The Enemy of My Enemy...
Is my friend?
This is the interesting, yet flawed, argument Ayaan Hirsi Ali tries to make in "Nomad" about Christianity. (Yes I already devoured the book) She is a self-proclaimed Athiest since leaving the shackles of Islam, and her main concern is helping Muslim women get out of their dire circumstances in tribal fundie culture. She insists that a moderate Christian church should proselityze to Muslim refugees in Europe so that something can fill the faith-shaped void that Muslim women may feel after being Exposed to modern living. She feels, and I do agree, that people should begin leaving Islam behind. She denounces the creationist nutty Christianity, and describes more the Kind I had grown up with, where the Bible is a metaphor, not a verbatim account of events, and the Enlightenment is accepted. Her argument is, if they must have a God, at least the Christian god is the lesser of two evils. It would serve as a stepping stone towards breaking free and becoming a part of modern society. I guess people need baby steps to break away? I understand, though not wholely agree, but I am sure to most people who have lived by a holy scripture so religiously, it may be extra difficult to just walk away, and finding morality without religion may be inconcievable. Especially to people who haven't even been allowed to be exposed to materials of the Enlightenment. Humanism may be a difficult thing to wrap one's brains and morals around. She at one point even addresses Dawkins and Hitchens in the book, saying she hopes they are not disappointed by her solution to the problem.
Aside from this topic, she goes into detail about the danger of cultural relativism in regards to Islam and how we should not make culture-based excuses for violations of peoples, especially womens, human rights. This I agree with wholeheartedly. I remember a thread on LHC about the polygamous FLDS cults in Arizona, and their endorsements of child marriage among other things, and how even LHC propagated cultural relativism by hushing up the posters who claimed this was disgusting, warning to not hurt anyone's feelings.. Or worse, being labeled a racist or politically incorrect. Western society has basically tied it's hands behind it's back when it comes to dealing with human rights violations and Sha'ria law being imposed in families because of this cultural relativism and political correctness.
What about the feelings of people forced into marriage, genital mutilation, honor killings, etc? What a beautiful aspect of culture to defend. All in the name of "cultural diversity" and "respect for the beliefs of others."
This is the interesting, yet flawed, argument Ayaan Hirsi Ali tries to make in "Nomad" about Christianity. (Yes I already devoured the book) She is a self-proclaimed Athiest since leaving the shackles of Islam, and her main concern is helping Muslim women get out of their dire circumstances in tribal fundie culture. She insists that a moderate Christian church should proselityze to Muslim refugees in Europe so that something can fill the faith-shaped void that Muslim women may feel after being Exposed to modern living. She feels, and I do agree, that people should begin leaving Islam behind. She denounces the creationist nutty Christianity, and describes more the Kind I had grown up with, where the Bible is a metaphor, not a verbatim account of events, and the Enlightenment is accepted. Her argument is, if they must have a God, at least the Christian god is the lesser of two evils. It would serve as a stepping stone towards breaking free and becoming a part of modern society. I guess people need baby steps to break away? I understand, though not wholely agree, but I am sure to most people who have lived by a holy scripture so religiously, it may be extra difficult to just walk away, and finding morality without religion may be inconcievable. Especially to people who haven't even been allowed to be exposed to materials of the Enlightenment. Humanism may be a difficult thing to wrap one's brains and morals around. She at one point even addresses Dawkins and Hitchens in the book, saying she hopes they are not disappointed by her solution to the problem.
Aside from this topic, she goes into detail about the danger of cultural relativism in regards to Islam and how we should not make culture-based excuses for violations of peoples, especially womens, human rights. This I agree with wholeheartedly. I remember a thread on LHC about the polygamous FLDS cults in Arizona, and their endorsements of child marriage among other things, and how even LHC propagated cultural relativism by hushing up the posters who claimed this was disgusting, warning to not hurt anyone's feelings.. Or worse, being labeled a racist or politically incorrect. Western society has basically tied it's hands behind it's back when it comes to dealing with human rights violations and Sha'ria law being imposed in families because of this cultural relativism and political correctness.
What about the feelings of people forced into marriage, genital mutilation, honor killings, etc? What a beautiful aspect of culture to defend. All in the name of "cultural diversity" and "respect for the beliefs of others."