Religion Heads
Seriously, why are we subjected to debates in the Western media regarding the merits of Christianity versus the merits of Islam? I mean, how backward are we going to allow ourselves to become before this crazy, out-of-control War on Terror is dragged kicking and screaming into the Age of Diplomacy?
Really. People who believe in the supremacy of God vis a vis humanity are in agreement and their view of reality runs counter to reason. All there is to say to any of them is, "Good. Good for you. You believe in God/Allah/Zeus/Jupiter." There is no reason - none - to pretend that Christians are any different than Muslims. Because they aren't any different. Not in any way that matters. Both believe that the afterlife is more important than life here on planet earth and that, although the realm of the unknown is unknowable, it is nevertheless what they believe reigns supreme over all of us.
Now, obviously, more Muslims than Christians take it that one wild and crazy step further and are willing to fight to the death - theirs and ours - for their beliefs. But in a sense - isn't that just being more religious, better believers than Christians tend to be these days? Aren't they just being better servants of God instead of mere Sunday Church-goers?
Of course, anybody can realize that it's because they live in theocracies (more or less) that Muslims do take it that one wild and crazy step further. The propaganda they are fed is such that dying for Allah is an honour and a sacrifice worth making for your beliefs. Crazy, sure. Or maybe there are just that many more stupid Muslims than there are stupid Christians. At any rate, we don't live in a theocracy.
So, why are we responding as if we do? Would we be responding in this fashion to Islamic fundamentalism if we were a more secular society? I don't think so. I think, if we were a more secular society, we would be responding to Islamic fundamentalism as if we lived now and not when people were afraid and superstitious.
Anyway, it struck me that if we were any more civilized than the countries we claim are living in the Stone Age (if only) then it would follow that people who put their religious beliefs out there in public, in any kind of political context, would be vigorously shunned - as opposed to elected by a majority of the people to govern over us accordingly.
Because, in my rational opinion, Believers are all just Believers and should have no more status in democracies than Non-Believers do in theocracies.
