim community has a numerous, vocal, and extremist long tail shouldn't surprise us. Nor should it be viewed as a condemnation of all the other bands in the bell curve. Any attempt to do so is at best ignorant. At worst it's xenophobic cultural bigotry.
However, I've got to point out that we don't have to suppose that all Muslims are terrorists in order to have legitimate problems with Islam as an ideology. Its just like how we don't have to suppose that all Christians are secretly abortion-clinic bombers in order to have legitimate problems with Christianity as an ideology.
I also have to point out that at the current point in history Islam's tail of extremists is noticeably more virulent to that of other faiths - Islam is different in a way that other faiths aren't. It isn't lunacy or bigotry to suggest that the specific tenets of that ideology may be one of multiple nuanced causes that have contributed to the current state of affairs.
...
Okay... Knee jerking done now. All is well. ^_^