Oh, boy is mama fuming over response to the President’s statements about the Crusades. For…how many years now…about a gazillion, she and papa have discussed religion and its origins and its assets and its drawbacks and how faith certainly can be a healer but also a hinderer, depending on how tenaciously one clings to one’s beliefs and how interpretation of all religions can be skewed when it serves the skewer’s purpose!
But when President Obama brings in the Crusades as an example of how wars in the name of religion are often the antithesis of what the religion says it stands for, he is saying that any religion can become warped, distorted, used by radical believers (in this case, ISIS) to justify aggression (murder, torture, intimidation) against non-believers (so-called Infidels) and that if religions could get along peaceably, the world would be on a better path to the future.
Mama wonders how many understand the events that took place in Paris?
How freedom of speech and the press are so dear to the French, certainly as dear as the right to bear arms is to some Americans, no? Mama is still on the proverbial horns of a dilemma about just how far one should or should not go when criticizing another’s religious beliefs. Have we not laws against racism in the USA, against defamation of churches, temples, mosques? But how far do we allow verbal defamation to go before the law steps in? And can any law actually deter the spread of radicalism that we see within some religions?
At any rate, mama, papa and I were amazed that our President’s very thoughtful and intellectually sound statements could be so ill-taken and turned around on him by certain members of the Republican party and other right-leaning individuals. His words were not an offense, but a plea for sanity.
But the Republicans have been out for blood for many months now. The two parties do not work together for the good of the United States of America. There is no acceptance of separation of church and state in the US, and I’m not sure there is really a complete acceptance of freedom of religion. Everyone has his prejudices, buried as they may be, but prejudice is a seed that can grow into radicalism with little encouragement.
And if President Obama is the only one who will speak out against the corruption of Islam and the corruption of Catholicism, or the corruption of any religion, for that matter, mama applauds him. It takes courage and a sound mind to go against such a formidable tide of ignorancce.
Bravo, Mr. Obama. Yet again.
We three in this family celebrate your gumption and perserverance in these last (unfortunately) days of office.
This kitty is proud to be even a tiny part of his following…
If only Islam, Christianity and Judaism did not believe, each one, that God is on its side, and ONLY its side, how much more communication we could have among all believers.
Well, I was exhausted after writing this post…I’m taking a breather in mama’s arms.
Excellent post – thanks LouLou!!!