Evil Religion
by Bob Clasen
___________________________________________
J.D. suggests that our war on terror is different than traditional wars against states.
This is true.
The current war is often called the "War on Terror" or "War on Terrorism" but these names are misleading. Terrorism is a method of warfare. The label does not identify whom we are fighting. The reason that we use this nomenclature is because of political correctness, because the culture of toleration and religious freedom makes it difficult to say that our war is with an evil religion.
Philosophers may argue about how to define evil properly, or whether it is even possible to define evil. I do not want to get into that discussion.
But I feel safe in saying that when a religion teaches a person that if he murders thousands of innocent civilians, he is doing the will of God, that religion is evil.
It is the notion of Holy War (Jihad) that is the heart of the problem. Those people in Islam who believe that it is moral to murder the Infidel, that God smiles on such murder; this idea is what we are warring with. It is a war of civilizations.
Islamic Jihadists are no cowards. It takes a brave man to fly a jet plane into a building at 500 miles per hour. These men were educated and had money. They had the courage of their convictions.
Nor are Islamic Jihadists crazy. If one accepts the assumption that God wants me to kill Infidel and will transport me to my eternal reward if I kill some, the Jihadist action is perfectly logical.
The core problem is evil belief: bad religion.
Killing some soldiers is not going to end the war. Overthrowing one dictator is not going to end the war. This evil religion must be attacked intellectually and disgraced. It must come to be seen in the same light and with the same contempt as other evil ideas, like Naziism and Racism.
But Western Culture is too embarrassed to even talk about the possibility of Evil Religion. Such talk is impolite and rude. Perhaps when one of our cities disappears in a mushroom cloud . . .
______________________________________________
___________________________________________
J.D. suggests that our war on terror is different than traditional wars against states.
This is true.
The current war is often called the "War on Terror" or "War on Terrorism" but these names are misleading. Terrorism is a method of warfare. The label does not identify whom we are fighting. The reason that we use this nomenclature is because of political correctness, because the culture of toleration and religious freedom makes it difficult to say that our war is with an evil religion.
Philosophers may argue about how to define evil properly, or whether it is even possible to define evil. I do not want to get into that discussion.
But I feel safe in saying that when a religion teaches a person that if he murders thousands of innocent civilians, he is doing the will of God, that religion is evil.
It is the notion of Holy War (Jihad) that is the heart of the problem. Those people in Islam who believe that it is moral to murder the Infidel, that God smiles on such murder; this idea is what we are warring with. It is a war of civilizations.
Islamic Jihadists are no cowards. It takes a brave man to fly a jet plane into a building at 500 miles per hour. These men were educated and had money. They had the courage of their convictions.
Nor are Islamic Jihadists crazy. If one accepts the assumption that God wants me to kill Infidel and will transport me to my eternal reward if I kill some, the Jihadist action is perfectly logical.
The core problem is evil belief: bad religion.
Killing some soldiers is not going to end the war. Overthrowing one dictator is not going to end the war. This evil religion must be attacked intellectually and disgraced. It must come to be seen in the same light and with the same contempt as other evil ideas, like Naziism and Racism.
But Western Culture is too embarrassed to even talk about the possibility of Evil Religion. Such talk is impolite and rude. Perhaps when one of our cities disappears in a mushroom cloud . . .
______________________________________________
Comments
Irish Catholics and Protestants killing each other in Ireland, which is the evil religion there? Car bombs and innocents murdered
Which one would you brand as evil?
Jesuits decimating Native populations everywhere
Evil Religion doesn't kill people, it's people
Short of killing everyone who dislikes us, how do you propose stopping such an act without diplomacy and cooperation.
Bob Replies:
Primarily, I am challenging Islamic theology. I am arguing that the primary battle is intellectual, not military.
What kind of God calls for the murder of innocents? Is this a religion to be proud of?
What kind of religion spreads it self by force rather than by persuasion?
A religion that claims it has the right to use force to compel people to submit is not a religion that is entitled to the protections of civilized governments: it is a form of organized crime.
When Bush and Blair claims that the "peaceful" religion of Islam has been hijacked by a few extremists, they are hedging the truth for political purposes.
The people committing the crimes are the fundamentalists: the people who take the words of the Koran literally. They are not adding new doctrine to Islam. They are taking the words of the prophet literally. The problem lies at the root of Islam: in the Koran.
"Fight for the sake of God those who fight against you, but do not attack them first. God does not love the aggressors. Slay them wherever you find them. Drive them out of the places from which they drove you. Idolatry is worse than carnage. (Sura 2:190-191)
"The true believers fight for the cause of God, but the infidels fight for the devil. Fight then against the friends of Satan." Sura 4:76
"When the sacred months are over slay the idolaters [Pagans?/Polytheists?] wherever you find them. Arrest them, besiege them, and lie in ambush everywhere for them. (Sura 9:5)
"Fight against such of those to whom the Scriptures were given as believe neither in God nor the Last Day, who do not forbid what God and His Apostle have forbidden, and do not embrace the true Faith, until they pay tribute out of hand and are utterly subdued." (Sura 9:20)
"Prophet, make war on the unbelievers and deal rigorously with them. Hell shall be their home: an evil fate." (Sura 9:73)
"Those that stayed at home were glad that they were left behind by God's apostle [Muhammad], for they had no wish to fight for the cause of God with their wealth and with their persons. They said to each other: 'Do not go to war, the heat is fierce." Say to them: 'More fierce is the heat of "hell-fire!" Would that they understood! (Sura 9:91)
"When you meet the unbelievers in the battlefield, strike off their heads and, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly." (Sura 47:4)
"Mohammad is God's Apostle. Those who follow him are ruthless to the unbelievers but merciful to one another." (Sura 48:29)
"God does not forbid you to be kind and equitable to those who have neither made war on your religion nor driven you from your homes. But He forbids you to make friends with those who have fought against you on account of your religion and driven you from your homes or abetted other to do so. Those that make friends with them are wrongdoers." (Sura 60:9)
______________________________