Compelling delusions

Well, I should have expected that this would happen. It's been a long time since I last had the time (or energy) to post here, and were my audience composed of more than my mom and the occasional straggler, I'd probably feel more compelled to post more regularly. But, as anyone who knows me would understand, I can't just post about mundane stuff like the groceries and the weather. No, that would only take a few minutes to read and be about 100 words. That simply wouldn't be trying hard enough. If I'm going to share my brain droppings, I want to make sure it takes any reader at least a half hour and a handy dictionary to make it through.

And, to be fair, it's not all my fault. Someone's been keeping me busy lately.

No, it's not my boss.

Nor is it a girl.

It's Sama. That boy's gone and gotten himself all worked up about a hot topic and, well, he got me to go along with it. This isn't to say that I'm taking what we've been discussing lightly; in point of fact, the issue that we've been discussing couldn't be more important. It's just that I happen to think he's looking at it from a little too close to the canvas.

Before I even introduce the topic of our discussions, I have to state a brief disclaimer. If you believe there are topics that should not be open to rational inquiry, the forgoing isn't likely to be very easy on your delicate sensibilities.

Sama's interested in (alarmed may be a more appropriate here) the clash between eastern and western traditions. More specifically, about the potential threat that the Muslim world poses to the Western world, not least because of its actual teachings, but also because of the Western world's reluctance to address the issue head-on.

This is an important issue, and there is a real concern that our world is imperiled by the politically-correct universal imperative to accept, welcome and respect all forms of beliefs, no matter their true nature.

The difficult part about addressing such issues is that, by and large, the social and cultural mores that we live under effectively make such discussions, if not outright impolite, then at least cause the more sensible to cringe at their mention.

And in my view, there is no more sacred a cow that should be drawn and quartered than religion itself.

I just finished reading Richard Dawkins' "The God Delusion". He, along with Sam Harris and Dan Dennett, is one of the leading voices calling for a critical and rational approach to supernatural beliefs (define them as you would, this includes religions, cults, magic, astrology, elves, UFOs and flying pigs). Harris and Dawkins are especially unforgiving of the blind, unquestioning faith that forms the basis for much of these beliefs, and argue that our world isn't made any safer by the seeming universal taboo on rational criticism, especially towards religions.

This is something to which even I had fallen prey: after years of being "the guy with the shrill opinions on religion", I had convinced myself that whatever people used to make themselves feel better about the world and their place in it was fine with me, and it wasn't a failure of the intellect to subscribe to supernatural beliefs. Reading Dawkins reminded me that this isn't the case. Just like no one wins in a democracy where people fear talking out loud about issues, our world isn't going to get any better if we keep giving religions such a wide berth in rational discussions. Why is it that I can criticize someone's position on almost anything by using reason and logic, but that as soon as the faith card is played, all critical inquiry has to stop and downgrade to a position of unquestioning respect?

No more. I never thought faith was a virtue, but I never said so because, well, it just wasn't polite. And now, we're looking at the manifestations of this retrograde taboo on a global scale: countries fearful of alienating anyone for the sake of the appearance of social order refuse to acknowledge the fundamental incompatibilities that exist between the world's major faiths. As incompatible as the Islamic mindset is with the western world, so is the Judeo-Christian mindset in the middle east. Not acknowledging this is a surefire way to ensure that the two worlds come to a crashing and destructive collision. Tony Blair's government took a (very) small step in the direction of saying that immigrants should conform to the host country, and not the other way around. Obviously, his declaration is compromising and half-a-loaf, but it's nevertheless a first step.

Which bold world leader will stand up and declare that, to live in his/her country, everyone must adhere to a standard, and that this standard, while not repressive towards religions, doesn't de facto accept that religious freedom is a necessary prerequisite? Why couldn't religious practice be something for anyone to do privately, but as soon as you walk outdoors, you can't expect that people will take you seriously when you say that you can't work on the sabbath, or that you have to carry a ceremonial dagger because it's your religious right/duty to do so, or any other of the myriad special-case wishes by which conflict-wary societies have to abide in order to maintain a veneer of tolerance?

No more. You either believe or you don't. And if you do, you better have good argument for it, and not expect me to stay quiet when you profess to believing something purely on faith. People are too lazy about this. I truly believe the fate of the world depends on our rejecting the notion that religions should be respected and not criticized. That time is over. We live in a society where science and technology prove their worth on a daily basis, and the same science that makes flying, communications and medicine possible, when turned critically on religions and the concept of god, make subscribing to any supernatural belief an intellectually dishonest position.

I suspect that there will be more on this in the future. I welcome any feedback, but be sure to come prepared with a good articulation of your point of view.

Nic