Christianity v Islam

January 23, 2007

From the article “A Deadly Certitude”:

Dawkins treats Islam as just another deplorable religion, but there is a difference. The difference lies in the extent to which religious certitude lingers in the Islamic world, and in the harm it does. Richard Dawkins’s even-handedness is well-intentioned, but it is misplaced.

If one is going to be intellectually honest, though, doesn’t one also have to take into account the less overt societal effects of religious adherence? Christians have eased up a bit on the crusades, but religious certitude is responsible for a lot of suffering and death. Isn’t the Iraq conflict largely a result of the certitude of Christian hawks wanting to spread Christianity in the name of Democracy? What is the cost to our society in senior citizens left to go hungry, the idea of rehabilitation of lawbreakers abandoned, and the cover provided by Christian morals for child and spousal abusers?

Christianity may be a quiet killer and subtly provocative, but it is (sometimes) a killer and (sometimes) provocative nonetheless. If anything, it is often that much more insidious due to the habits of many Christians to characterize assertion of personal, moralistic beliefs as the only rational and altruistic path available. I’d rather not have to choose between the shot in the face and the stab in the back, thank you very much.

Tags: politics, religion