Posted by Dan Ewert : 7/25/2002 01:27:00 AM (Archive Link)
So I’ve taken time to consider it and I’ve decided that I don’t trust Islam. I obviously don’t trust the radicalized version that openly advocates terrorism and violence against the non-believers. My problem is that I sometimes wonder just how far the rest of the Islamic world is from this radical mentality. This is the only major religion whose holy text calls for not just for the conversion of the infidel, but their elimination if conversion fails. It is the only major religion that was born not out of violence committed to it, but by violence that the faith itself committed on others. It is the only major religion that consistently perpetrated violence against non-believers throughout its history. It is the only major religion that specifically calls for a particular type of government. For these reasons alone, I don’t trust it. And yes, you can say that Christianity has its share of blemishes, it has its Crusades, its Inquisitions, and yes, you can bring up the great medieval Arabian academia as evidence of Islam’s positive side. Yes, and again yes… don’t bore me. The western, Christian countries of the world long ago leapfrogged, lapped, and utterly passed by the Islamic nations that stayed the same. The character and values of the West and of Christianity have changed for the better while the Middle East’s character has remained fundamentally the same. And yes, there are many, many peace loving Muslims out there and in America. However, I wonder how much of that is a quality of the religion or a quality of the surrounding culture imposing itself upon the religion. I wonder how much of a nudge it would take to persuade a majority or even a minority of these peaceful people to change their nature to radicalism… back to the roots and historical character of the faith. Honestly, I don’t think it would take much to push the disillusioned given the right circumstances. And thus, I find Islam uncomfortable.