Why do conservatives refuse to admit that we are fighting religious conservatives in the middle east?

Question

We are attempting to make the middle east MORE LIBERAL and get rid of the fundementalist religious conservative FRAUDS that threaten or way of life.

sorry...

Answer 1

from

"The Seeds Of The American Taliban" 10-10-04
by David Jenkins

"What is amazing to me is that more people do not see the similarities between what I call Cherry Pickin’ Christians – those who select and pervert Bible scripture to suit their political and social agenda – and their counterparts who are doing the very same thing in the name of Allah. The history of the world is tainted with eras of divisive and bloody conflict centered in the misconception that God is on their side. From the persecution of Pagans centuries ago to the Spanish Inquisition, from the streets of Belfast to the streets of Tel Aviv and the Gaza Strip and now Bush’s war on terror there are numerous glaring examples that religious conflict is not only never-ending but a pointless and destructive exercise in “my God is better than your God.”

There is a growing movement within this country of people who are convinced that God is only on their side and the rest of us are going to Hell. Apparently, quite a few of them voted recently and their call to arms was something called “moral values.” Eleven states were compliant with the wishes of Bush Co.’s moral value fearmongers and included a referendum on their ballots to legally refuse certain citizens the same rights as others in regard to the subject of marriage. Not based upon law but based upon scripture, lovingly cherry-picked from a book that also says that shellfish are an abomination (Lev. 11:10) and that if you work on a Sunday then you should be executed (Exodus 35:2). Go ahead, look it up. And there’s more where that came from.

The thing is, these cherry pickers are becoming a political force in our country and history has shown time and time again that this type of cultist population and its influence is a threat to any sense of stability here or around the world. There is little more dangerous than some group of zealots thinking that some omnipresent “entity” is sanctioning their wishes at the expense of those who do not agree. The events of September 11 are a perfect example.

God vs. God

Shortly after 9/11, I did a piece on the threat that fundamentalism posed for America. Now religious fundamentalism is a relatively new phenomenon in the United States, characterized by a sense of embattled alienation nurtured by some misguided perceived threat from a surrounding culture. The term can also refer specifically to the belief that one's religious texts (i.e.: the Bible or Koran) are infallible and historically accurate, despite contradiction of these claims by modern religious scholarship. There is almost a sense of righteous paranoia that fuels these individual movements and the source of that paranoia would seem to be the very “God” that these people worship. It’s almost as if these people are out to change the world into their way of thinking and worshiping because they feel if they screw up then their God will smite them for their failure.

Think back to just after 9/11 and the comments made by certain religious leaders. Some said that God was “angry” with us because He perceived weakness in our society concerning homosexuals, the ACLU and other “pornographic liberal values,” so He allowed those planes to attack us. One has to wonder about the value of praying to such a vengeful deity.

Although conservative Christians profess a love of Jesus and are diligent in their efforts to create new believers, they seem to be stuck in an Old Testament way of thinking. Most importantly, by their actions they seem to have done away with the line about “judge not lest ye be judged.” It would seem that Jesus makes a great selling point to join the club, so to speak, and God help you once they have you. But at least you know, once you’re in, that only you and people who believe like you will go to heaven – right?

The only problem is there are others who feel that they have the only keys to heaven or whatever paradise apparently waits. As I stated earlier, the world has a long history of bloody conflicts which have been little more than one side imposing its version of God on those who do not share the same beliefs. Many are so pompous as to proclaim that they know how God feels or whose side God is on.

On one hand, you have a military leader such as Gen. William Boykin speaking at an evangelical Christian meeting that “the war on terror is a fight against Satan” and then tossing in his boast that “My God is bigger” and “My God is real” while others are just “idols.” On the other hand, you have folks like the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Omar, predicting the destruction of America. “If Allah’s help is with us, this will happen within a short period of time,” Omar said. So fundamentalism teaches that my God is better than your God – I’m right and you’re wrong and if I say my God states that you have no right to exist than you’re just going to have to deal with it.

This line of thinking begins to shed light on how the shortsightedness and intolerance of religious fundamentalism can lead to everlasting wars with the will of a minority having a devastating effect on the rest of us."

Answer 2

Not to worry because after the fall elections, there are going to be many much needed changes including termination of an illegal war in Iraq and the needless and unjustified death of so many American military personnel and innocent Iraqi civilians. I think it is a little late for any last minute conservative bid to try and save the American tax payers anything. The conservatives will find that any effort now is too little, too late. They backed a loser for too long and in the fall elections, it is going to be time to pay the fiddler. Darryl S.

Answer 3

Is that not exactly what many non-conservative,non-fundies are doing in the US .History testifies clearly to the fact that religious fundamentalists down through history and everywhere on earth have brought nothing but genocides,crimes against humanity,lynchings,tortures etc to the party .

There is ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENCE between a Christian ,Jewish ,Islamic fundamentalist etc and at their core they will do whatever is necessary to have their GOD PREVAIL.

The ONLY reason the American fundies are less violent etc than the Islamic ones are is that the US fundies are relatively well off and free but if that ever changed,theyu would become like the Taliban.

Remember always that the US Christian fundamentalist movement was founded in 1845 (Baptist Convention) purely/soley to give GOD'S blessing to SLAVERY .

This is the vile type of movement that we are dealing with.

In fact another not widely known fact is that their are many US Christian Fundamentalist currently living in the ILLEGAL Jewish settlements of the West Bank .In their own words ,they are there to ensure nobody takes away this land from the Jews because it will be only when the ancient Israeli state is created again that the all important long awaited fundy RAPTURE will occur.

As we all know,the millions of Christian fundies like the good little lemmings they are,voted in 2000 and 2004 virtually en masse and elected that evil Bush.These fundies now control the "heart and soul" of the Republican Party .I guess among many other things,they and the Republicans will bring back slavery and make Trent Lott happy as hell now that his racist hero, Strom Thurmond is dead.

Answer 4

There is a difference between religious conservatives and political conservatives. Just because you are conservative in your political philosophies does NOT mean you are a fundamentalist religious extremist. I am generally conservative in my political views but quite liberal about religion.

Generalizations like that are the mark of narrow minded and sloppy thinking.

Answer 5

While I agree, liberal and conservative aren't terms or ideologies that transcend time and space. They usually have meanings that are relative based on the history and politics of the region. Yes, we're fighting religious conservatives of a radical bent, but they don't share all that much in common with American conservatives. And yes, we're trying to liberalize the area, but not in the modern liberal sense of bigger government, higher taxes, and central planning, but rather in the 'freer' meaning of the word.

Answer 6

It actually depends on which set of Muslim terrorists you are referring to. While the Taliban and Al Qaeda could be considered to be religious conservatives (in the framework of Islam anyway), Hamas, Hezbollah and most other Palestinian affiliated terrorist organizations have always been considered to be left wing groups with decidedly socialist goals and objectives.

Answer 7

I think if you were to graph out religious peoples (of any type), you'd have "fundamentalists" a lot further out on the extreme end than "conservatives". Trying to lump the two as being somehow synonymous is disingenuous at the very least...but be honest...you already knew that. You were just trolling with this question.

Answer 8

You obviously equate Christian conservatism with Islamic conservatism. In that lies your most egregious error. You do yourself a great disservice in doing so. It the same as equating the brave American soldier to the terrorist by calling the latter a "freedom fighter". The first is fighting to preserve live the other to destroy innocent life and kill himself in the process.
Liberal thinking is frightening. It has caused the deaths of many of our soldiers. It has caused the world to disrespect America and its leaders. Let us hope, let us pray that it does not prevail in '08.

Answer 9

I'm not exactly sure why they don't just join forces other than Christians and Muslims hate each other. I see their goals to be very similar. Oppression of truth, choice and an opposing view. It all sounds the same to me just different names and countries.

Answer 10

You have got to be S____ing me! Conservatives? Are conservatives the ones who wipe out entire villages just because someone's grandfather belonged to the wrong religious sect? Are they conservatives when they make women wear veils, black clothing, keep covered from head to toe? Are they conservatives because they torture any one whose beliefs are different from theirs?
You can say anything you like: that's your previlege. However, people should make some semblance of truth-speaking, not try to emulate "1984".
There is NO RELIGION involved; Muslims (or any other religion) that do those things are NOT religious.