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- May 11, 2007
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This is going to ramble, my apologies. I was pondering this elsewhere and Richard suggested I start this conversation here. He didn't say I had to make sense.
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We get told in the news and elseweb that some Muslims are taught that non-Muslims are "abominations" -- offenses against Allah. That those "others" deserve to die.
We get told in the news and elseweb that some Christians are teaching the exact same thing about Muslims.
I used to sing in a lot of churches. A quartet I was in would make the rounds every spring. At one of them, every year, there would be some comment from the pulpit about that other church across the street (literally across the street.) How wrong their teachings were and how it was this flock's duty to help keep those poor souls from going to hell.
Some folks out there are teaching distrust, teaching hate, promoting violence.
We aren't all like that. An this isn't meant to be some generic accusation. I'm just pondering the experience, the mindset (fear?) that prompts it.
And how far is whatever motivates it from the motivations we see in other areas of life?
This isn't just a religion vs. religion or even a secular vs. nonsecular experience. Just look at the last several political national conventions. Or, for that matter, pick the local county political party meeting of your choice. Or local scout troops.
How far is it from one of my local school district basketball programs that ingrains a "pray or don't play" - "go along to get along" mindset into their kids? (They do this "Huddle up" for the hands in the middle, Go Team! -- but while we're here, we're gonna pray that God will help us destroy those other guys. It starts in elementary. By high school it's as traditional as the team colors.)
Is it a weird "othering" that is rooted in some kind of national or species level insecurity?
Like I said. I'm just pondering it all. Thanks for reading, and any thoughts on the matter(s).
---
We get told in the news and elseweb that some Muslims are taught that non-Muslims are "abominations" -- offenses against Allah. That those "others" deserve to die.
We get told in the news and elseweb that some Christians are teaching the exact same thing about Muslims.
I used to sing in a lot of churches. A quartet I was in would make the rounds every spring. At one of them, every year, there would be some comment from the pulpit about that other church across the street (literally across the street.) How wrong their teachings were and how it was this flock's duty to help keep those poor souls from going to hell.
Some folks out there are teaching distrust, teaching hate, promoting violence.
We aren't all like that. An this isn't meant to be some generic accusation. I'm just pondering the experience, the mindset (fear?) that prompts it.
And how far is whatever motivates it from the motivations we see in other areas of life?
This isn't just a religion vs. religion or even a secular vs. nonsecular experience. Just look at the last several political national conventions. Or, for that matter, pick the local county political party meeting of your choice. Or local scout troops.
How far is it from one of my local school district basketball programs that ingrains a "pray or don't play" - "go along to get along" mindset into their kids? (They do this "Huddle up" for the hands in the middle, Go Team! -- but while we're here, we're gonna pray that God will help us destroy those other guys. It starts in elementary. By high school it's as traditional as the team colors.)
Is it a weird "othering" that is rooted in some kind of national or species level insecurity?
Like I said. I'm just pondering it all. Thanks for reading, and any thoughts on the matter(s).