To MM - Need to clarify

Submitted by Michel (United States), Mar 9, 2007 at 15:26

MM, thanks for this post and the kind remarks.

I must clarify however that , while my Dad and Mom were Jewish, they raised us as Roman Catholics in Switzerland. I have since migrated away from this form of Christianity, which I consider as restrictive and encrusted as any religon comes.

Not having found a spiritual home in any of the christian churches, I was exactly one of the people who needed to find sense and meaning on my own. Trying to follow the basic ten commandments, guided by the magnificent ideas of the US constitution and adopting some principles out of Asian environments I encountered during my travels, I guess I end up not being accepted in any of the various afterlifes. My religon, if you will, is a wild mix of principles originating from a variety of churches.

No idea what that makes me. Kumbajah mumbo jumbo, Noah will certainly say.

Having some family in Israel of course there is a bit of Bias.I sure empathize with the Jews, battered throughout the centuries. Paranoia is quite understandably in the meantime genetically hard coded into their DNA. Not an excuse for some of the recent lashing out, but at least mitigating circumstance, as I myself would not want to live under a rain of >50 Katjushas/day or the permanent threat of cowardly suicide bombings.

Having said that, my driving motivator in the debate here is a strive for fairness and objectivity. The way a large chunk of normal peaceful people who happen to be Muslims are depicted is just despicable.

Without distinction >1B people are being vilified, just because they share this one common denominator, call themselves Muslims. How such a simplistic view can be entertained, is beyond my understanding, while it is without question accepted that within Christianity many many different expressions exist.

It is like applying two utterly different sets of rules. In my book that is cheating.

Ironically it is because of my father's history as oppressed, banned, deported and incarcerated Jew, that I so vehemently stand against applying the same to another people. Does it make sense, when I say that it is because of the jewish people, that I defend Muslims?

[ READ MY LIPS THOUGH: tolerant, peaceful people only.}

You are the classic example of the simple, boringly normal citizen who just happens to be Muslim ( whatever that may mean)., as I am just the normal John Doe from next door who happens to call himself a Christian. To name you in the same context as Osama, is outrageous.

Well - I happen to yesterday in my local liquor store be invited by an US Citizen of Indian origin who lived in Pakistan and is Muslim be inviited to come to the local Mosque and attend the Friday Sermon.
I will quite actually go and get a first hand impression as to what is being discussed or preached.

I see this as a lab experiment either confirming me or not. Either way, I will report to you all and will do so honestly.

Since it is obviously possible to attend at the local mosque, I invite all of you to follow suit and then our various reports back may be a bit more relevant?

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