Right Again

Submitted by Dr. Lee D. Cary (United States), Jul 14, 2005 at 11:45

Dr. Pipes writes, "In general, the authors of Young Muslims and Extremism are too politically worried to understand the phenomenon they are contending with." Right again, sir. In that portion of the downloadable document that summarizes the survey results, the authors preface each finding with this disclaimer: "Note: this data does not imply a causal link between faith and attitudes." That's like saying, "Note: Although it quacks, has webbed feet, feathers, waddles when it walks, flys and has a bill, we do not imply that it is a duck." Or, it's like saying, back in the domestic, historical, religious venue back when violence was threatening to escalate around abortion clinics, saying, "Note: we do not imply there is a casual link between the beliefs of a violent group within the anti-abortion wing of fundamentalistic Christianity and their violence." Political correctness carried to the illogical is not only naive, it's dangerously self-destructive. You're right, sir. The authors of that document are "too politically worried to understand the phenomenon they are contending with."

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