Re: Two essays on the violence seemingly inherent in Islam

From: Zero Powers (zero_powers@hotmail.com)
Date: Tue Oct 23 2001 - 21:54:43 MDT


>From: "Alex F. Bokov" <alexboko@umich.edu>

>Hypothetically, what if there was a religion (not Islam, a
>hypothetical religion that doesn't exist at all in our timeline)
>diametrically opposed to the liberal, secular, rational, humanist,
>egalitarian values. Would it be acceptable for us to regard this
>religion as a problem rather than as a valid point of view, much like
>we regard bigotry and hatred as problems rather than as opinions?
>
>Have we arrived at a paradox?

Some people (myself and J.R. Molloy included) *do* view religion as a
problem (if not *the* problem). But the problem with that problem is how to
deal with it in a "liberal, secular, rational, humanist, egalitarian" way?
The only way I see is by meme warfare. But this is admittedly an
excrutiatingly slow way to wipe out theism. Particularly since religions
are like Chinese handcuffs. The more you pull, the more resistant it
becomes.

-Zero

"I'm a seeker too. But my dreams aren't like yours. I can't help thinking
that somewhere in the universe there has to be something better than man.
Has to be." -- George Taylor _Planet of the Apes_ (1968)

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