Dangers of group think

Submitted by Ayan (United States), Aug 19, 2006 at 16:10

K.T.

Banning a religion has been tried before by the Romans who banned Christianity. Today totalitarian states like China ban religions such as the Falun Gong. But these are actions civilized and democratic states do not take. Ours is a state of laws and civility.

First off it is totally unrealistic to ban a religion. How in the world do you ban what people believe. This would require a great deal of government intrusion, propaganda and large group think and thought control projects which are dangerous to all parties involved and all citizens, specially those who are independent minded intellectuals. Second, every group can be concidered a have objectionable material. Read the Torah and tell me how tolerant it is when it calls for the hebrews to wipe out the people of Palestine and take their land as their own. Or Christianity which believe in death penalty for adultry. Or how about your own anti-Muslim beliefs. I know many Muslims and they are better in term of behavior and class than the average American. They are also 3 times as likely as white Americans to have PhD's and 6 times as likely to be business owner (wealth building capitalists) and contribute a great deal to our multi-ethic country. I and my freedom loving Americans will never allow a modern day inquisition in our country against our fellow citizens.

Your arguements are old and discredited ones. They tried to ban the German immigrants from speaking German in the 1880's. Then there were the anti-Chinese acts. Then the counter Catholic movements. Then the Anti-black southern blocks of the 1960's. There we anti-Jewish ordinances in many wealthy towns. Mulims are just the latest victim of the insulated, counter globalization, ethnocentric block in this country. As long as we stick to our values of freedom of speech, religion and conscience; this movement will fade into history as did the anti-Catholic Protestant extremist movements of the past.

Sincerely, Ayan

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