I normally stay away from world events and politics, but after the recent London bombing I thought it fit to post at least something that shows my readers how I feel. This list is the product of my friend Charlie, who posts almost exclusively about politics. I vote in major elections, but that’s about as far as my care for government goes. My very core belief system is that all humans are humans, and equal in different ways. Hurting another human based on a difference of skin color, religion, country, education, language or any of the other multitudes of reasons people think up is just plain obscene and stupid. It’s an invasion of basic human rights. Lack of tolerance and understanding for fellow humans is one of the few things that really make me angry. I mean, why do we need to hurt people that look or think differently than we do? We don’t bomb or enslave people who have lost limbs in accidents, so why do we do it to people whose skin color isn’t the same as ours? Anyway, I don’t like to rant, so here’s Charlie’s list, used with permission.
-Religion in government-
Al Qaida/Taliban: One and the same
American Religious Right: One and the same
Liberals: Separation of church and state*
-Schools-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Religious indoctrination. Run by clergy.
American Religious Right: School prayer. Religious indoctrination (creationism and “intelligent design”). Private religious school system.
Liberals: Leave religious teachings to parents and sunday school.
-Women-
Al Qaida/Taliban: No school, must cover entire body, no rights
American Religious Right: Government control over reproductive freedoms, hostility to Title IX, hostility to working women
Liberals: Equality of the sexes
-Religious Freedom-
Al Qaida/Taliban: ‘Think like us, or we’ll whip you and/or chop off your head’
American Religious Right: ‘Think like us, or we’ll condemn you to hell’
Liberals: To each her own’
‘-Homosexuality-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Eradicate them from society
American Religious Right: Eradicate them from society
Liberals: Equality under the law
-Torture-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Torture them or chop off their heads
American Religious Right: Torture them or homosexually rape them.
Liberals: No torture
-Medicine and Science-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Faith-based world view
American Religious Right: Faith-based world view
Liberals: Reality-based community
-Foreign Policy-
Al Qaida/Taliban: World domination - do it our way or we attack
American Religious Right: World domination - do it our way or we attack
Liberals: Peace and international cooperation
-Executing Minors-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Executing Minors OK
American Religious Right: Executing Minors OK
Liberals: Find this to be a barbaric and embarrassing practice
-Pop Culture-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Hate it… kill it
American Religious Right: Hate it… ban it
Liberals: Laugh at it… boycott it*
-Self-image-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Belief in their own infallibility
American Religious Right: Belief in their own infallibility
Liberals: Willingness to consider other viewpoints*
-God-
Al Qaida/Taliban: God is on our side and will help us kill our enemies
American Religious Right: God is on our side and will help us kill our enemies
Liberals: God may or may not exist and will not help us kill anyone
-Stem Cell Research-
Al Qaida/Taliban: No Stem cell research
American Religious Right: No Stem cell research
Liberals: Stem cell research
-Leaders-
Al Qaida/Taliban: God choose Osama Bin Laden to defeat the Great Satan
American Religious Right: God choose George W. Bush to lead us
Liberals: God didn’t choose anyone
-Use of Force-
Al Qaida/Taliban: As a means of propagating a world view
American Religious Right: As a means of propagating a world view
Liberals: As a last resort
-Bush’s War in Iraq-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Love it!
American Religious Right: Love it!
Liberals: It’s a disaster
-Press-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Control of the Press
American Religious Right: Manipulation of the Press
Liberals: Freedom of the Press
-Free Speech-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Anyone who disagrees with us is an infidel and must be silenced
American Religious Right: Anyone who disagrees with us is a traitor and must be silenced
Liberals: Anyone who disagrees with us is in for a spirited discussion
-Individuals-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Conform or else
American Religious Right: Conform or else
Liberals: Embrace diversity
-Cooperation-
Al Qaida/Taliban: You’re either with us or against us
American Religious Right: You’re either with us or against us
Liberals: We’re all in this together
-Tolerance-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Death to the infidels
American Religious Right: Kill their leaders and convert them to Christianity
Liberals: Live and let live
-Conscience-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Obedience to authority
American Religious Right: Obedience to authority
Liberals: Critical reflection
-Origins-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Universe and man created 6,000 years ago by God
American Religious Right: Universe and man created 6,000 years ago by God
Liberals: The Universe began as we know it at least 14 billion years ago, maybe more
-Leaders-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Subservient to will of its leaders
American Religious Right: Subservient to will of its leaders
Liberals: Will served by Representative government
-Fear-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Life is scary and uncertain, seek refuge in moral absolutes and scorn those that threaten those absolutes
American Religious Right: Life is scary and uncertain, seek refuge in moral absolutes and scorn those that threaten those absolutes
Liberals: Life is scary and uncertain, seek refuge in accepting that respect for our fellow man and the individual choices he/she makes is eminently moral
-Women-
Al Qaida/Taliban: A woman’s place is in the home
American Religious Right: A woman’s place is in the home
Liberals: A woman’s place is wherever she wants it to be
-Marriage-
Al Qaida/Taliban: Marriage is only between a man and a woman
American Religious Right: Marriage is only between a man and a woman
Liberals: Marriage is between any two people who love each other
