Religion is Morally Neutral

You are not Morally Superior.

Published on September 6, 2004 By Muggaz In Current Events

The best analogy I can think of when it comes to religion – no matter whether it is Christianity, Islam, Judaism or Pagan is that it is like a knife – when the knife is used to cut sandwiches, the knife is a good thing, but when that very same knife is used to stab someone in the stomach, it is a bad thing – a very bad thing.

The problem with religion is that anyone can wield the knife, and it is up to them to make sandwiches or stab people in the stomach. As a non-religious person, I have to tell you, my only ideals are about making sandwiches, and it hurts me to see theses so called peace and love advocating ‘Christians’ all too eager to play the blame game and declare that the other religion is worse than theirs. It amazes me that some people are daft enough to blame a whole religion on the actions of a select few.

Christians point the finger toward Muslims, because it makes them feel better about their ‘little’ hate crimes. No one denies there are bad Muslims in this world, if they did, they would be blind – yet by the same token – to hypothesise that there are no Christians as evil as these ‘non-terrorist’ Muslims is farcical.

I remember in 2002 when a couple of lesbians had their house burnt down by someone professing to be acting on God’s behalf – hopefully the saner Christians could see this as the hate crime it was, yet it startles me that this basic human trait of common sense is reported to have alluded those of Islam faith. I also remember reading this article – based on a basic human rights crime, in the glorious United States of America, by a ‘God Fearing Christian’ who beat and tortured his young son – please – no one try and tell me that all Christians are good people.

We know about Christians turning on each other in Ireland, and we know about Sunny and Shi’ite Muslims fighting each other in the Middle East, there are bad people in this world no matter what religion they attach themselves to, and to see the bigoted attitude constantly on display from self righteous ‘Christians’ who claim that they are better just because they follow Jesus rather than Mohammed – well, that makes me sick.

The only beneficiary of such an attitude is Satan – I don’t care what religion you are, but inciting hatred by saying this religion did that, or the other religion does this, well, collectively as a human race, it doesn’t get us anywhere.

When ‘Christians’ or ‘Muslims’ act on behalf of their religion, it’s up to their personal integrity as to whether they use the knife for making a sandwich or stabbing in the guts – when people write articles slamming the acts of people based on religion – rather than slamming the people themselves, they are stabbing away happily, and I hate to report, but the Christians are just as adept at stabbing as Muslims… practice a little homemaking, and I think we will all be a little better off.

BAM!!!

Comments (Page 2)

Gideon MacLeish

on Sep 07, 2004

Muggaz,

Not a bad article, but I would like to challenge a couple of things respectfully if I may.

First, I agree wholeheartedly that you can use the teachings of a religion in a few different ways. That being said, you use the illustration of a lebian couple who had their house burned by Christians. While this is an abhorrent, inexcusable act, I have noticed that the number of those kinds of acts in the present day tend to be enough of a minority to be newsworthy, and, in fact, tend to be denounced by a good number of differing sects of Christianity.

Among Muslims, on the other hand, these acts are an everyday occurence. While they are also committed by the minority of Muslims, there are a good number of clerics that remain silent on these actions. They do not condone them, per se, but in many cases fear retaliation from the Muslim factions that DO commit these deeds. I see an analogy here between the majority of decent, honest Muslim clerics and the decent, honest Christian ministers of the deep south in America in the 1880's or in Berlin in the 1930's. What the honest Christian ministers who failed to speak up didn't realize is that, by not speaking against these acts, they bore some degree of responsibility for the atrocities. Their position was one of moral guidance of their parish, and they abdicated out of fear.

The Muslim clerics should try and learn a lesson from the misguided Christian pastors who abdicated their responsibility. They will risk much in "outing" the terrorist factions among them, but they stand to gain the respect of much of the world. If we are to pursue peace, it needs to come from all sides.

As a closing note, the Ayatollah who ended the standoff at the Mosque in iraq is a shining example. I truly wish him well and hope that his example serves as a light for other Muslim clerics to follow.

EventHorizon

on Sep 07, 2004

Again, you talk as if antagonistic proselytizing faiths have some common ground or mutual 'home'. You plainly do not understand such forms of faith. You live in a warm and cuddly Tao where we can all get along. Christians, Muslims and Jews, do not. Any true believer of any of the three sects mentioned would quite properly consider your Tao to be yet another godless heresy and be just as willing to butcher you as any other heretic.

EoIC, you have absolutely no idea what youre talking about; your view of a 'true believer' is hopelessly skewed...Im not going to even try...

citahellion said:

Most people in any given religion are indoctrinated into it from birth by their parents. A few break free of that and make their own choice.

And some make the choice to stay...

TheCassMan

on Sep 07, 2004

PS- they are called Yarmulke or Kippah

Thanks

The Crusaders

on Sep 07, 2004

EventHorizon,

Most people in any given religion (Christianity, Islam, even Atheism) are not forced to be part of that religion, but make that choice freely. ...And if you were born into a given religion, you can always convert to another, or lose your faith altogether...that alone is evidence of people's capability of independant thought.

I don't think it is a free choice for everyone. There are those who are born into a world of religion and are persuaded kindly or harshly to "Be one of us"(whatever that religion may be).....they are emotionally pressured to follow in their families faith.....and sure, some may have the opprotunity to leave by their own accord but many others know no other way or are unable to do so at their own free will.

Hypothetical:
We find out ....for sure...no doubt about it....it's absolutely irrefutable.....there is no god of any type.....to any religion. And we now know that there is only us and no great spiritual beings to have faith in.....Do you think then people would stop squabbling over nonexistant differences and join together as a united people and live peacefully with faith that we all belong and we have no need to divide ourselves with religions that serve no purpose?

Muggaz

on Sep 07, 2004

The Muslim clerics should try and learn a lesson from the misguided Christian pastors who abdicated their responsibility. They will risk much in "outing" the terrorist factions among them, but they stand to gain the respect of much of the world. If we are to pursue peace, it needs to come from all sides.

How can you expect these Muslim clerics to learn a leson from Christians when they have an inferiority complex based on the the fact their religion is constantly deemed as immoral by the west? I know exactly what you are saying, and while it is a pipe-dream in todays climate, Idealy, the Muslim clerics would realise that the west doesn't have anything against Islam, just act's reported to be commited on behalf of Islam

When the Imams understand this, and the Western general public understand this, we can look forward to social progression, at the moment, it is just tit for tat though, and the fighting wont cease until the West focus on working with the moderates of Islam, rather than flaming the religion in general, creating a cycle of hate and mis-conceptions.

BAM!!!

stevendedalus

on Sep 07, 2004

It would be consoling if they just carried knives; but most of them carry assault weapons--apparently terrorists, too, believe in the right to bear arms.

citahellion

on Sep 07, 2004

when they have an inferiority complex based on the the fact their religion is constantly deemed as immoral by the west?

Please. What makes you think they care one tiny whit what the west thinks of their religion? Do we feel inferior because they've declared our religion to be immoral and all of us to be devil-loving infidels?
The only thing they may feel inferior about is our vast technological advantage.

the Muslim clerics would realise that the west doesn't have anything against Islam, just acts reported to be commited on behalf of Islam

... by Muslims, with the encouragement or even at the behest of those same clerics....

the fighting wont cease until the West focus on working with the moderates of Islam

The West IS focused on working with the moderates. We also have the problem of protecting both ourselves and the moderates from the extremists.

Muggaz

on Sep 07, 2004

The West IS focused on working with the moderates. We also have the problem of protecting both ourselves and the moderates from the extremists.

Not focused enough - you know what articles I speak of, and even though we will never agree on the issue, I am amazed you have come back to debate it with me. In yourt opinion, hate filled articles directed towards Muslims 'educate' and give the moderates reason to work with us... In my opinion they dont - we are never going to agree on this, so why do you continue to discredit my stance?

... by Muslims, with the encouragement or even at the behest of those same clerics....

Do ALL Muslims and Clerics support these acts? I am not daft - I know there are problems with Islam, that does not escape me, but to put a blanket of blame across 1 billion people because of the actions of radicals is just unfair - and it will not acheive anything except cyclical hate, and possibly the eventual eradication of an entire culture - I wish I couldn't care less about the Muslims, but I can see they are digging their own grave, and I beleive it's our responsibility as an educated society to do anything within our power to prevent this from happening. There is no right or wrong here, it's a matter of opinion - I can certainly understand why some would be so disenchanted that they dont give 2 hoots what happens in the middle east - I have a bit more faith in Human nature than that.

BAM!!!

citahellion

on Sep 09, 2004

hate filled articles directed towards Muslims 'educate' and give the moderates reason to work with us

I never said, nor even implied, that my set of opinions contained such a ridiculous and obviously unworthy sentiment. My opinion is that articles such as Greywar's are insignificant in the greater scheme of issues, representing merely one point along the spectrum of opinions expressed about Islam in general. If a Muslim chooses only to read whatever negative things he finds, that's a problem of his focus, not ours; there are already plenty of positive things available for him to read if he chooses.
On the other hand, if a Muslim wants to know what sorts of problems he needs to address in order to change some peoples' perceptions of his religion, certainly an article like that would serve as a good starting point for areas that non-Muslims misunderstand.

Would you rather lead all Muslims to believe that the world has no problems at all with anything that is being done in the name of their religion, whether it be murder, rape, mayhem, genocide, or other wholesale slaughter?

I know there are problems with Islam, that does not escape me, but to put a blanket of blame across 1 billion people because of the actions of radicals is just unfair - and it will not achieve anything except

Actually, if we are lucky it will achieve a greater effect, namely that the people who are unjustly blamed will stand up and say "Do not blame me, I am against that sort of activity!" Thus finally giving Islam the peaceful voice it needs to be denouncing violent acts with, instead of the resounding silence in the aftermath of mass destruction as the world waits in vain for Muslims to speak out against acts done supposedly in their name.

MANDKS

on Sep 10, 2004

I like this article.....cool way to think of it. Wow, seriously like no joike....this article has let me lose some of my stereotypes towards a certain religion. You know what I'm talking about, we talked about it the other day.

Muggaz

on Sep 11, 2004

Both You and I know they should speak out, but what is encouraging them to co-operate with the west? when all they see is hate and inteolerance coming from our side?

I thought you would! It expesses my sentiments on religion pretty accurately!

BAM!!!

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