There are deeper problems at work

Submitted by Peter Herz (United States), Jun 23, 2011 at 14:48

The implementation of limited and consensual government in the West harkens back to the belief in original sin held by 16th century Christians. "Absolute power is a burden too great for mortal shoulders" and "unfettered power in one that can sin [all of us except Christ, according to Christian theology] is an accursed power" wrote Samuel Rutherford back in 1644 in his _Lex Rex_, a criticism of the claims of Stuart monarchs to absolute rule over Britain. Before him was a galaxy of continental thinkers such as Francois Hotman, Theodore de Beze, Philippe duPlessis-Mornay, Hubert Languet, and Philippus Marnix van St. Aldegonde who argued the same against other European dynasts.

Now, the Da'wa boys I heard may have been wrong {I leave it to Muslims to judge], but they insisted to me that Islam has no doctrine of original sin. I suspect this may be one reason why, when things go wrong, Christians ask "What did we do wrong?" while Muslims ask, "Who did this to us?" Add to this Islam's hunger to once again see "rightly guided Caliphs" leading the Ummah (never mind that the original ones were all assassinated or plunged their community into civil war), and I confess my doubts that the balanced freedom enjoyed by the West (and some of its imitators) is possible in the Islamic world.

But, let history prove me wrong and I'll be happy.

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