Dying for your religion
This is something politicians always
want
your
kids to do -- not theirs.
Dying for your religion and, I might add, your country. Jason Burke, writing for the Observer magazine, reminds us that Islam can be contradictory about martyrdom. “Like most beliefs, Islam is a religion of peace that has to accept that it can also breed terror...
“Yet before we embark on a round of religious finger-pointing, we should note that all major faiths are the same. They can all offer help for different needs and agendas. Think of the muscular Christianity of imperialist, Victorian Britain (or, indeed, of contemporary America) or Hinduism's lunatic fringe. In Sri Lanka, even smiley, happy Buddhism has exacerbated one of the most vicious civil conflicts of our time.”
We’ve grown up with movies that tell us dying for your country can be as grand as martyrdom for Christianity. Including “Alamo”, John Wayne died for his country three times. Not too shabby for the most famous draft dodger in WW2.
Posted: Sun - July 17, 2005 at 03:16 PM