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Why religious ferver frightens me...
Apr. 23rd, 2004 11:04 amOK, so one of the Iraqi Shiite clerics denounced the recent car bomb attacks as 'a crime against Muslims' and therefore those responsible would 'burn in hell'. But, isn't this the same doctrine that says one goes straight to heaven for killing non-Muslims even in suicide attacks?
It get the same heebie-geebies from Fundamentalists, radical Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. I guess I've met a few pagans that also fall into the same 'religious zealot' category, but not many--usually these folks give off a 'I'm out of touch with reality' feel vibe more than 'I'd be willing to kill you all for my belief'.
I don't know if it is my mostly secular upbringing or the fact that I've lived in a mostly violence free-sphere, but allowing others to decide morality and interpret truth FOR you seems a dangerous and destructive path... If your spirtiuality demands the death of others, I question the fundamental goodness or righteousness of it.
Update: By 'doctrine' above I mean 'the communicated interpretation of holy scripture'. I don't believe that the Islamic faith has at its core a hatred of non-Muslims, but it is a radical movement within certain quarters of the community. Quite the contrary, for centuries the Islamic faith lived in peace with other religions and many Islamic-dominated states had very pragmatic views of religious freedom.
Religious power-structures manipulating doctrine for political gain is not at all unique to Shiite clerics, and my post was not intended to perpetuate the current anti-Arab sentiment in the US. The quote I heard was via last night's PBS Newshour and it struck a chord with me.
It get the same heebie-geebies from Fundamentalists, radical Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, etc. I guess I've met a few pagans that also fall into the same 'religious zealot' category, but not many--usually these folks give off a 'I'm out of touch with reality' feel vibe more than 'I'd be willing to kill you all for my belief'.
I don't know if it is my mostly secular upbringing or the fact that I've lived in a mostly violence free-sphere, but allowing others to decide morality and interpret truth FOR you seems a dangerous and destructive path... If your spirtiuality demands the death of others, I question the fundamental goodness or righteousness of it.
Update: By 'doctrine' above I mean 'the communicated interpretation of holy scripture'. I don't believe that the Islamic faith has at its core a hatred of non-Muslims, but it is a radical movement within certain quarters of the community. Quite the contrary, for centuries the Islamic faith lived in peace with other religions and many Islamic-dominated states had very pragmatic views of religious freedom.
Religious power-structures manipulating doctrine for political gain is not at all unique to Shiite clerics, and my post was not intended to perpetuate the current anti-Arab sentiment in the US. The quote I heard was via last night's PBS Newshour and it struck a chord with me.
