Watching the constant ebb and flow of exchanges between
the theists and the atheists on twitter something becomes more relevant at
every exchange. Escalating emotional
responses to perceived hostility and/or disrespect directed at one person’s
religious beliefs or perspectives.
What makes this even more salient is the amount of personalization
that takes place in the exchange, where the religious person thinks that
because their religion is under attack, or their beliefs are being ‘disrespected’
that they are personally being attacked.
Quick and visceral reactions range from simple name calling to threats
of physical violence and promises of death due to a violation of religious
doctrine.
What is painfully evident is the media is they work hard
to sanitize their approach and presentation of the happenings in the world due
to the responses from the fundamentalists and even some of the moderates. This is ever more unmistakable with the
presentation of Islam. There is a
prudent effort on the part of media to ‘not offend’ the Islamists.
Politics....
There is strong reason and evidence to continue to do
this based on plain and simple fear. Islam
explains the use of violence, in some of the most cruel and hostile fashions,
when the perception their doctrine or dogmas are threatened with disrespect or
offense. What is even more astounding is
the response of Christians and other faiths to these threats – capitulation, lending
to a very unhealthy and abusive relationship between the two parties.
After I did some research it appears that this fear goes
back centuries. The populous of most of
the world is genuinely frightened by the Islamists. Not due to any feigned threats to act, but
due to the actual facilitation of described threats. When these actions are on put on display to a very wide audience to see and appreciate.
This public display of horrific acts of violence, retribution, desecration
of humans and other religious faiths persons or property, with the intention of
intimidation. Much of this is Muslim on Muslim but open
threats toward others are also common.
This is not just an Islamic issue only there are other
sects or cults that use fear or intimidation to elicit compliance to demands
for respect and conversion. Christians often use the threat of eternal
damnation to coerce their flocks to join and to establish retention. Christians often prey upon each other not for
conscription but for wealth and prestige. They want your money not your soul.
The most disturbing part of this relationship is that, Christians
are taught to forgive and to accept that they may be asked to die for their
faith. Muslims are taught that they
should kill for theirs. Christians are
told that they are guaranteed a trip to heaven in service to their god and Muslims
to paradise with lots of virgins to remove non-Muslims from the living. This lends to a very ugly looking system of
abuse.
When an atheist becomes involved and threats are made we
are not likely to surrender to either party.
This causes the situation to escalate rapidly. The roles being played are that of abuser
and victim. Atheist chooses to not play
and calls the bully (Islam) on their aggression and the victim (Christian) on
their cowardice. Atheists are likely to stand up for the victim
but they actively decline the assistance under the pretense of continuing to be
the victim.
Any attempt to threaten me to achieve surrender becoming
a bully or join a culture of victimization and the likely end will be a strong
hostile response. Bring it!
