This should end well.

[ms_daisy_cutter]

Via bites_the_sun: A U.S.-based group of radical Muslims is threatening Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of South Park, for depicting Muhammad in a bear suit.The posting gave details about a home Stone and Parker reportedly co-own

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[arthur_sc_king]

There's a fundamental difference between two key world-views going on, and it's gonna hit the Full Metal Jacket fan one of these days.

Some people think it's "Islam vs. Christian (or Judaeo-Christian)", some think it's "East vs. West", but it's not that simple, because there are people in any of those groups that fall on one side or the other.

The two world-views are:

1. People who believe that individual human rights are paramount, and that two of the (if not THE) most important are freedom of expression and freedom of belief. These are people like whoever really said* "I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." These are people who don't see a need to have the Ten Commandments or a crêche on government property, or who are willing to see them beside menorahs and what-have-you. These are people who are comfortable with themselves, their thoughts, and their beliefs; comfortable enough to be able to listen to differing views and beliefs and not feel threatened. As well, they tend to use reason as their primary driver for decision-making.
   
2. People who want the right to do what they please, but are less tolerant of others doing the same. They are more likely to have narrow, black-and-white views of "right vs. wrong". While they sometimes preach the virtue of individual rights, they often behave in ways that show their true desires for everyone to conform to their norms. They often see change as threatening - not just "threatening to the way we do things now", but almost as personal threats - and then react from an emotional base. They tend to look to the group for their security, hence their reaction against non-conformists. Because people who don't conform to their norms are seen as personally threatening, they may be more likely to react in violent ways. They are suspicious of reason, and prefer to base their decisions on "gut instincts" or "common sense"**.

Without naming names, I think you can all see that there are Christians in both camps, Muslims in both camps, Jews in both camps, atheists in both camps, Old Worlders in both camps, New Worlders in both camps, left-wingers in both camps, and right-wingers in both camps.

The difficulty is that members of the second group tend to outnumber members of the first group.*** As well, their tendency to be more violent (which group is more likely to own and use firearms?) doesn't help. So there are no easy solutions. And because the second group is also more resistant to change, any chance of a successful rapprochement is pretty damn slim.

I hope that makes sense. I may just repost this as an entry on my own blog, but since I started it here, I'll leave it here for now.

ObFootnotes: * Apparently it wasn't actually Voltaire who said it, decades of supposed attribution to the contrary.

** And we all know how "common" and how "sensible" "common sense" can be. %-)

*** Voter supporting Adlai Stevenson in '52 or '56: "Mr. Stevenson, I just want you to know that every thinking American will be voting for you!"
Stevenson: "That's nice, but I need a majority."

[timeofnoreply]

Hi, I think I love you.

[ms_daisy_cutter]

Uh oh.

[timeofnoreply]

What?

[arthur_sc_king]

OK, Daze, what stories about me have you been telling? ;)