Here we go again.
I'm all for freedom of religion, but like with any freedom, a line must be drawn when religion spills over into fundamentalism, when narrow viewpoints are forced upon people against their wishes. I understand that not all fundamentalism is bad, but I would argue that in general fundamentalism causes more division and rancor than any other aspect of religion. After all, that is the point of holding a fundamentalist view--to promote a particular viewpoint to the exclusion of all others in the sincere conviction that you are right and that everyone else, unless they agree with you, is wrong. The misguided zeal and lust for power that usually accompany such views has caused more death and suffering throughout history than the bubonic plague.
Although I've tried to tone down the religious gab on this blog because it tends to peeve the (one) reader(s) and is boring and usually negative, I've got to say that I'm appalled at the recent reports of violent crimes being committed against Muslim women by fundamentalist Islamic men because of alleged violations of Islamic "laws." You've heard about it before--citing the Koran and other "teachings," these men torture and mutilate women for not wearing headscarves or for wearing makeup. They are convinced that makeup is a social evil that justifies hundreds of rapes, beheadings and abductions. It goes without saying that this sort of arbitrary social oppression is disgusting and barbaric and any man who endorses it should be thrown in jail for the rest of his miserable life.
I know what some of you may be thinking. It's the Muslims. The problem is with their religion. But that would be wrong. The problem occurs when a society tolerates a fundamental religious viewpoint and allows it to circumvent or ignore basic civil liberties. I realize that the society first has to recognize civil liberties and be able to enforce them, which isn't the case in Iraq. But this sort of heinous zealotry must be recognized as a product of fundamentalist religious teachings, and its continued existence can only be explained by social tolerance.
In my opinion, and to cite an argument others have made far more eloquently, the burden of reform in this regard is on the moderate believers. People like yourselves. People who go to the church/mosque and say prayers and live normal, decent lives. The burden of reform is on you for a number of reasons, but the main reason is that you share the same beliefs with the fundamentalist crazies. While you may lack the strength of conviction or anger or zealotry or whatever it is that separates you from them, you agree with their ultimate cosmological explanation, more or less. Since a fundamentalist usually doesn't take seriously people who disagree with their views, it is this unity of perspective that makes you particularly suited to exert social pressure on them. No one else can. They will at least listen to you. They may violently disagree with you, but as long as they are treated as a fringe element by their own community of believers they will lack power.
Therefore, whether you are a Christian in America, a Muslim in Iraq, or a Jew in Israel, if you consider yourself a moderate, everyday sort of believer you cannot sit back and marvel at how crazy the fundamentalists are within your religion. Their ability to get away with oppressive, unjust actions is dependant on you. If their own community of believers doesn’t object, they feel justified. Put in another way, the silence of the majority is tacit approval of the actions of the minority.
>>>steps down from soapbox<<<<
