Re: stakeholders in shared grief

From: Olga Bourlin (fauxever@sprynet.com)
Date: Sun Jan 26 2003 - 17:47:26 MST


Olga stated:

<<Huh? I never denied making that statement. And I'll say it again - there's
a link between religiosity and intolerance.>>

< Olga, I live and have always lived in the Bible Belt, and just from experience, I disagree with your contention. I would say the nastiness of the Bible Belt, is not 1/10th the vicious intolerance exhibited by Militant Islam.>

Would you please read what I've written again? I never said the Bible Belt was more intolerant than militant Islam. In fact, I don't disagree with your statement that (generally speaking) the Bible Belt is not as intolerant as the "vicious intolerance exhibited by Militant Islam." All I said was there's a link between religiosity and intolerance - the more fundamentally religious a group is, the more intolerant it tends to be (and that's certainly true in militant Islam's case). Historically (as well as generally) speaking, the Bible Belt in America has the reputation for being more intolerant than the rest of the United States - again, there's the religious/bigoted connection.

< Even the worst practitioners of violence in the USA, do not compare to what rages from Madrassahs. There is always the knowledge that civility is an inch deep and a mile wide. In the Middle East, not the Middle West; hatred and fanaticism are a kilometer deep and wide. No comparison at all. If you wish to go by example, we surely can. >

The USA has been somewhat of a democracy, and that fact has placated some of the potentially more egregious acts of violence (although, as far as talking about the not-too-distant past ... it's hard to imagine acts more violent than the lynchings that went on for so long). Comparing democracies and theocracies is kind of like comparing ... you know ...

Olga



This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Sun Feb 02 2003 - 21:26:03 MST