pointless to debate religion

Submitted by Sidda (United States), Mar 20, 2006 at 12:02

Danish-American, you stated that the debate back and forth regarding religious beliefs is confusing and frustrating. I agree wholeheartedly and that is why I generally refrain from doing so. Not saying that others cannot find some satisfaction in it and even may learn something from it.

But, in my way of thinking, it deflects away from the real issue here and that is the effect that radical, fundamentalist Islam is having on the world right now. The reality is that a cartoon can be drawn about Jesus, a movie made which pokes fun at Christians or Christianity, or a book written which is critical of Christian beliefs, or art made which would be considered disrespectful at the least (think Piss Christ), WITHOUT Christians going on a worldwide, murderous destructive rampage and sending the writers, film makers, cartoonists, and artists into hiding for fear of their lives.

Getting into debates about "my God is better than your God" obfuscates that point. It also takes the focus off of all of the acts of terror (9/11, Madrid, London, Bali, beheadings, kidnappings and murders, and violence) which have been committed by Islamists in the past few years all in the name of Islam.

In the final analysis, I don't really care whether my neighbor is a Jew, Christian, Muslim, atheist, pagan, Hindu, Zoroastrian, Buddhist, or Scientologist!! As Thomas Jefferson once stated, "It does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty Gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." The problem is that the Islamists have no such tolerance and are hell-bent on imposing their beliefs on all who do not believe as they do.

That is what underlies this cartoon debacle. Do the Islamists have the right to impose their religious edicts or prohibitions on to people who do not share their beliefs? Not only in the area of drawing cartoons, but in other areas as well.

Getting sidetracked into religious debates detracts from the main issue. When I feel myself being pulled away from the original issue, I just go back and re-read the article to which the comments are attached.

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