Aside from being reminded that people are having their arse shot off because I am part of a society populated largely by idiots, I have also been treated a couple of times this week to one of my most favourite cliches whilst discussing Iraq with people
Religion is the cause of all wars
... delivered in the context of discussing suicide attacks and ‘Terror’ in general.
I love that line so because it manages to encapsulate an impressive payload of both ignorance and stupidity in a handful of words.
My favourite-ever expression of the ‘religion is the cause of all wars’ syndrome is this corker written by Richard Dawkins, leading spokesmen for our genes and humanism, just four days after 9/11…
Apparently, according to Richard Dawkins, it is a superstitious belief in the afterlife that was responsible for the 9/11, and similar, terror attacks
It came from religion. Religion is also, of course, the underlying source of the divisiveness in the Middle East which motivated the use of this deadly weapon in the first place. But that is another story and not my concern here. My concern here is with the weapon itself. To fill a world with religion, or religions of the Abrahamic kind, is like littering the streets with loaded guns. Do not be surprised if they are used.
Just to put the record straight in my humble little corner of the Internet (again)…
First off, I have real trouble coming up with an example of any war from the last few hundred years that was caused by religion – WW1? WW2? Vietnam? Korea? The Boer War? The American War of Independence? The War of Jenkins Ear?
Nada.
And as I recall, Hitler and his boys went through particular pains demonstrating that what they were up to was based on firm scientific principles. The concept of the Survival of the Fittest being a particular favourite.
Second off, buying into the tosh that the troubles in, and coming from, the Middle East are the result of Muslim nutcases plays straight into the hands of the worst fundamentalists in the heap. ‘Our’ ones.
Those ‘suicidal lunatics’ fighting us are pissed off with us because we have soldiers occupying their homes. Religion may be a comfort to some of them but is not the cause of their grievance. And if they could lay their hands on a few cruise missiles they’d almost certainly use them before going for a spin in their Toyotas.
And Richard Dawkins is most definitely a lunatic. A fundamental one.
(Further details of the Playmobil Airport Range as illustrated at the top of this post can be found here)
5 comments:
Brilliant post. And I loved Playmobil too - used to buy it for my daughters all the time.
Dawkins really does hate religion a little too zealously. He sounds like a bit of a fanatic most of the time. Can't he be banged up for inciting terrorism in the name of Darwin or something?
He really needs to take a chill pill, or some Gerin Oil as he calls it.
Cool Playmobil range ! The Jet airliner looks especially good. ;)
I am a well known fan of Dawkins and in his defence I would say
that is a fine Playmobil scene you have there. A nice configuration.
I knew that picture reminded me of something- remember this Bertha?
One of my favourites, I think kid's stuff, especially TV is very underrated.
You'll need to click Bertha on the index to the left once you link btw... (says Mr Wise after the event- can't edit comments!)
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