Gene's Blog

A Little Rant on Religion(s)

Yes, again, or maybe still. I’ve seen a couple things that have just boggled my mind in recent days and have a couple things I want to say about them. I sort of began this with the story of the teddy bear “scandal” that caused what one might think were reasonable people, or maybe what one should expect reasonable people to be, when the woman teaching (yes, THERE to HELP the children of the Sudan) made the mistake of allowing the children in her classroom to name their teddy bear, Mohammad. She faced up to 40 lashes, was sentenced to 15 days in jail, which prompted a storm of protest against the leniency of this sentence. Fortunately a couple of more forward thinking British Muslim’s were able to secure a “pardon” for her and get her the hell out of Dodge. Wonderful people those fundamentalists, don’t you just love that sense of humor they are so well-known for? For them, it isn’t a matter of not getting the joke, it is a matter of having the jokester put to death, if at all possible. We might recall the calm with which they reacted to the satire, which literary device is apparently completely beyond them, perhaps it had not yet been invented in the 12th century, no, that can’t be right, I guess it really just IS the people of this time who have no sense of humor, let alone compassion.

So from that story, I want to move on to Mitt Romney. Sort of on the other side of the coin from Muslim fundamentalists but a fundie no less. He gave a very nice news conference last week in which he assured the citizens of the United States that although he is a pious man and therefore godly, that he would not let the tenets of his religion enter into his political decision-making process, while still managing to make clear that religion, not reason, would guide his decision-making. He actually said, “Freedom requires religion, just as religion requires freedom.” Oh, yeah, I want that one for President. He did not mention which particular religion is required. And, I just don’t remember on taking my own oath of service back when I was 18 that a particular religion was mentioned then either. He didn’t say how we’d decide that part. Or for that matter just what constitutes and actual religion. We’ve just had 8 years of that crap and look where we are now? Mired in a war that should never have been begun against an enemy that never fired so much as a shot at us for having weapons we knew they did not have. While forgetting all about the Taliban’s re-emergence in Afghanistan and their re-imposing on large segments of that country that wonderfully tolerant brand of Islam that refuses women the right to HAVE, let alone practice a profession, to leave their home without a male relative, to bear whatever punishment those dirty old men feel they deserve for crimes, such as the one I’m going to describe in a moment. Mr. Romney though he feels he is qualified to be the President of the United States apparently does not understand the concept embodied in our constitution about separation of church and state. Ours IS a secular society. Have faith, in whatever you wish, our constitution gives us that right, because our constitution does NOT require a religion or any religious litmus test at all in order to be a citizen of these United States. It was DESIGNED to be this way. Why? To protect us from the lunacy of those who would force their version of God on the rest of us at any cost, including our death. Oh, yes, I know him. And all those like him. They used to like burning women at the stake. I think somewhere deep in their dark little hearts they yearn for those days of glory to return. And if we let them, that is what we’ll get. More of the same bilious poison they have been spreading across the planet at point of sword since recorded history began. As a wise man in today’s paper pointed out, there was indeed a time when religion and government formed a perfect alliance, we now call that the Dark Ages. There are many here who want to extinguish all light but that which their torches bring as they burn heretics, heretics in this sense meaning everyone who does not agree with them, off the face of the planet. Yes, Mitt Romney, he’s our guy. Holy gawd, what we have come to.

Now then, the war against terrorism, or that part of which was supposed to find and bring to justice Osama bin Laden, has ALWAYS been in Afghanistan. Bush knows this, but after all, it was Saddam who tried to kill his daddy, so, first things first. And now we are a trillion and a half dollars into a fight that will matter not in the slightest in history because five minutes after the last American soldier leaves Iraq, assuming that ever actually happens, probably from the roof of a flaming embassy as the graceful exit from Viet Nam was conducted, will be a Muslim fundamentalist nation, following the resolution of the civil war which will follow our exit. Either Shiite like Iran or Sunni like Saudi Arabia. A real win-win no matter how you look at it. Oh, excuse, me that was a bit more of that sarcasm they seem not to get, or maybe get and just don’t like. Whatever.

So today, I read a story Brute Justice in which a brilliant young Muslim woman named Ayaan Hirsi Ali asks where are the moderate Muslims? Why are their voices not raised in indignation at the fundamentalist take over of their religion. You can read for yourselves the article, I hope you do, it is one of the most reasoned, moderate things I have ever read from an avowed Muslim. I am sure there will be a fatwah calling for her death by days end.

She quotes the Quran 24:2 thus: “The woman and the man guilty of adultery or fornication, flog each of them with 100 stripes: let no compassion move you in their case, in a matter prescribed by Allah, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day.” Well, if THAT is an example of the compassion and love moderate Muslim’s insist the Quran is based on, I’m one hoping that last day is tomorrow. Because people like that sort of leave a sour taste in ones soul, you know? So what happened in this instance to cause her to write about this enlightening verse? A 20 year old woman in Saudi Arabia, reported that she had been abducted and repeatedly raped by several men. But was the Court quick to her defense? Not quite. They found HER guilty, of “mingling”. When she was abducted she was in a vehicle with a man who was not related to her by blood or marriage, in other words, she asked for it. Her sentence? Six months in prison and 200 lashes with a bamboo cane. Ms. Ali points out that 200 lashes are enough to kill a strong man, even in the barbaric nation, our great friend, Saudi Arabia, women are normally not given more than 30 lashes. You know, in order not to actually kill them, so they will do her the great grace of meting out this crime against humanity over a seven week period. For mingling.

Ms. Ali mentions that around the world, and here in the United States, there are MANY organized groups quick to attack any perceived slight toward Islam and she asks, quite reasonably, WHERE THE HELL (okay that part is me, she actually WAS polite) are those defenders of moderate Islam now? How can we, and by we I mean all of us who are not Muslim, possibly trust them when they say the Quran is not violent, that it is full of peace, love and goodwill toward all? Just where are these moderates? Who is holding them hostage, who has stolen their voice? She mentions that when, in 2003, she noted in an interview she gave that by Western standards some of the Prophet Mohammad’s behavior would be considered unconscionable, four Muslim ambassadors were sent to the leader of her political party in the Netherland’s to demand she be expelled from their Parliament. They haven’t actually grown more tolerant in recent years either have they?

This, and do not think I excuse Western fundamentalists because in my opinion they are as backward, as violent and as barbaric as are fundamentalist Islamics. After all, 911 WAS caused by fornication and proponents of gay marriage was it not? I mean, we deserved that, according to our own fundies.

The title of her article says it all. And it is what we ALL have to fear from radical religions of all stripes, they know nothing but Brute Justice and they know nothing of compassion nor love. They are the greatest danger this planet faces. Still. I hope the moderate voices wake to this threat while we still have the freedom to use our voices and prevent that which these evil, barbaric men would bring to us once again, a new Dark Age. You thought 1984 was scary? Wait till you see what these people are capable of – and I don’t mean a couple of airplanes flown into buildings or the occasional taped beheading or even the brutalization of a young woman whose only crime was to trust a man who was not related to her by blood or marriage. The fires of Hell will burn on this planet if moderate voices are not raised, if reason is not defended, if love and forgiveness are driven under the blood-soaked ground these men will have us all walking on.

Where is the outrage at what is happening to our world? Do not blame God for this, He gave us free will and this is what some are choosing to do with that gift. Who will help stop them? You? Me? I think we need more than the two of us. And I think people need to not shrug off horrors as things that happen to others “over there”, because as Jesus himself said, Matthew 25:40, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ And THAT is God’s own truth. Note please, He did not suggest flogging, beheading, invading or toppling rulers of other lands as alternatives. He just said no. So do I. much love, :^) gene