The Monarchist 1.0
Defending the British Crown Commonwealth and the English-Speaking Peoples
[+] HONOURING OUR PATRON, SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL, VICTOR OF THE ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLES
[+] HONOURING OUR QUEEN, ELIZABETH THE SECOND, ON THE 80TH YEAR OF HER BIRTH (1926 - 2006)
[+] HONOURING OUR KING, SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR, ON THE 1000TH YEAR OF HIS BIRTH (1005 - 2005)
[+] HONOURING OUR HERO, LORD NELSON, ON THE BICENTENNIAL OF THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR (1805 - 2005)
[+] HONOURING OUR SONS, THE QUEEN'S COMMONWEALTH SOLDIERS KILLED IN THE 'WAR ON TERROR'
Chief Warrant Officer Robert Girouard, 46, Royal Canadian Regiment, Nov 27, 2006 (Afstan)
Staff Sergeant Sharron Elliott, 34, Intelligence Corps, Nov 12, 2006 (Iraq)
Private Jacob B. Kovco, 25, Royal Australian Regiment, April 21, 2006
[+] HONOURING OUR VETS ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VICTORIA CROSS (1856 - 2006)
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Physician, heal thyself
When it comes to the problem with radical Islamic fundamentalism, there are as many opinions as there are people to offer them. Most approaches, however, fall into a couple of categories.
Some suggest that we enforce a harder line with these communities - that we push them to "toe the line" at home, while showing robust force abroad. Others suggest some form of outreach, where the secular community endeavours to find what makes terrorists tick, and attempts to proscribe some form of catharsis for those whom 21st century Western Liberal society holds no promise.
We should be leery of both approaches - carrot and stick - leading to some great epiphany.
Who knows why any individual makes the choice they do? Not every person in similar straits chooses the same path. Not every community, either secular or religious, chooses such dead end strategies to advance what can only be described as a creed of nihilism.
What appears to make sense to this observer is this - it is hard to believe that either the good cop or bad cop routine will dissuade the person intent on killing themselves and many others.
So what is the answer?
Islam was founded over 600 years after Christianity. If one wishes to consider where Islam is today, then one may wish to look at the state of Christianity 600 years ago.
In 1400, Christianity was possessed by its own internal power struggles. The English priest Wyclif had made both friends and enemies in England. It would be a century until we would see the emergence of Martin Luther and the actions of Henry VIII that would create Anglicanism.
Popes were as likely as Kings and Emperors to engage, or induce, wars. The Church still had yet to persecute Galileo and Copernicus for their scientific researches, and it would be still some time before the horrors and brutality of the Spanish Inquisition would be in fullplay. And, of course, it would be 200 more years before women in Salem, Massachusetts would be put to death over allegations of witchcraft.
Christianity would eventually have its Reformation and its Enlightenment. Both religious and secular authority would be transformed in the process.
Islam today is a faith that has not yet experienced the kinds of changes and developments that Christianity has undergone. And just as the aforementioned events were brought on by Christians themselves, so too, must Muslims be the agents of reform and renewal in their own name.
This may be cold comfort for non-Muslims who despair for a quick answer to this dire challenge, but the truth is that we are bystanders to the forces that will determine how this great historical journey will end.
All we can do is protect ourselves, be vigilant, and hope our Muslim friends take this moment in time to "heal themselves."
POSTED BY: Anonymous AT 8:41 p.m. | LINKS |
When it comes to the problem with radical Islamic fundamentalism, there are as many opinions as there are people to offer them. Most approaches, however, fall into a couple of categories.
Some suggest that we enforce a harder line with these communities - that we push them to "toe the line" at home, while showing robust force abroad. Others suggest some form of outreach, where the secular community endeavours to find what makes terrorists tick, and attempts to proscribe some form of catharsis for those whom 21st century Western Liberal society holds no promise.
We should be leery of both approaches - carrot and stick - leading to some great epiphany.
Who knows why any individual makes the choice they do? Not every person in similar straits chooses the same path. Not every community, either secular or religious, chooses such dead end strategies to advance what can only be described as a creed of nihilism.
What appears to make sense to this observer is this - it is hard to believe that either the good cop or bad cop routine will dissuade the person intent on killing themselves and many others.
So what is the answer?
Islam was founded over 600 years after Christianity. If one wishes to consider where Islam is today, then one may wish to look at the state of Christianity 600 years ago.
In 1400, Christianity was possessed by its own internal power struggles. The English priest Wyclif had made both friends and enemies in England. It would be a century until we would see the emergence of Martin Luther and the actions of Henry VIII that would create Anglicanism.
Popes were as likely as Kings and Emperors to engage, or induce, wars. The Church still had yet to persecute Galileo and Copernicus for their scientific researches, and it would be still some time before the horrors and brutality of the Spanish Inquisition would be in fullplay. And, of course, it would be 200 more years before women in Salem, Massachusetts would be put to death over allegations of witchcraft.
Christianity would eventually have its Reformation and its Enlightenment. Both religious and secular authority would be transformed in the process.
Islam today is a faith that has not yet experienced the kinds of changes and developments that Christianity has undergone. And just as the aforementioned events were brought on by Christians themselves, so too, must Muslims be the agents of reform and renewal in their own name.
This may be cold comfort for non-Muslims who despair for a quick answer to this dire challenge, but the truth is that we are bystanders to the forces that will determine how this great historical journey will end.
All we can do is protect ourselves, be vigilant, and hope our Muslim friends take this moment in time to "heal themselves."
POSTED BY: Anonymous AT 8:41 p.m. | LINKS |
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