By all accounts, Taliban-style Islam did not set well with the Afghani
people. Afghani Islam is rooted in the Sufi tradition, with an accepting
attitude toward folk devotion, dancing and the human attributes of faith.
Suicidal "martyrdom" is foreign to the Afghan mind, and there was widespread, if
quiet, resistance to the puritanical tendencies of the Taliban.
I mention this because there is a tendency among Western commentators to
identify the modern Islamist movement with Islam itself. In fact it is,
historically, perhaps the harshest and most inhuman expression of that Faith. It
is as if the Taborites, or other violent puritanical Christian sects, had become
a dominant force in Christianity.
Islam has at times, been the bearer of advanced culture, with a fairly
tolerant attitude toward the other "People of the Book", Jews and Christians.
Indeed, Orthodox Christians at times preferred the "Turban" to the "Tiara"; ie,
Islamic to western Catholic rule, as the Muslims tended to interfere less with
their internal affairs. Of course, one can find plenty of examples of even
these more humane forms of Islam behaving in oppressive ways, just as one can
find plenty of examples of otherwise humane kinds of Christian rulers behaving
sinfully, but the fact is most historic expressions of Islam make the
Wahhabists and Jihadis look pretty narrow and brutal.
In fact, it seems that the human soul cannot long endure that which
militates against human nature. The descendents of the New England Puritans
became Unitarians, and who could have guessed a generation ago that Marxism
would collapse of its own weight?
This of course does not negate the short-term danger of Wahhabist
militancy, but it may give us a different perspective over the long run.
On the other hand, as in the case of the struggle against Marxism, perhaps
the greater danger historically will be consumerist capitalism, which is
seductive, rather than hostile, to fallen human nature.
The children of darkness seem to intuit this; Howard Stern has suggested,
with all seriousness, that the way to defeat Islamist militants is to fund huge
shipments of pornography to the Middle East, and for the American government to
build strip clubs in Islamic countries.
And we wonder why they hate us?
–Daniel Nichols
Daniel Nichols writes: “it seems that the human soul cannot long endure that which militates against human nature. The descendents of the New England Puritans became Unitarians”
Since Unitarianism is a further corruption beyond New England Puritanism, some human souls seem rather well disposed for not only enduring, but embracing that which militates against human nature. In fact you can thank the Unitarians and their kindred Transcendentalists for much of the modernist corruption in the US, since they have played a not insignificant role in fostering it.
One needs to look no further than the precursors of Francis and Edward Bellamy as well as those who have since followed them to see just how far a disordered human soul can lead to a disordered State.
The “consumerist capitalism” you speak against is the economic version of Unitarianism’s unrestrained free thought. William Ellery Channing’s liberalism has proved to be the breeding ground for nationalism via Unitarianism’s pantheist leanings, as well as breeding ground for modern American culture via mass media and mass marketing which appeals to man’s concupiscible appetite.
__________________
As for Islam,
I sing a Te Deum in honor of Lepanto and of Charles Martel.
I mentioned unitarianism only to note the human tendency to rebel against ideologies that militate against simple human pleasures. Perhaps universalism, instead of unitarianism would be a better example. At any rate, I recognize, too, the human tendency to replace one error with an opposing error.
Daniel Nichols writes: “Perhaps universalism, instead of unitarianism would be a better example”
Why bother with universalism and their completely off the wall theology? Why not get down to business and just give hedonism as example?
__________________________
This is an interesting article by Srdja Trifikovic in light of Daniel Nichols’ first post.
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/www/News/Trifkovic04/NewsST101904.html
http://www.chroniclesmagazine.org/www/News/Trifkovic/NewsViews.htm