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I agree that terrorism will persist as long as there are values held higher
than free life. Unfortunately, religion or mysticism isn't going to go
away. The USSR and China both tried for over half a century and failed to
eliminate it. What can be done is replace negative mysticism (which
permits religious justification for suicide bombers) with positive
mysticism which explicitly makes life the highest value. Most mainstream
religions have a "thou shalt not kill" clause. That needs to be
emphasized. The parts of the 'holy books' that speak of devine vengeance
or give any hint of justification to megalomaniacs that would claim to be
God's representative on earth need to be re-interpreted.
In light of the intense and justified anger over this catastrophe, we need
to think of the value of killing as a means of balancing the scales of
justice. Killing the fanatics responsible for this outrage is not the
ultimate punishment that could be inflicted on them. In fact, given their
penchant for engaging in suicide bombing, it is no punishment at all. Far
better would be to capture these individuals and put them in solitary
confinement while taking every precaution that they live as long as
possible without contact with their comrades or any other humans. That
would (for them) be a real punishment that they might fear. -uf
At 9/14/2001 04:51 PM, you wrote:
> >
> > **
> >
> > What you find at the heart of any political fanaticism is mysticism: an
>irrational belief in a "higher power" (the state (fascism), a god (Islam,
>among others), "the working class" (communism), race (Nazism, among others),
>etc.) Every barbarism in history has been justified by reference to some
>mystical higher power. The current barbarism is no different.
> >
> > As long as any value is placed above the value of free life itself, as
>long as belief in mystical "higher powers" exists, there will be those
>willing to give and take the lesser value (life) in order to obtain, or
>achieve the success of, the "higher" (mystical) value. And as long as that
>is the case, there will be "terrorism".
> >
> > Pull the weed of terrorism up by the roots? Turn "the offending
>countries" into parking lots? Do you honestly believe that this will stop
>"terrorism"?
> >
> > Let us be clear: what we are discussing now does not have much to do with
>obtaining justice. The 18 or so perpetrators of the terrible acts in New
>York and Washington are all dead. There is no more justice to be obtained
>from them. Everything being done now is either justice at the margins
>(punishing accomplices and the like) or it is about preventing future
>similar acts. So the important question is: how are such future acts to be
>prevented? I submit the following: you may kill as many people as you
>wish, but you will not stop terrorism as long as mystical beliefs in "higher
>powers" exist anywhere.
> >
> > To those of you who believe that terrorism can be eradicated by a military
>campaign I ask: How do you plan to find every person who is willing to give
>his life (and take yours) for some "higher power"? Are you able to read the
>minds of everyone on earth? Are you under the illusion that such people
>live only in "foreign" countries? Do you believe that Islam is the only
>mystical fanaticism that exists?
> >
> > So what is the answer? Increased security at airports? Will increased
>security prevent the boarding of martial artists who kill without weapons?
>More prayer vigils and remembrance services (fighting mysticism with
>mysticism)? Singing patriotic or religious songs? Perhaps we should light
>some more candles? Who's for bringing back the yellow ribbons from the
>Carter years?
> >
> > No, the answer does not lie in Proverbs or in any of the above empty
>gestures. The answer lies in reason. When reason trounces mysticism, when
>ALL mysticism is seen for what it is, anti-life, only then will we have the
>real weed by its roots.
> >
> >
> > The Omega Man
>
>
>If you study the Founding Fathers of the USA.....they were very religious
>and highly educated men. You write:
>
> "No, the answer does not lie in Proverbs or in any of the above
>empty gestures. The answer lies in reason. When reason trounces mysticism,
>when
> ALL mysticism is seen for what it is, anti-life, only then
>will we have the real weed by its roots."
>
>Such statements would have been against everything James Madison spent his
>life for! James Madison is called the "Father of our Constitution" and the
>US Bill of Rights guarantees these individual liberties. If you are implying
>that those who believe in God are unwise...then do your homework, history
>will prove that the agnostic view is foolish. When you say that Terrorism
>can be eradicated by the elimination of what you term as "mysticism", then
>you fail to understand what true evil is. The humanistic view has been
>tried.....it always fails. If you think the eradication of religion is the
>answer.....again, I say look at the history books.
> Sounds like you and Bob have been watching Spock together?
> Adam Hefner
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