I’ve kept my opinions on Middle Eastern affairs relatively quiet until now. It’s not an issue, it is issues (plural), all feeding off one another to create chaos tenfold. There’ve been bombings, murders, wars, kidnappings, and now bold statements of uranium enrichment. Nations found within the Western definition of the Middle East greatly vary in governing systems and cultural attitudes. Such a topic deserves much reflection, something most people who actually live there get little chance at. After all, immediate survival tends to command one’s attention.
But we who are safe behind our computer screens DO have the luxury of considering the global implications of what is transpiring in the Middle East. Especially we Americans, since we feel it necessary to blow something up over there at least once a week. Don’t think I’m going soft; I merely feel a lot of the aggressions on display are TKJRs, or Tactical Knee Jerk Reactions. We’re focused on a lot of surface crap like territorial boundaries and oil when what we NEED to focus on is the driving force behind the devastation. No matter the actions or decisions involved, they are all humans equally vulnerable to the same fears and needs.
Now I know that I often harp on the religious aspects of a given topic, but religious discussion is vital to the conflicts at hand. After all, what is religion but an agreed upon system to address the fears and needs of its members. This central issue of religious dogma is a terrible burden, for adherence to religion has a blinding affect on people toward other points of view.
For example, people know there are Jews, Christians, and Muslims living in one general area, but I’m not sure they understand how intimately connected these three religions are. Most important to understand is that they are all Abrahamic traditions, that is, religious ideologies that trace their lineage back to that most famous biblical figure, Abraham. The following is a very crude interpretation of the blossoming of the Abrahamic tree:
First there was Judaism, which established its unique beliefs despite much opposition from polytheistic traditions. Over many generations, Judaism began to find favor with the societies it existed in, until it became corrupted. Along came a man with the kahunas to speak out against Jewish elders, and the people loved him. They loved him so much they established a revised version of Judaism in his honor which eventually became known as Christianity. Many more generations passed, with Christendom suffering the same resistance its predecessor endured, until it too found favor and power within society. This power began to grow and conquer other points of view until it became an oppressive force. And once again, a man appeared who spoke out against the Christian presence, his followers creating yet another religious ideology which is now known as the Islamic faith.
Judaism, Christianity, and the Islamic faith can all be considered revisions of the ideas first spoken to Abraham by the one God himself. Judaism evolved along with the Jews until they “went astray”, to which it evolved AROUND them to establish Christianity, which evolved until it too “went astray”, to which it evolved AROUND them to established Islam. And all of this social evolution was fueled by conflicting opinions, corrupt religious figures, and a brash mishandling of whatever spiritual claims they held over their people. One need only observe the many sects and schisms within each tradition to know this truth.
Ah but since man is a temporal beast fixated on his own survival, the conflict cannot end with lineage and a claim to God’s ideal religious values. God was also known to give land to his chosen people(s), which they quickly covered with sacred sites and temples. Here is where we are focused, on the rights and privileges of religious nuts to their prize. It means we are dealing not only with differing points of view, but also territory and “stuff” sacred to each tradition.
Now that our nation is free from conservative leadership fearful of losing credibility, the reality of the Middle East can come forth. We can see that terrorists and insurgents are really staunch believers in Muhammad and his claims that Judaism and Christianity are both corrupted versions of God’s truth. These people can all be found as citizens to a Nation of Islam (not really found on a map), and they have pledged to do away with the other offending world views at any cost. We can see Jews clinging to ancient customs brought about largely to ensure their survival among oppressive circumstances, fighting for a land they claim was given to them by a transcendental figure. And we can see Christianity supporting Jews simply because it shares some of the same holy scripture and ideas.
Why is it so hard for us to get a handle on the overall conflict at hand? Because so many of us see our own religion as necessary to our existence and, further, a force for Good in the world. It doesn’t even enter our thinking. We lack the ability to look critically at the way we perceive the world. This is not a problem for one particular religion, but all of them. They are all corrupt, and must all preach against other points of view as false in order to seem credible. This creates wars. This will be our downfall.
And you know what? The overwhelming numbers of religious people deserve this self made Hell. Sure it sucks for those of us who choose spirituality over religion, but we are a tiny minority lost in a sea of monkeydom. Those who so desperately need ONE DEFINITE shared experience of life will be denied, ARE BEING DENIED RIGHT NOW, and it is driving them insane.
In a very elaborate way, this conflict stands as a test for humanity. Will religious convictions and existential fears continue to cloud our judgments and thus spin us off toward oblivion? Or will enough people, religious and non, realize the nature of these conflicts and decide on a better possible future? Can we see that every perspective is a different representation of the same feelings and needs in the collective human experience?
My vote is a resounding no, which is why I suggest this comically radical solution. If the children cannot play nice with the toys God gave them, those toys must be taken away. If temples and land and artifacts and idols are the symbols men choose to associate reality with, then we must use those symbols to send a new message, namely that we don’t appreciate their throwing the human race into millennia long struggles for dominance and orthodoxy. I don’t suggest we try and convince these believers of the folly of their actions any longer, nor do I suggest we outright kill them. We evacuate the temples and sites they hold so dear, and blow those things to kingdom come.
Yes I know that all Jews, Christians, and Muslims do not hold hate in their hearts. The problem is, they hold Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in their hearts, allowing for haters and nut jobs to manipulate each for their own agendas. This conflict is the very same conflict which brought each religious tradition into being. Either we allow the human spirit to evolve past them, or we die trying.
But we who are safe behind our computer screens DO have the luxury of considering the global implications of what is transpiring in the Middle East. Especially we Americans, since we feel it necessary to blow something up over there at least once a week. Don’t think I’m going soft; I merely feel a lot of the aggressions on display are TKJRs, or Tactical Knee Jerk Reactions. We’re focused on a lot of surface crap like territorial boundaries and oil when what we NEED to focus on is the driving force behind the devastation. No matter the actions or decisions involved, they are all humans equally vulnerable to the same fears and needs.
Now I know that I often harp on the religious aspects of a given topic, but religious discussion is vital to the conflicts at hand. After all, what is religion but an agreed upon system to address the fears and needs of its members. This central issue of religious dogma is a terrible burden, for adherence to religion has a blinding affect on people toward other points of view.
For example, people know there are Jews, Christians, and Muslims living in one general area, but I’m not sure they understand how intimately connected these three religions are. Most important to understand is that they are all Abrahamic traditions, that is, religious ideologies that trace their lineage back to that most famous biblical figure, Abraham. The following is a very crude interpretation of the blossoming of the Abrahamic tree:
First there was Judaism, which established its unique beliefs despite much opposition from polytheistic traditions. Over many generations, Judaism began to find favor with the societies it existed in, until it became corrupted. Along came a man with the kahunas to speak out against Jewish elders, and the people loved him. They loved him so much they established a revised version of Judaism in his honor which eventually became known as Christianity. Many more generations passed, with Christendom suffering the same resistance its predecessor endured, until it too found favor and power within society. This power began to grow and conquer other points of view until it became an oppressive force. And once again, a man appeared who spoke out against the Christian presence, his followers creating yet another religious ideology which is now known as the Islamic faith.
Judaism, Christianity, and the Islamic faith can all be considered revisions of the ideas first spoken to Abraham by the one God himself. Judaism evolved along with the Jews until they “went astray”, to which it evolved AROUND them to establish Christianity, which evolved until it too “went astray”, to which it evolved AROUND them to established Islam. And all of this social evolution was fueled by conflicting opinions, corrupt religious figures, and a brash mishandling of whatever spiritual claims they held over their people. One need only observe the many sects and schisms within each tradition to know this truth.
Ah but since man is a temporal beast fixated on his own survival, the conflict cannot end with lineage and a claim to God’s ideal religious values. God was also known to give land to his chosen people(s), which they quickly covered with sacred sites and temples. Here is where we are focused, on the rights and privileges of religious nuts to their prize. It means we are dealing not only with differing points of view, but also territory and “stuff” sacred to each tradition.
Now that our nation is free from conservative leadership fearful of losing credibility, the reality of the Middle East can come forth. We can see that terrorists and insurgents are really staunch believers in Muhammad and his claims that Judaism and Christianity are both corrupted versions of God’s truth. These people can all be found as citizens to a Nation of Islam (not really found on a map), and they have pledged to do away with the other offending world views at any cost. We can see Jews clinging to ancient customs brought about largely to ensure their survival among oppressive circumstances, fighting for a land they claim was given to them by a transcendental figure. And we can see Christianity supporting Jews simply because it shares some of the same holy scripture and ideas.
Why is it so hard for us to get a handle on the overall conflict at hand? Because so many of us see our own religion as necessary to our existence and, further, a force for Good in the world. It doesn’t even enter our thinking. We lack the ability to look critically at the way we perceive the world. This is not a problem for one particular religion, but all of them. They are all corrupt, and must all preach against other points of view as false in order to seem credible. This creates wars. This will be our downfall.
And you know what? The overwhelming numbers of religious people deserve this self made Hell. Sure it sucks for those of us who choose spirituality over religion, but we are a tiny minority lost in a sea of monkeydom. Those who so desperately need ONE DEFINITE shared experience of life will be denied, ARE BEING DENIED RIGHT NOW, and it is driving them insane.
In a very elaborate way, this conflict stands as a test for humanity. Will religious convictions and existential fears continue to cloud our judgments and thus spin us off toward oblivion? Or will enough people, religious and non, realize the nature of these conflicts and decide on a better possible future? Can we see that every perspective is a different representation of the same feelings and needs in the collective human experience?
My vote is a resounding no, which is why I suggest this comically radical solution. If the children cannot play nice with the toys God gave them, those toys must be taken away. If temples and land and artifacts and idols are the symbols men choose to associate reality with, then we must use those symbols to send a new message, namely that we don’t appreciate their throwing the human race into millennia long struggles for dominance and orthodoxy. I don’t suggest we try and convince these believers of the folly of their actions any longer, nor do I suggest we outright kill them. We evacuate the temples and sites they hold so dear, and blow those things to kingdom come.
Yes I know that all Jews, Christians, and Muslims do not hold hate in their hearts. The problem is, they hold Judaism, Christianity, and Islam in their hearts, allowing for haters and nut jobs to manipulate each for their own agendas. This conflict is the very same conflict which brought each religious tradition into being. Either we allow the human spirit to evolve past them, or we die trying.
3 comments:
"We lack the ability to look critically at the way we perceive the world. This is not a problem for one particular religion, but all of them. They are all corrupt, and must all preach against other points of view as false in order to seem credible. This creates wars. This will be our downfall."
Amen brother amen! Remember your telling me about that article that Christians should get more wealthy as God would want that? I think about your discussion about the ownership of property and its mucking up of religious thought. Yeah, rich ministers, that is just what we need is more "stuff" to fight over.
On a brighter note, Pakistan is in the process of abolishing its Hudood Ordinance:
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/11/15/pakistan.rapelaws.ap/index.html
Yay!
I saw on the Daily a nobel winner in economics who introduced "trust banking", which drew 90-some percent of its business SUCCESSFULLY from women in that area. He pointed out America's current banking which focuses on collaterol; the more you have, the more you have access to. He thought that those with much less collaterol were the priority in society, they should have access to loans and mortgages. Women naturally benefit. So now they'll have access to money for attorney fees! LOL oh that was harsh.
Well, the conclusion to this blog entry was supposed to stir up some controversy ... I guess I'll have to try harder next time.
And no, I don't really think the solution is to blow things up. But I do believe all the people involved are making possible solutions impossible to agree on.
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