I received one of those emails today which looked like a propaganda piece, but I read it for some reason. It turned out to be interesting, and I thought I’d post it for comments:
The psychology behind suicide bombings. By – Pierre Rehov, documentary filmmaker On July 15, MSNBC’s “Connected” program discussed the July 7th,2005 London attacks.
One of the guests was Pierre Rehov, a French filmmaker who has filmed six documentaries on the intifada by going undercover in the Palestinian areas.Pierre ‘s upcoming film, “Suicide Killers,” is based on interviews that he conducted with the families of suicide bombers and would-be bombers in an attempt to find out why they do it. Pierre agreed to a request for a Q&A interview here about his work on the new film.
Q – What inspired you to produce “Suicide Killers,” your seventh film?
A – I started working with victims of suicide attacks to make a film on PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) when I became fascinated with the personalities of those who had committed those crimes, as they were described again and again by their victims. Especially the fact that suicide bombers are all smiling one second before they blow themselves up.
Q – Why is this film especially important?
A – People don’t understand the devastating culture behind this unbelievable phenomenon. My film is not politically correct because it addresses the real problem, showing the real face of Islam. It points the finger against a culture of hatred in which the uneducated are brainwashed to a level where their only solution in life becomes to kill themselves and kill others in the name of a God whose word, as transmitted by other men, has become their only certitude.
Q – What insights did you gain from making this film? What do you know that other experts do not know?
A – I came to the conclusion that we are facing a neurosis at the level of an entire civilization. Most neuroses have in common a dramatic event, generally linked to an unacceptable sexual behavior. In this case, we are talking of kids living all their lives in pure frustration, with no opportunity to experience sex, love, tenderness or even understanding from the opposite sex. The separation between men and women in Islam is absolute.
So is contempt toward women, who are totally dominated by men. This leads to a situation of pure anxiety, in which normal behavior is not possible. It is no coincidence that suicide killers are mostly young men dominated subconsciously by an overwhelming libido that they not only cannot satisfy but are afraid of, as if it is the work of the devil. Since Islam describes heaven as a place where everything on Earth will finally be allowed, and promises 72 virgins to those frustrated kids, killing others and killing themselves to reach this redemption becomes their only solution.
Q – What was it like to interview would-be suicide bombers, their families and survivors of suicide bombings?
A – It was a fascinating and a terrifying experience. You are dealing with seemingly normal people with very nice manners who have their own logic, which to a certain extent can make sense since they are so convinced that what they say is true. It is like dealing with pure craziness, like interviewing people in an asylum, since what they say, is for them, the absolute truth. I hear a mother saying “Thank God, my son is dead.” Her son had became a shaheed, a martyr, which for her was a greater source of pride than if he had became an engineer, a doctor or a winner of the Nobel Prize.
This system of values works completely backwards since their interpretation of Islam worships death much more than life. You are facing people whose only dream, only achievement goal is to fulfill what they believe to be their destiny, namely to be a Shaheed or the family of a shaheed. They don’t see the innocent being killed, they only see the impure that they have to destroy.
Q – You say suicide bombers experience a moment of absolute power, beyond punishment. Is death the ultimate power?
A – Not death as an end, but death as a door opener to the after life. They are seeking the reward that God has promised them. They work for God, the ultimate authority, above all human laws. They therefore experience this single delusional second of absolute power, where nothing bad can ever happen to them, since they become God’s sword.
Q – Is there a suicide bomber personality profile? Describe the psychopathology.
A – Generally kids between 15 and 25 bearing a lot of complexes, generally inferiority complexes. They must have been fed with religion. They usually have a lack of developed personality. Usually they are impressionable idealists. In the western world they would easily have become drug addicts, but not criminals. Interestingly, they are not criminals since they don’t see good and evil the same way that we do. If they had been raised in an Occidental culture, they would have hated violence. But they constantly battle against their own death anxiety. The only solution to this deep-seated pathology is to be willing to die and be rewarded in the afterlife in Paradise .
Q – Are suicide bombers principally motivated by religious conviction?
A – Yes, it is their only conviction. They don’t act to gain a territory or to find freedom or even dignity. They only follow Allah, the supreme judge, and what He tells them to do.
Q – Do all Muslims interpret jihad and martyrdom in the same way?
A – All Muslim believers believe that, ultimately, Islam will prevail on earth. They believe this is the only true religion and there is no room, in their mind, for interpretation. The main difference between moderate Muslims and extremists is that moderate Muslims don’t think they will see the absolute victory of Islam during their lifetime, therefore they respect other beliefs. The extremists believe that the fulfillment of the Prophecy of Islam and ruling the entire world as described in the Koran, is for today. Each victory of Bin Laden convinces 20 million moderate Muslims to become extremists.
Q – Describe the culture that manufactures suicide bombers.
A – Oppression, lack of freedom, brain washing, organized poverty, placing God in charge of daily life, total separation between men and women, forbidding sex, giving women no power whatsoever, and placing men in charge of family honor, which is mainly connected to their women’s behavior.
Q – What socio-economic forces support the perpetuation of suicide bombings?
A – Muslim charity is usually a cover for supporting terrorist organizations. But one has also to look at countries like Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Iran, which are also supporting the same organizations through different networks. The ironic thing in the case of Palestinian suicide bombers is that most of the money comes through financial support from the Occidental world, donated to a culture that utterly hates and rejects the West (mainly symbolized by Israel).
Q – Is there a financial support network for the families of the suicide bombers? If so, who is paying them and how does that affect the decision?
A – There used to be a financial incentive in the days of Saddam Hussein ($25,000 per family) and Yasser Arafat (smaller amounts), but these days are gone. It is a mistake to believe that these families would sacrifice their children for money. Although, the children themselves who are very attached to their families, might find in this financial support another reason to become suicide bombers. It is like buying a life insurance policy and then committing suicide.
Q – Why are so many suicide bombers young men?
A – As discussed above, libido is paramount. Also ego, because this is a sure way to become a hero. The shaheed are the cowboys or the firemen of Islam. Shaheed is a positively reinforced value in this culture. And what kid has never dreamed of becoming a cowboy or a fireman?
Q – What role does the U.N. play in the terrorist equation?
A – The U.N. is in the hands of Arab countries and third world or ex-communist countries. Their hands are tied. The U.N. has condemned Israel more than any other country in the world, including the regime of Castro, Idi Amin or Kaddahfi. By behaving this way, the U.N. leaves a door open by not openly condemning terrorist organizations. In addition, through UNRWA, the U.N. is directly tied to terror organizations such as Hamas, representing 65 percent of their apparatus in the so-called Palestinian refugee camps. As a support to Arab countries, the U.N. has maintained Palestinians in camps with the hope to “return” into Israel for more than 50 years, therefore making it impossible to settle those populations, which still live in deplorable conditions. Four hundred million dollars are spent every year, mainly financed by U.S. taxes, to support 23,000 employees of UNRWA, many of whom belong to terrorist organizations (see Congressman Eric Cantor on this subject, and in my film “Hostages of Hatred”).
Q – You say that a suicide bomber is a ‘stupid bomb and a smart bomb’
simultaneously. Explain what you mean.
A – Unlike an electronic device, a suicide killer has until the last second the capacity to change his mind. In reality, he is nothing but a platform representing interests which are not his, but he doesn’t know it.
Q – How can we put an end to the madness of suicide bombings and terrorism in general?
A – Stop being politically correct and stop believing that this culture is a victim of ours. Radical Islamism today is nothing but a new form of Nazism.
Nobody was trying to justify or excuse Hitler in the 1930s. We had to defeat him in order to make peace one day with the German people.
Q – Are these men traveling outside their native areas in large numbers?
Based on your research, would you predict that we are beginning to see a new wave of suicide bombings outside the Middle East ?
A – Every successful terror attack is considered a victory by the radical Islamists. Everywhere Islam expands there is regional conflict. Right now, there are thousands of candidates for martyrdom lining up in training camps in Bosnia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Inside Europe, hundreds of illegal mosques are preparing the next step of brain washing to lost young men who cannot find a satisfying identity in the Occidental world. Israel is much more prepared for this than the rest of the world will ever be. Yes, there will be more suicide killings in Europe and the U.S.
Sadly, this is only the beginning.
My immediate thoughts: 1) How does a filmmaker get into psychological motivations like libido and repressed personalities? Does he have training? 2) I hope this is just the radical side of Islam, and there’s a more moderate sect, above what he claims is the more moderate sect. 3) Could Islam be classified as Christianity 1000 years later? Christianity doesn’t allow for other religions as well, if you want to get to heaven, but as the Western world has become more civilized, we’re not killing other people for that belief. 4) Islam = Nazism? Interesting statement… 5) The UN as a terrorist organization. I think the UN has outlived its usefulness, and I guess it’s not surprising it’s as corrupted as any other organization.
My $.02 Weed
Interesting piece
Thanks for posting it.
Like you, one of my main concerns with the piece is that he groups all Muslims together. C’mon. Moderate Muslims are only Extremist Muslims who don’t believe the Kingdom of Allah is very close at hand?
As a “moderate Christian”, I’ve got a whole boatload of reasons to respect people’s beliefs other than that I’m pretty sure Jesus isn’t coming back in my lifetime. I would imagine it is the same with most moderate Muslims, Jews, Hindi, etc…
I can understand his urging that we stop pussyfooting around the issue of violent Islam; call a spade a spade and call terrorists vicious killers. I’m fine with that. But by lumping all practicioners of the religion into one big group like that and labelling them as Nazis who must be defeated as Hitler was defeated, he’s actually coming pretty damn close to a fascist philosophy himself.
Granted, he does add the modifier that “Radical” Islam is what needs to be defeated, but for the reasons I stated above it sounds like deep down he believes that all Islam is Radical Islam.
Apocalypse now!
But this is the crux of the problem. There are people in power who are actively working to bring the Apocalypse today. You can tune into popular right-wing radio shows and listen to crazies who believe we need to continue to financially support Israel to “fulfill Bible prophecy”…. and the radio talk-show hosts take them seriously and agree with them.
If it’s really prophecy, it’s going to take care of itself. But radical extremists — and I include both a surprisingly large percentage of Christians and Muslims — think it’s their duty to bring it about today. I know you consider yourself a moderate Christian, Arthur, but moderate Christianity isn’t the segment that appears to be growing in the USA today. Sects which pride scientific ignorance as a virtue are. And they are doing so by recruiting amongst the most at-risk portions of our population with the financial support of the US government via “faith-based initiatives”.
I’m going out on a hypothetical limb here, as I’m not sure what my opinion is yet, but I think perhaps the solution to this kind of religious extremist provincialism is something akin to what China did with their folk religions in the 1950’s: replace them with propaganda meetings. Begin a calculated move to replace — or at least moderate — popular Islam into something more benign or nonexistent. Buddhism, and many related folk religions, is alive and well in China today, but aside from a few well-defined extremist sects such as Falun Gong, the religions are quite moderate.
But, alas, such a policy would be enormously unpopular in the States because of our calculated anti-Communist attitude. Anything the Communists do to support their regimes is, by US definition, evil…
—
Matthew P. Barnson
Power?
It’s a sad state when the people in power are radio show personalities. I mean, it’s not like the President of the USA is a right-wing religious nut, is it?
Is it??!!!
Uh-oh…
My $.02 Weed
People in power…
I realize my comment was disjointed, and your response was humorous 🙂 My intent was to say: 1. There are powerful people in government who are working to hasten the Apocalypse, and setting policy (and conducting wars) with this goal in mind. Google “Armageddon Bush” and you’ll get some relevant hits. 2. This attitude is popular enough here that you can listen to “average joe” voicing the same opinions regularly on influential talk shows, and gaining the approbation of popular media figures. Which is just $%#(%”&*! weird.
Ack, thpth.
—
Matthew P. Barnson
Jaded
I think his problem is he’s spent his time around the families and victims and such of suicide bombers. I’d bet that places him firmly in the center of the Islamic radicals.
To get an fuller view, he should spend some time around Muslims who aren’t actively bombing themselves and their surroundings. Try interviewing some American, British, French Muslims and see how they are.
And you, as a “moderate Christian”, may respect other religion’s beliefs, but Christianity as itself states that only those who accept Jesus as the son of God will get into heaven. That sounds a lot like the Islamic religion’s view of others. The only problem is there’s a lot less Islamic moderates than Christian moderates, and the underlying society is much less free.
I only point this out not to disparage your belief, but to show that following Christianity to the extreme will place you in the same boat as following Islam to the extreme. I thank God and Allah that you’re more moderate than that 😉
Also, when Islam states that 50% of it’s followers are lesser citizens simply because of their gender, things can’t be good. I can’t get behind a religion that states that other religions won’t go to heaven, so there’s no way I’m behind a religion that states women are lesser beings. How can a society like that be stable with such a setup? Sorta like the USA South in the 1800s. (Along with the economic inequalities of the time as well. It all boils down to money *sigh*)
Once people separate the social mores of the times from their God, the world will be a nice place. Sexuality, gender, religion, none of these should matter in the relationship between you and God. God created us all equal, even in intelligence (for the most part). I believe people learn to be stupid and learn to be smart, and we’re a lot closer when we’re born than people think.
My $.02 Weed
Not moderate..
Check this out. I do believe that without Jesus Christ, there is no way into heaven. Likewise, I believe that there is god, Immortality, Christ, Heaven and Hell.
And, Weed, Matt.. I am as moderate as either of you.
If you hold a belief system of any kind, you must, by definition, disclude others. I’ve made this argument before. If you believe anything except christianity, you have decided that the main tenant of Christianity is wrong. You have decided that what I believe is incorrect. I am basing a lot of my life and thinking on my faith, and if you believe my faith is wrong, you are deciding that the basis for a lot of my life is misguided. You believe that I am following a lie.
You will undoubtedly respond that you don’t believe that necessarily, but you are open to other options – and have a less-narrow view of the world. but, essentially, you are saying “Christianity is wrong because it doesn’t offer the optimal situation for others” – and I would retort that you are doing the same to anyone who holds a belief like mine. That includes most monotheistic views.. a vast majority of the world.. therefore your beliefs are just as exclusive as my own.
The difference, I think, between Moderate and Extremist, is that a moderate does not judge another person based on these differences in beliefs. I believe (as does my faith) that you have the right to choose whatever you want, and you should be loved and respected no matter what you believe.. live and let live, and we’ll see what happens, I guess.
An extremist believes others should not have the right to choose what they want to believe and should be foreced to believe it.. or should be destroyed if they do not. Essentially, to quote Magneto, they believe “God works too slow”, so they’re going to force the issue.
Weed, its totally possible for two people who each believes the other is hugely mistaken in their beliefs to be very good friends and to respect each other in a close kinship. Matt and I have done this for 15 years. When he was Mormon, he disagreed with my stance on faith and believed it would negatively affect my life on earth and my hopes for after will be dashed. Now, as a non-believer, he believes my faith will negatively affect my life on earth, and that my hopes for after will be dashed. Nothing has changed. But he is one of my best friends.
That is the difference. We don’t have to hate each other.. just accept that the other is holding to something we cannot, and move on.
Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com
Uhm
Justin,
I’m confused by your post. Not in the content, but in the timber. Nowhere did I speak of the validity of your beliefs. Nowhere did I say believers and non-believers can’t get along. I was stating that extreme belief in anything is usually a bad thing.
If believers and non-believers couldn’t get along, I wouldn’t be married. I don’t know how you pulled that out of my posts, but that wasn’t the intent.
My $.02 Weed
NO, no, no..
The timbre is friendly. We’re buds, no prob. I’m making no comments about your post, rather in the way someone can believe strongly that another person believes in a less than true thing, but can still think the person is cool.
I’m just defining moderates, dude.. its nothing with you. We’re cool.
Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com
Can’t…be…silent…any…longer…
This is a good post, Justin. I fully agree that people can disagree on some fundamental tenants and still be friends. I think it is very possible to just “not think about” the fact that your friends are missing out on the Absolute Truth of the universe, and still love and respect them. I did that for many years as a Mormon.
However.
A secular humanist and a Christian/Muslim are making fundamentally different statements about the “worth” of someone who disagrees with them. For a Christian (and I know there is room for lots of disagreement inside that umbrella), a non-believer must either a) become a believer, or b) burn in Hell forever. Even Mormons, with post-life salvation, etc., believe that everyone will believe one day, or they will choose to cast themselves into eternal separation from God. Not pretty. Not really even all that tolerant, in that we’re saying God does not tolerate different viewpoints in Heaven, the ideal good place. I think Muslims see it about the same way.
A secular humanist, on the other hand, sees the problem in the here-and-now. In other words, I see the world one way, you see it another. I think you’re wrong. We can discuss, debate, etc, but, at the end of the day, we’re all dead. The secular humanist fades to non-existence, and he believes all “disbelievers” will do the same. Everyone’s equal. Kumbayah and Come to Darwin.
I think that’s an important difference when it comes time to playing nicely with each other.
Yeah..
But check this out.. some clever rewording..
“A secular humanist and a Christian/Muslim are making fundamentally different statements about the “worth” of someone who disagrees with them. For a Secualr Humanist (and I know there is room for lots of disagreement inside that umbrella), a believer must either a) realize they are wrong or b) spend the rest of their life in a difficult and fruitless pursuit of something they will never get. Even atheists, with the belief that science can provide all the answers with enough understanding of the facts, believe you must either accept that God is a crutch for humankind, or b) reject rational thought. Not pretty. Not really even all that tolerant, in that we’re saying, without any evidence to the contrary that, believers revel in their own ignorance. I think Darwinists see it pretty much the same way.”
See, not so different. Of course.. i havent had a lot of sleep.
Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com
One difference
Clever, but it was late.
I’m not the only secular humanist in the world, but I don’t believe that all theists have abandoned reason and all atheists haven’t. I hold most humans as fairly irrational in lots of situations in life. The fact that I believe a theist is being less rational in this area than I am doesn’t mean I don’t compartmentalize in some other area that he doesn’t. We both have brains and are (hopefully) constantly trying to improve them. The fact that I believe one of us is more correct on this topic doesn’t devalue you in my mind, nor will it ever. You will not “come around” to my way or burn in hell. The most brilliant human has no more “worth” than an average one.
It’s really not that different from political views. I tend to be more conservative than you are, but do you think I have abandoned reason and will spend the rest of my life in a worthless pursuit? Hmm, maybe you do…;)
On tolerance: you don’t have to agree to be tolerant. But you do have to allow dissent to exist. Atheists don’t want to torture theists for eternity. Heaven, of course, will lack for these kinds of conversations: you’ll have to drop by Hell for a challenging exchange of ideas.
Ahh..
Theists don’t want to torture anyone for eternity either.
But where the argument falls apart is saying that theists want anything bad to happen to anyone. I don’t want smokers to have health problems. I don’t devalue them. As long as its not around me or my kid or wife, smoke away. I’ll see you after your smoke break.
Its the same way with people of other faiths. You can believe that I’m missing the spiritual boat, and you can even try to explain to me why i am, and if you’re really my friend, you’ll try to get me on your spiritual boat, cuz you think its a nice boat. But whether it becomes clear that thats just not going to happen, it shouldn’t matter. You should be able to respect me and at thevery least my right to disagree.. and if we’re friends, then even to debate our views.. as we do here, as we do at this very moment.
I think what nonbelievers get uncomfortable with is the concept that a believer’s beliefs have a downside for those who don’t believe. But , for me, thats where it ends. Its not my job to worry about that. I have no control over what happens to you later, and just like if you were a smoker, I might try to get you to do something healthier, but I’m not going to hate you because of it. Its your choice.
And I think heaven will have some pretty cool conversaitons… there are fascinating, controversial people in all the religions, so if heaven exists for one, that on eis bound to have some rabblerousers. (Heck, look atthe christian church.. I just wanna sit down with Peter, Stonewall Jackson, and some poor dude from Baltimore, and compare notes..)
So 😛 . I’m exhausted beyond belief.. or nonbelief. Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com
Hmm…
So, a natural consequences approach. Fair enough–you’ve brought me around on this one. I feel the love ;).
Its enough
To make Wide eyed wanderers – leave the very best.. Now.. back to the grind.. (who needs sleep.. youre never gonna get it)
Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website
Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com
Not to be a nitpicker, but its
To make wide eyed wanderers *believe* the very best.
Sudden fatherhood is no excuse for getting your Disney lyrics wrong, Justin. God forbid you sing these wrong to your kid…
HEY..
I meant LEAVE, because, in my opinion, the CROW was the best movie in theatres that summer and I left it to go see…
Ah.. whom I kidding.. yeah, okay, so.. YOU HAVE STUPID HAIR!
Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com
Discuss, debate, etc.
As I am, in Daniel’s term, mostly a secular humanist, I appreciate the other types of humans sharing the world with me to engage in discussion, debate, etc. rather than resorting to strapping bombs on themselves and standing near me when they blow themselves up.
Not every Muslim is a suicide bomber, but every suicide bomber has been a Muslim.
Right now
Not always, though. Remember the suicide bombers from WWII…the kamikaze.
Now Japan is one of our strongest allies. There is hope.
My $.02 Weed
Definitions, my old nemesis…
Matthew, I’m certainly not disagreeing with you that there are radically extreme Christians. And they do seem to be coming into more power in this country (though whether their number is actually growing or just growing more vocal is less certain). And I’m in no way trying to defend their actions or views. My opinions and actions as a Christian who doesn’t believe in fire/brimstone/the apocalypse in no way lessen the often negative effects of those who do. Likewise, I’m not trying to say that because there are moderate Muslims out there that somehow makes the violent, radical ones less bad.
But we have a tendency, particularly when it comes to religion, to think in terms of groups that are too large, and by lumping so many beliefs together we end up letting the negative subconsciously color the positive. The problem gets worse when we then ascribe the beliefs of some of the group to the whole.
Also, Weed, if I may counter-respond, I personally quail at any statement beginning with “Christianty says this…” There are, to date, over 30,000 different denominations of Protestant Christianity alone, not to mention Catholic, Anglicans, and Eastern Orthadox. And every single one of them has a different definition of what Christianity is. By thinking of them all as the same, we let the more vocal and more visible negative aspects color the entire picture.
After all, just because I know an irritating, vocal, nigh-evangelical Atheist who believes he can do whatever he wants, when he wants with no moral scruples whatsoever and that the world should follow his example(I do know this guy, by the way), I wouldn’t then tell you that “Atheism says you should have no ethics.”
The same is true with Islam. I don’t know how many different sects of Islam there are, but I can guarantee you that the Islam that suicide bombers are following is not the same Islam that the more “moderate Muslims” practice (God, I’m beginning to hate that word, moderate) . I can also guarantee you that not every person who calls themself Muslim believes in the subjugation of women. The horror of the Taliban coming to power stemmed from the fact that it oppressed women who previously *did* have rights, and jobs, and personal property. But even before the Taliban, I think the average Afghani would have thought of Afghanistan as a “Muslim nation.” Though both types call their beliefs Islam, in reality they are two seperate religions.
Of course, I should also mention that I’m starting to hate the word religion, too. Not religion itself, just the word. The nature of our disagreement, I believe, rises out of how you define religion. But can a religion even be defined? Can its dogmas ever be set in stone? Can at any point you say “An *essential* part of is .”
And also, when does a simple philosophy become a religion? Does it happen when X amount of people believe the same thing?
The word religion, like love, means something different to every single person in the world. Therefore, I believe that when thinking about spirtuality, God, or the lack thereof, we cannot ever simply say “Christianity is X, Islam is Y.” That completely whitewashes the numerous subtle facets that make up a person’s or a community’s beliefs.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t group people with similar beliefs together. But I think we could do to make the groups smaller.
I agree
Before I gush in agreement, I must beg to differ that the definition of Christianity is the belief in Jesus Christ starring as the Son of God, your Personal Gateway to Heaven. Now, there’s 30,000 different interpretations of that, some of which can tolerate and live harmoniously with other religions, and some which think they should be wiped off the earth. But a Christian is one who believes in Christ. I wasn’t lumping you in with the Bible Baptists who think Homosexuals are evil, I was just lumping you in with the other people who believe Jesus was the son of God.
That being said, I’m really annoyed and worried at how the vocal minority gets the mjority coverage today. I’d say 80% of Americans are in the middle of the road, but we hear about the 10% to the right and 10% to the left. The problem is that the 80% don’t really care enough to participate, leaving the 20% on the fringes to take control to get their agendas out.
If we could get the common-sense, middle-of-the-road people out and get them motivated, we could fix the country real quick.
Religion, like any other organization of humans, falls prey to corruption and abuse when a power structure is implemented above the local level. Power corrupts, be it government, religion, industry, etc. There are some who rise above the lure, but it’s set up such that changing the structure becomes too hard. Or those who can see the corruption become corrupted as well. Humanity falls on itself too much.
That being said, compared to how we lived 100 years ago, we’re doing quite well. We’re conquering disease, we have ample food, and we live way to comfortably. Now we have to work to bring the unfortunate parts of the world up to our level. We’re not doing a good job by invading other countries.
My $.02 Weed
Bertrand Russell covered this…
It’s unfortunate that his explanation goes on so long, but I think Bertrand Russell, in his speech “Why I am not a Christian”, defines Christianity in the broadest of terms and in a fairly universally approachable fashion. I know that many Christians (particularly those of many mainstream American churches) would define it more narrowly in order to exclude fringe cults and the like, but this broad view seems to encompass those who would at least self-identify as “Christian”.
Note the speech was made in the U.K., so “this country” refers to England, not the US.
—
Matthew P. Barnson
Interesting..
I do hear a lot more abotu fire and brimstone “bring Armageddon on” Christians from Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, and Howard Stern than I do form anywhere else. When I see these guys on the news, I think its ust kind of a freakshow that people put on.
BTW: I’m not really for bringing about the end of the World.. I think God really doesn’t need our help, and to try to “make it happen” as the Falwells of the world want to do is kind of disrespecful to the Diety of God. but, then, thats just me.. I’m moderate, remember (see above)
Visit the Official Justin Timpane Website Music, Acting, and More! http://www.timpane.com
Believe me, they’re out there…
You might only hear about the Fire and Brimstonists from Daily Show and Colbert because that’s what you watch.
Because you don’t strike me as a guy who spends his time watching the 700 Club or any number of the televised sermons and services that lurk in the more obscure corners of Cable TV. They won’t hit the mainstream channels that often, so it takes a channel surf to find them, but their audience is still quite vast.
Also keep in mind that the local public access and network stations for the DC area show have a different kind of time slot filler than those further south, so even though the CBC (Christian Broadcast Channel) based out of Regent University is a pretty powerful media network, we don’t feel the full force of its impact here. Though even here, 105.1 (WAVA) has a few hosts who push the envelope.
I remember not being able to do a full channel rotation without hitting some televangelist down in Williamsburg. Was it like that when you were there as a kid, or is that new?
“Devastating Culture”
Weed, great job posting this. Disheartening to see the conclusions of someone who was immersed in that environment for a period of time for research. I am glad he didn’t hold anything back in honestly declaring them a devastating culture.
Hmm
No problem.
I still have my concerns about him.
A) He’s a filmmaker, he needs to promote his film. B) He’s a filmmaker, why is he making psychological assessments? C) Evaluating a culture that’s in the middle of a war zone never will give you the true view of that culture D) He’s French
Conversely, any culture that treats women as second class citizens without rights is bad. There’s no hope. Sorta like the Puritans is early America, right, and their terrorism war against Britan. Look how THAT turned out.
What we need is some Muslims to get the freedom bug and start pushing that. It took us 100 years to figure that our for ourselves, I don’t see why we shouldn’t expect the Middle East to be any quicker…
My $.02 Weed