On reading Anthony McIntyre`s piece of September
18th, “Kick the
Pope”, the oddest thing happened. I found
myself agreeing with every point and conclusion
and particularly with the “get lost”
parting shot. My progress through the article
was punctuated with internal comments of, “absolutely”
“couldn`t agree more” and concluded
with “spot on”
Mr.
McIntyre`s and my viewpoints on politics diverge
greatly where Ireland is concerned but converge
when suppression of rights, freedom of expression
and religious intolerance is to the fore. As a
secular humanist I suppose I should be somewhat
insulted and take offence at the pontiff`s comments
but sure what would that accomplish but higher
blood pressure. Suffice to say I disagree with
what you say but defend your right to say it.
(That
has a familiar ring!)
For
the Pope to single out and condemn the prophet
Mohammed as one who would proselytize with violence
and threats, even by proxy in quoting an obscure
scholarly text seems a bit rich. History is peppered
with Catholicism’s brutal take on the whole
heresy issue. However, in the time honoured spirit
of Irish whataboutery, certainly Protestant reformist
religious fervor spawned a mirror image of the
whole inquisition attitude with the typically
succinct Ulsterism “Turn or Burn”.
Generally
religions, with some rare exceptions, have consistently
taken the view, better dead than damned. Buddhism
and the Society of Friends (Quakers) as notable
exceptions to that pattern come to mind. Its difficult
to picture the kindly old gentleman on the porridge
packet roaring “Turn or Burn” unless
it’s a stern warning on the danger of over
cooking the oats!
Indeed
the Christian soul owner’s manual contains
a passage where the writer clearly directs all
owners of said soul to be conscious of the plank
of wood in one’s own eye before pointing
out the speck of sawdust in another’s. Perhaps
the Pope should re-acquaint himself that passage,
as should we all. Hey, wisdom is wisdom, no matter
the source!
Yes,
the radical Moslem clerics overreacted and look
for insult when none was intended.
Yes,
they seem to be missing the whole point of hypocrisy
and irony as a concept.
“Islam
is a religion of peace, accept it or die!”
Yes,
they purposefully reject intellectual debate and
condemn any differing viewpoint.
But
as we have seen down through the ages they are
not alone in this, particularly where Roman Catholic
and Protestant fundamentalists are concerned.
With
apologies to the Bard…A plague on all their
houses!
Perhaps
at this point the reader may care to view this
video clip of a secular humanist scholar who spells
out clearly the present struggle between two opposing
viewpoints.
This
clip was submitted and made available for
viewing by The Blanket during the infamous Moslem
cartoon insult fest several months ago under the
heading Straight Talk
v Orthodoxy.
With
the editor’s indulgence it seems appropriate
to give those who may be interested, an opportunity
to view it for the first time given recent Moslem
(over)reaction to the most innocuous of criticisms.
It
should be noted that the recorded discussion first
aired on Al Jazeera.
My
parting shot….Religion should be prescribed
as a vaccine.
A
small dose may be beneficial, too much is poison.
