Freedom and Science
by Bob Clasen
Abdul Rahman, raised a Muslim, who converted to Christianity, was released from jail yesterday in Afghanistan. He was branded by his own family as insane, because he had doubted the religion he was brought up in. He wisely disappeared as he had been threatened by death my many local religious authorities. He was offered asylum in Italy. It does seem a little reckless to announce your conversion from Islam in a conservative Islamic culture, since the penalty for conversion under Sharia (Holy Law) is death. Freedom to convert to another religion is apparently not part of Islamic culture.
In conservative Islam, the Koran is accepted literally, just as some Christians accept the Bible literally. In many Moslem schools, the main subject taught is the Koran and arabic, the "holy language" of the Koran.
Many onservative moslems reject western culture, including science, technology, and western economics, wherever they conflict with the Koran. (just as some conservative Christians do). This creates real practical problems such as how to run a banking system without charging interest (forbidden by the Koran).
In the Darwinian battle between civilizations, it is not the rejection of the Christian God that is going to cause Islamic civilization the most difficulty. It is the rejection of free thought and especially science, technology and economics. It is generally the richest and most powerful country that defeats the poorest country, in battle. Freedom succeeds not because God supports it but because it creates wealth. Compare Hong Kong and "red China" or North Korea and South Korea, or East German and West Germany, as perfect scientific studies of the difference between free economies and "command and control" economies with regard to producing wealth.
There are hundreds of traditional religions, based upon sacred books spread out over the globe by time and geography. Such traditions tend to divide people from one another. For example, in a recent National Geographic, I was amused to read that some of the Celtic people of England (Irish, Wales, Scotland) still paint their bodies, dance naked under the full moon, speak ancient Celtic and demand political freedom from England. They practice ancient Celtic religions as well. Such traditions are colorful but divide people and encourage separation and even war.
There is one science, spread out over the world, acting as a unifying principle to bring people of different cultures together. In the event of a dispute between scientists, the dispute is resolved a re-examination of the evidence, a review of one's logic.
In the event of a dispute between religious fundamentalists, the traditional mode of resolution is war.
Perhaps in another thousand years, if man survives, science will prevail over religion and peace over war.
Abdul Rahman, raised a Muslim, who converted to Christianity, was released from jail yesterday in Afghanistan. He was branded by his own family as insane, because he had doubted the religion he was brought up in. He wisely disappeared as he had been threatened by death my many local religious authorities. He was offered asylum in Italy. It does seem a little reckless to announce your conversion from Islam in a conservative Islamic culture, since the penalty for conversion under Sharia (Holy Law) is death. Freedom to convert to another religion is apparently not part of Islamic culture.
In conservative Islam, the Koran is accepted literally, just as some Christians accept the Bible literally. In many Moslem schools, the main subject taught is the Koran and arabic, the "holy language" of the Koran.
Many onservative moslems reject western culture, including science, technology, and western economics, wherever they conflict with the Koran. (just as some conservative Christians do). This creates real practical problems such as how to run a banking system without charging interest (forbidden by the Koran).
In the Darwinian battle between civilizations, it is not the rejection of the Christian God that is going to cause Islamic civilization the most difficulty. It is the rejection of free thought and especially science, technology and economics. It is generally the richest and most powerful country that defeats the poorest country, in battle. Freedom succeeds not because God supports it but because it creates wealth. Compare Hong Kong and "red China" or North Korea and South Korea, or East German and West Germany, as perfect scientific studies of the difference between free economies and "command and control" economies with regard to producing wealth.
There are hundreds of traditional religions, based upon sacred books spread out over the globe by time and geography. Such traditions tend to divide people from one another. For example, in a recent National Geographic, I was amused to read that some of the Celtic people of England (Irish, Wales, Scotland) still paint their bodies, dance naked under the full moon, speak ancient Celtic and demand political freedom from England. They practice ancient Celtic religions as well. Such traditions are colorful but divide people and encourage separation and even war.
There is one science, spread out over the world, acting as a unifying principle to bring people of different cultures together. In the event of a dispute between scientists, the dispute is resolved a re-examination of the evidence, a review of one's logic.
In the event of a dispute between religious fundamentalists, the traditional mode of resolution is war.
Perhaps in another thousand years, if man survives, science will prevail over religion and peace over war.
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