Home Page

The Age of Ignorance

Anger. Frustration. Sorrow.  It’s November 13, 2015.  Muslim terrorists have just attacked Paris in several locations.  At the writing of this document, it is being reported that 129 people have been killed and around 350 innocent people have been wounded, some critically that will, unfortunately, soon be added to the number of fatalities. We are shocked at such an horrendous act of violence in France just as we were when such atrocities occurred in Germany, London and the United States and with the Russian airplane in the skies over Egypt.  Yet we seem to be almost oblivious to the mass killings that occur almost daily in the Middle East.  Innocent people, women and children and young men who have no involvement in the conflict; people who just want to live their lives like those in France but are caught up in the violence.  Are they any less victims of terrorism than those in France?  Do we get upset and threaten retaliation against those who murder and rape and destroy the cities and homes of those who are just trying to live a normal life in those countries?  Are the airwaves dominated with their story?  Do we cry for their children? Or have we become numb to their horror? Have we lost site of the value of their lives? 

The world has once again become a place of fear and trepidation.  Terrorism, as we call it, threatens our way of life so we alter our lifestyle to conform to the threat.  We proclaim that we intend to stamp out terrorism.  We want to annihilate ISIL; we want to wipe al-Qaida from the face of the earth.  But we don’t seem to understand that if we eliminate these groups, others will take their place.  Eradicating these groups will not solve the problem.  Why? because these groups are not the problem.  They are the result of a much deeper cause that is destroying the world and has been for thousands of years. One does not cure cancer by treating the symptoms.  One cures cancer by going to the root of the problem and destroying the cancer cells. You see, the world is suffering from a devastating disease and yet no one wants to talk about it.  Bring up the subject and people immediately walk away or distance themselves from the conversation. It is seldom the topic of news programs and even when it is no one wants to admit that it is the source of the problem.  False religion is the disease and it has been for centuries. But because we don’t want to be politically incorrect, because we would rather not offend those who participate in these religions that impose such a powerful influence on society today, we will not come out and admit it. 

These radical Islamists are only doing what their religion and their religious leaders tell them to do.  They are only living out the commands of their ideology; obeying their god just as people of other religions do in every country around the world.  The only difference is that their god tells them to kill other people.  During the crusades that extended over several hundred years, Christians did the same thing. They killed thousands who refused to believe and behave according to the way the Church dictated.  The Inquisition is another example.  As long as there are false religions there will be those who are called fanatics who actually live out their “faith”. What constitutes a false religion?  It is any ideology that contains contradictions, inconsistencies and deceits within its teachings or doctrines. It is any religion that advocates exclusivity.  In other words, in order to have God you must be a member of that religion, exclusively.  As we know from history, exclusivity always leads to intolerance and intolerance inevitably results in violence against those who will not be tolerated or conform to the standards set forth by the creed.

So who are these false religions?  Islam, Christianity and Judaism.  These mainstream religions are destroying the fabric of our civilization. The initial victims of these religions are the gullible population who trustingly listen to and believe, without question, the charismatic voices that profess to “show the way” to God.  They become indoctrinated and are caught up in the emotional frenzy of spiritual infilling.  They are taught that something called faith is more reliable than reason or logic or even commonsense.  They become the victims of ignorance, believing that knowledge is evil and science is the devil. The result is their commitment and dedication to follow, unrestrained and unequivocally, the commands and instructions of the doctrine of their religion.  The eventual victims are the remaining population of the world who must endure the consequences of the zealot disciples of these false religions.  This disease must be openly identified and confronted if we are to establish peace and unity in the world.

For more information see my new book: Are We Being Deceived? (amazon.com)

 

More Essays