I've been engaged in an interesting debate through email with, who I believe are a group of conservatives. I was sent an unsolicited email about the proposed Islamic center in New York so I responded. Thankfully, that has led to an even wider debate. The problem is that a response I received the other day was so full of. No actually it was empty of anything that even resembled a logic or rational thought process that it is going to take a series of responses to address this person's interesting point of view.
Here is my response to the first part of the email. I removed the person's actual name as well as any of the other recipients.
Thank you for the response. We obviously have two very different points of view on the matter. I will need to respond to you with a series of emails if I have the time because there seems to be a lot that needs to be explained to you.
It is really too bad that you don't understand liberalism. Let me explain a few things. Liberals generally support the critical analysis of topics, whatever they might be. Not only do liberals enjoy the intellectual exploration of topics, we also like to explore them from a number of points of view. This whole issue with the Islamic center is a great example. You, and probably many of your peers, believe that building an Islamic center two blocks from the former World Trade Center site is wrong. You have your reasons, and apparently they are anti-Islamic reasons, otherwise you would also be supporting demonstrations against the porn shops and liquor stores nearby. You also have your reasons for being ant-Islamic, and I don't want to speculate on the basis for those beliefs but your comments about Sharia law might have something to do with it.
I am sure you are also well aware that the United States has been involved with conflicts in the Muslim world for decades based on our country's economic and political desires. Therefore, you are probably well aware that people in those countries have wanted the US out of their own soverign lands for as long as we have been meddling in their affairs. Our citizens and military have been attacked a number of times in the previous decades, so it should come as no surprise that we were finally attacked on US soil. I'm sure the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon enfuriated you like it did me, but we have had different responses.
I am interested in the root of the conflict, which usually begins and ends with who gained the most monetarily. Those people are probably still making money from our current wars. I am just as angry at them because their greed caused us to be attacked. The other people to look at are those who gained ideologically. Our government has taken great steps to throw the Middle East into chaos, so politically we already won. Now there are American friendly leaders in places that once resisted us, but who is benefitting? Not the average person. We have been living in a state of perpetual fear for nine years. We have even given up some of our individual rights. The average American gained nothing so far. Finally, we need to look at who really wants war with the world's Muslims. Those who want war, and have always wanted war with the Muslims are definitely to blame. Every single person who supported armed conflict in Islamic countries is part of the problem. Everyone who supports prejudicial acts against Muslims in America is part of the problem because they don't want to be part of the solution. I'm not so happy with those folk either.
So a liberal considers things like that before making blanket statements about a billion of the world's people. Radical Muslims would ask questions about their own society and look for ways to fix it because radicals are generally rather intellectual, so violence is a last resort. Radicals look for real answers regardless of their theological leanings. Liberation theology did the same thing during the Cold War.
Maybe you should start considering a few things, too. So, I have a few questions for you and others to explore. First, have you actually read the Quran enough to understand the context of Islam's beliefs? Second, how many Muslims do you know personally, and what have they taught you about their religion? Third, have you taken the time to compare Sharia law and Levitican law? If you are a Christian, do you live your life according to Levitican law as stated in the Bible? If not, then why do you believe that all Muslims want to enforce Sharia law here? Have you taken the time to look into some of the history of the conflict between the US and Muslims?
I'm not trying to change your mind, I'm just trying to help you understand the liberal-radical thought process. If you can't understand why I am proud to be an intelligent, thinking person then you need to ask yourself why you don't believe that thinking is something to be proud of. Ignorance is the real hogwash.
Cheno,
You say of yourself, "I am a RADICAL. I am a leftist." Your proud declaration is inexplicable to me. Also inexplicable is your statement that, "Radical Islam would be working for things like equity in education, women's rights, freedom of expression, communality, and critiacal and analytical understanding to support more intelligent communication between divergent groups." Pure hogwash! You said, "Muslims are not the enemy," but radical Islamic terrorists are. Their guiding document, the koran, offers the infidel two choices, convert or die. You have aligned yourself with throat cutters and haters. Yet the 1st amendment of the Constitution guarantees your right of free speech, whereby you are certainly entitled to your opinion, everyone has them.
Your patronizing sadness smacks of superiority, but exposes ignorance, not an informed opinion. I read the signs too! Anger is not hate. Most signs were expressions of informed opinions, not nonsensical hatred as you suppose. "Sensitivity goes both ways. If you really care, build it elsewhere." That's not hateful. Some signs were statements of fact, "Imam Feisal’s Cordoba House mosque will demand sharia law.” Facts are not hateful. Imam Feisal said, "The only law that the Muslim needs exists already in the Koran and the Hadith.” For the full story and other "beauties" of his beliefs go here: http://loganswarning.com/2010/09/14/imam-faisal-abdul-rauf-tells-jordanian-newspaper-he-is-for-sharia-law/. What law of the Constitution did these demonstrators violate?
You speak with contempt of Christian love and pervert its meaning. Loving someone does not mean lying down without a whimper as they cut your throat for their beliefs. Jesus voluntarily laid down His life as an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the world, but He didn't do it until His time had come. That is love! Laying down your life for another is Love. We will not lay down our lives simply to be butchered, as you seem to suggest. We will fight, as we should.
You are right you are a radical, you are a leftist, not terms of endearment I would want applied to me. I truly am sad for you because of your ignorance on the these vitally important issues of our time. If you truly want to be informed, please read the Constitution, please learn what sharia law really is, and most importantly please read the Holy Bible, which is the Word of God, which is truth, which contains the words of life, true spiritual life.
I will not lay down to sharia law, "But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:15
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