I know that, for me, as the sheltered-upbringing Christian, it was a really great series of discussions to have through the last couple of years of school. I haven't met too many people I know are Muslim since then - they don't advertise it any more, although I know a decent number of Hindus and more Atheists than I can throw a dozen stones at - but those I personally know tend to be...just like anyone else.
They're not terrorists, anymore than I, as a Christian, am like the American evangelists telling people that homosexuality is why 9/11 happened, or act as Westboro Baptist Church does.
Frankly, it never ceases to amaze me that people can take one group and assume the whole is the same as one subsection.
In Christian terms, that would be like saying all priests and ministers are paedophiles and abusers because the church (of all denominations and at all levels) has had and still has men in leadership positions who sexually abuse children and women. (I know there are a few people who put this view foward.)
To push the point closer to home: in terms of Americans vs. the rest of the world, it would be like saying that Sarah Palin or Jerry Falwell, their views and their bigotries are representative of all Americans, everywhere.
No. Just...no.
As to "they should speak up and renounce the terrorists"...I imagine the people in other parts of the globe dealing with American troops in their backyard, living with bombings and airstrikes and the aftermath of dead friends and family, are wondering "why doesn't the American people do anything about this? Do they hate us so much that they cannot vote their government to stop this?"
...and I've just ranted all over your journal. :/
Sorry. As you can tell, this is something I feel passionately about. I don't believe exactly what they believe, and my way to be reconciled with God is different to theirs, but 99.9% of them are just people trying to survive from day to day - the same way anyone does.
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Date: 2010-09-04 09:39 pm (UTC)They're not terrorists, anymore than I, as a Christian, am like the American evangelists telling people that homosexuality is why 9/11 happened, or act as Westboro Baptist Church does.
Frankly, it never ceases to amaze me that people can take one group and assume the whole is the same as one subsection.
In Christian terms, that would be like saying all priests and ministers are paedophiles and abusers because the church (of all denominations and at all levels) has had and still has men in leadership positions who sexually abuse children and women. (I know there are a few people who put this view foward.)
To push the point closer to home: in terms of Americans vs. the rest of the world, it would be like saying that Sarah Palin or Jerry Falwell, their views and their bigotries are representative of all Americans, everywhere.
No. Just...no.
As to "they should speak up and renounce the terrorists"...I imagine the people in other parts of the globe dealing with American troops in their backyard, living with bombings and airstrikes and the aftermath of dead friends and family, are wondering "why doesn't the American people do anything about this? Do they hate us so much that they cannot vote their government to stop this?"
...and I've just ranted all over your journal. :/
Sorry. As you can tell, this is something I feel passionately about. I don't believe exactly what they believe, and my way to be reconciled with God is different to theirs, but 99.9% of them are just people trying to survive from day to day - the same way anyone does.