What do you think of this "Call to Arms"?

Question

"Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Fundamentalists have long been waging a “culture war” with the Western world’s concepts of justice, science, democracy, and pluralism, which they refer to as “the Forces of Evil.” It is well past time for liberal, moderate, and even conservative Jews, Muslims, Christians, Neopagans, Unitarian Universalists, Atheists, Agnostics, and everyone else who isn’t a religious fanatic, to start consciously fighting back against deliberate ignorance, religious bigotry, and sanctified violence — that is to say, against Fundamentalism.

As I said before, it is time to take effective action to “contain, subvert, and dethrone Fundamentalism wherever and whenever it oppresses its own and other peoples.” What does this mean? To begin with,

Reconstructionist, Reform, Conservative, and secularized Jews have to stop respecting those Orthodox and Hasidic Jews (at home and abroad) who advocate violence against non-Jews in Israel, who attempt to revoke the civil liberties...

...of those who have different moral visions, who oppress and abuse their wives, who deliberately keep their kids ignorant, and who use money and weapons to oppress, enslave, and kill other human beings.
Liberal, moderate, conservative, and secularized Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox Christians have to stop respecting those Fundamentalists in their communities (at home and abroad) who advocate violence against abortion doctors, who attempt to revoke the civil liberties of those who have different moral visions, who oppress and abuse their wives, who deliberately keep their kids ignorant, and who use money and weapons to oppress, enslave, and kill other human beings...

Liberal, moderate, conservative and secularized Muslims have to stop respecting those Islamic Fundamentalists (at home and abroad) who advocate violence against heretics, who attempt to revoke the civil liberties of those who have different moral visions, who oppress and abuse their wives, who deliberately keep their kids ignorant, and who use money and weapons to oppress, enslave, and kill other human beings.
Atheists, Agnostics, Deists, Freemasons, Rosicrucians, Gnostics, New Agers, Neopagans, Unitarian Universalists, and members of other belief and non-belief systems have to stop pretending that Fundamentalism is just another belief system, entitled to full social and political respect, one that will eventually “go away” as people become more enlightened.

It isn’t and it won’t. Fundamentalism is a mental and spiritual illness that endangers and oppresses billions of innocent people around the world. It is a dysfunctional form of belief that deliberately attempts to control its victims to prevent them from ever becoming more enlightened, because its leaders know that scientific education, exposure to other lifestyles, gender equality, and spiritual awareness all spell the end of their dictatorships. In fact, ancient and modern Fundamentalism is the most dangerous collection of “cults” in history.

--Isaac Bonewits

Answer 1

Sixth generation Unitarian Universalist here. Radicalism needs to be combated wherever it exists. It is radicalism and not fundamentalism that is the real culprit, although, it seems that radicalism finds its most fertile soil in conservative fundamentalism. The UUA and its member congregations have a long history of participation in movements to prevent intolerance, end bigotry, protect civil and human rights, and promote social and economic justice.

It is always amazing to me that conservative fundamentalists try to use the founding fathers as an example of our nations Christianity. However, like Jesus, these men were rebellious liberals, who fought the status quot and worked to bring a new vision of tolerance and freedom to government.

Just as a PS -- one of your respondents has shown a not uncommon misunderstanding of the separation of church and state. While a nativity set up in front of the town hall is inappropriate, a student is free to wear a Christian themed shirt to school as a matter of the first amendments freedom of speech provision. Students can in fact pray in school and cannot be prevented from doing so. What is not permissible is a school sponsored prayer. I do wish people would get these things straight. If you are going to argue for a position, at least use correct arguments.

Answer 2

It wasn't that long ago that the Western world's concepts of justice, science, democracy WERE Christianity's concepts of such things. You talk like secular humanism has always been the establishment, bravely holding at bay the savage, superstitious, "religious" barbarians.

Besides, true Christianity has always rejected atrocities and oppression in the name of God or a given religion. The Christian community in general worries more, though, about anti-Christian tendencies such as you display, because they are more pervasive and more damaging in our society.

Besides, your idea of "oppression" or "having civil liberties taken away" is a nativity scene in front of the town hall, or a kid being allowed to wear a Christian-themed shirt to public school.

Forgive me if my heart doesn't bleed for you.

Answer 3

Wayne, I went to intense college interior the Seventies and that i had a surprising Agnostic instructor who refused to bypass to any religious suitable assemblies and asked to be allowed to furnish a study corridor for people who chosen to not attend them. He replaced into very staggering and that i found out very lots from him at that element. I felt like he had a fascinating attitude and allowed me to question him and puzzled me interior the technique so as that i could initiate questioning overtly approximately my ideals. I attended 5 distinctive colleges around our state and had particularly some super instructors who did the comparable type of questioning. i got here across it fairly enlightening even regardless of the incontrovertible fact that I later desperate to grow to be a Christian. Being open-minded and questioning does not recommend which you undertake someones perspectives. It means which you're open sufficient to hearken to and think of roughly what others say with out judging them for those strategies. i'm grateful to have been uncovered to this at that element. I even have faith that a guy or woman can call me slender-minded with out being so them-self. i'm fairly slender-minded at situations. Have a super night and a surprising week. thank you, Eds .