Got a bunch of interesting comments on Sunday’s entry about Sam Harris’ "The End of Faith":
From cookie: Im intrigued though by Buddhism which by some way doesnt fit in the
same template as Islam and Christianity. So far its the religion I see
and appreciate that merely practices what you describe as morality
without prejudice; and that doesnt attempt to force feed itself as the
only path to salvation.
I was listening to a Sam Harris podcast recently where he asked, as a way of pointing out the fundamental differences between certain religions, "Where are all the Tibetan Buddhist suicide bombers?"
Martyrdom is core to Islam in a way that is just different from other religions, and we’re living in a world where these fanatical martyrs don’t just run screaming at you with swords drawn anymore. Nowadays they step into buses with C4 strapped to their stomachs, or fly 747s into office buildings. Their willingness to sacrifice themselves for Allah hasn’t dwindled over the centuries, but the weapons available have gotten a hell of a lot nastier. I mean, seriously, what happens when one of these guys gets a hold of nuke?
From becypher: 72 virgins in this life is rather achievable than getting this 72 after
life. Cumulatively speaking though. Why blow up yerself.
You have to look at it in the context of the religion itself. Islam is one of the most conservative religions on the planet, and they know it. To be offered a chance at being the alpha male in one big orgy in the sky, when your women here on earth can’t even bare their ankles … well, I’d say that’s a pretty heavy incentive, don’t you?
Dairokutenmaoh: What’s so holy with "holy war"? What’s holy in decapitating infidels?
What’s holy in blowing yourself up? What’s holy in imposing your
"faith" on a swordpoint? And to think they preach of a "loving and
benevolent" God.
One of the things we have to come to grips with is that our religions (possibly with the exception of Buddhism, although I don’t know this for a fact) have built-in defenses against non-believers. The Bible and the Koran are particularly vehement about what to do when your neighbours worship other gods. One of the justifications for the Spanish Inquisition was a statement made by St. Augustine himself, declaring that if torture were appropriate for those broke the laws of men, it was even more fitting for those who broke the laws of God. And the irony of it is, these acts of violence are holy, when viewed in the context of the religion in question.
Check out more of Sam Harris’ articles and essays, including a particularly biting response to a Christian reader here.