The Taliban, who are now ruling in Afghanistan, recently issued an edict ordering all women to cover their faces in public, i.e., go back to wearing the full burqa. This is a giant leap backward for women’s rights in that country. Why is that relevant to those of us who live half a world away in the United States of America, the ‘former’ beacon of freedom and democracy? Just like the women in Afghanistan are under attack, so are the women in this country. I find it interesting that in most of these countries that are so intent on restricting women’s rights, the laws and edicts restricting those rights are most often issued and enacted by men. It begs the question, “Why are men so afraid of women?” I’ll leave that question for another day.
After the tragic events of September 11, 2001, there was a huge backlash against Muslims in this country and against the religion of Islam. I would venture a guess that most people who rail against Islam do not understand that it, like Christianity and Judaism, is also an Abrahamic religion and believes in some form of the Old Testament, Moses and previous prophets. Muslims believe that Mohammed was the true prophet. Christians believe that Jesus Christ was the true prophet. And in Judaism, they believe the true prophet has not yet arrived. The fact is, there are probably more similarities between these three religions that differences.
However, what most people focus on and the words they associate with Islam are ‘jihad’ and ‘sharia’. ‘Jihad’ is defined as, “a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as religious duty.” ‘Sharia’ is defined as, “Islamic law based upon the Koran.” After the events of 9/11 and certainly witnessing the atrocities committed by ISIS under the guise of ‘jihad’ for Islam, it is somewhat understandable how people confuse ‘Islam’ and ‘jihad’ and are under the mistaken impression that all Muslims are violent extremists, when the fact is, most Muslims are peaceful people.
In addition, many if not most people in this country believe that all Muslims are intent on instituting ‘sharia law’ in this country. Certainly, when Muslims are elected to public office such as Rep. Ilhan Omar, accusations always surface regarding sharia law.
What has become apparent to me over the last few years and particularly, during the last week after the leak of the Supreme Court draft opinion about Roe v. Wade, is that this country is under attack from the religious right. There is a ‘jihad’, if you will, underway right under our respective noses. Think about it. Just make a couple of word substitutions to the definitions of ‘jihad’ and ‘sharia’ and it sharply brings into focus what is happening in this country today.
The United States definition of ‘jihad’ is:” a holy war waged on behalf of Christianity as religious duty.” ‘Sharia’ is defined as, “Christian law based upon the Bible.” And there you have it. That is exactly what is happening in this country today.
Now, before everyone gets up in arms, understand that in the same way that not all Muslims are violent jihadists, not all Christians are right wing ‘Christian jihadists’. But in the same way that different Muslim sects, have radically different interpretations of Islam, so do different sects of Christianity have radically different interpretations of Christianity.
Unfortunately, there is a very loud, vocal group of right-wing Christian fundamentalists who are being coddled and pandered to by the Republican party of Trump, with the intent of enforcing ‘Christian sharia’ on the entire country. Virtually all of the restrictions being enacted by Republican legislatures around the country stem from fundamentalist Christian beliefs – abortion restrictions, prohibitions against same-sex marriage, laws prohibiting doctors from treating transgender children, potential prohibitions against contraception. There is no scientific rationale for any of these things and, in fact, the science argues against all of these. They are simply based upon an interpretation of Christianity that a minority of people in this country are trying to force upon everyone.
So, the next time one of these right-wing, Trump Republicans starts railing against jihadists and sharia law, I suggest we all tell them to look in the mirror because the biggest threat to this country right now, is not from a group of external Islamic terrorists, it’s from home grown, pseudo patriotic religious zealots who are waging their own jihad to install ‘Christian sharia’ as the law of the land for everyone.
I grew up Catholic – grade school and such. I believe in God. But not like others.
It’s insulting to God to not use the brain given or developed to us, and to move forward.
It’s insulting to not learn from the archeological digs in the middle east that we need major revisions or supplement to the Bible and other stories / parables ( they have never been or intended to be literal history – that’s why some in the church didn’t want them public – fear of wrong interpretation – like what’s happening today ).
Why has the Bible been frozen for 2,000 years, when prior is was a living / updated set of books ? Just because St. Paul expected Jesus back within 20 years to overturn Rome ?
The Severe Church of the Wrath of God intends to update our Latest Testament with a supplement to Genesis – The Book of Genetics. Maybe also – The Book of Big Boom ! Simple explanations of what current thought is – with explanations why Genesis what written for it’s time also – as it made sense for 4,000 years ago before it was passed on by verbal tradition and later written down. Today – It simply chases people who think more clearly away – running away as fast as they can from church. We need good people back. God is angry at that. Hence the name of our church.
Peace out.
p.s. No matter what science and so forth thinks and comes up with in physics and such – there is always – what came before that – and then the philosophical contemplate thy naval – why ? Hence the God or whatever one wants to call it mythology WTF – why am I here thing to wrapped around the axle with and spin all day about…
I unwind by just saying in my head – God is Good with an extra letter “o”, and it’s above my pay grade to pretend I can comprehend the amount of energy, power, or whatever it took to make that thing go off that created the Big Bang – if that’s even truly correct in the long run. BTW – in space, without air – the Big Bang can’t actually make any noise – it would be completely silent as we know explosions, and I believe invisible too – light and electromagnetism might not have possible if I read it correctly. Dang. explosions are cool.