From: L' Ermit (lhermit@hotmail.com)
Date: Mon Jan 28 2002 - 01:37:24 MST
[Joe Dees] Which is exactly why I do not see the present situation vis-a-vis
the Muslim-inspired terrorists easing up until they are willling to lay
Islam, or at least their hidebound but unfortunately scripturally valid
conception of that neanderthal memeplex, aside as well.
[Hermit] The West did not "choose" to lay Christian support for Kings or
slavery aside, rather we developed economically to the point where these
concepts ceased to make sense - and then we abandoned those parts of the
memplex which conflicted with utility. That was a painful transition indeed,
as Cromwell and Louis XVI both proved. Today about half of the population of
Europe, and some 15% of the population (much more of the younger generation)
of the US, has already taken the next step - abandoning the entire memplex
as conflicting with rationality - despite a school system which appears
designed to undermine rather than enhance rationality. Unless there is some
massive disaster, this process will continue and accelerate. Which is why we
are seeing such anguish in the ranks of the "Religious Wrong". They sense
that they tide has turned against them, and are trying desperately to
command it to stop. They have about as much chance as Canute. This is not a
movement so much as it is a transition. It is also an opportunity for the
CoV to do some real good on a wide scale.
[Hermit] Given sufficient economic impetus, the same will happen to Islam.
As Iran has discovered, it cannot compete in the modern world without
adaptation. And Islam has a huge advantage over Christianity. There is no
central body able to define what it should look like, so that its adaptation
should be much more rapid. When the West stops supporting their feudal
economies, this adaptation will happen by itself. Unfortunately, we have
intervened to such an extent that it is almost inevitable that most Islamic
nations will only transform through revolution as painful as that experinced
by the French. But their transformation will be driven by economic and
social factors, not through changes in their religion. Only after the change
has occurred will the principle "motivator" of religious fundamentalism be
removed.
[Hermit] Meanwhile, [b]most[/b] Muslims are about as religiously driven as
[b]most[/b] Christians. Or why the religious Muslim states require "Police
for the suppresion of vice and promotion of virtue" to go around whipping
women who show their ankles amongst other things - and why Iran is slowly
(very slowly) becoming less insanely Islamic.
Regards
Hermit
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