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You said — “I must say, that was an interesting response.”

Well, sometimes I surprise myself... :-)

I suppose you were actually referring to my response, since you did direct it to me.

I have to be very careful in following up on this, since it’s so easily misunderstood. In our culture, as we have it today (in what I have referred to elsewhere, as the “post-modern” culture and thinking) — we really have *no basis* as a society to say that that some other society’s culture and laws are bad and worse than ours — other than the fact that we don’t like it and we intend to *enforce* compliance with our laws (by force, no less). Other than that, we cannot say (with an even hand and a straight face) that our traditions and culture is any better and that they shouldn’t cover up their women and chop off hands (over there in those Islamic countries) — or that they should not have suicide bombers. [Like I said, this can easily be misunderstood...]

The reason why we can’t say that is “who is the authority?” Are *we* the authority for the world? I guess some would or might say so. But, that won’t hold up in other places in the world. The problem is — the rest of the world is in a post-modern culture, too — except for the Islamic world — and they are in their own worldview of Islam, which is radically different than the post-modern worldview.

That post-modern worldview says that everyone creates their own “truth” — or to put it another way, everyone creates their own morality and their own way of living that is right. We cannot say that someone else’s way is wrong and ours is right. All we can say is that we will live this way and they will live “that way” (the way they believe is right).

BUT, the Islamists don’t go for that post-modern way of looking at things. With them it’s *their way* is right — for *everyone* no matter whether the others believe it or not. And if they don’t believe it, we’ll simply cut off their heads and be done with it. In the end, *we* (the Islamists) will take over the whole world.

Between the “post-modern view” and the “Islamist view” — who do you think has the “power” in this situation? Well, it should clearly be seen that the Islamists have the *power* in this scenario that I’ve just described.

And since the problem is that the U.S. is also in the post-modern culture, it does not have the “high ground” to be able to resist the Islamists — other than trying to enforce our way through *raw power* and on no other basis. The problem with that is that the large group of “post-modernists” in our own society won’t let us do that. They will nix the idea. That group is mainly gathered in the Democratic Party and consists of liberals. And seeking to control strictly on the basis of *raw power* and nothing else, loses in the end, eventually.

That’s why people are always constructing some kind of “moral argument” for doing this or that — in order to give some “meaning” to our “force”. The problem with that, in the post-modern culture is that that moral argument holds no water, as everyone’s truth is subject to their own interpretation and can vary from person to person and from culture to culture. How can one culture (here in the U.S.) attempt to tell another culture in another part of the world (like Iraq or Iran or Syria or Saudi Arabia) that their way is not the best and is not good — when we believe in the “values” of post-modernism? You simply can’t. And that’s why many in other countries want to see the U.S. “go down” and no longer be able to insist on what it says is right.

That leaves only one real and *true basis* on which one *can speak* to these moral issues. That’s on the basis that there is a Creator God, that He spoke to us, by means of the Bible, the “Word of God” and that He is the One who is the *very definition* (in and of Himself) of right versus wrong. On *that basis alone* can one speak — in power — to anyone else and to any other culture. On no other basis can one do so.

The prerequisite for that (to be so) is that our Creator God *must* be real and not imagined. In other words, He cannot be a figment of our imagination, but must actually be that Creator God, who did create everything (as He says He did) and we *only exist* (in the first place and in continuing to exist) by His own power and continuing support. That’s the absolute prerequisite.

And that *being so* — then and only then — do we have “something to say” to the Jihadist and can say it with *absolute* and *unfailing* moral authority. And only on that basis can we defeat the false and ignorant and evil religion of Islam. Otherwise, and “without our Creator God” — we lose to the Jihadists, in the end.

So, it’s only then, with our Creator God, who is real and who did create us and everything we see in the universe and gave us His Word, the Bible — that we can say — to the Islamist and Jihadist — you’re religion is false; it is evil; it is Satanic; it is illegitimate and must be destroyed. The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob says that and demands that. He is the One who has that authority. We don’t. And it’s on His authority that we say so — and not on our own authority, our own traditions or our own culture.

And so, that’s why I make those distinctions about “hate” and how it is only bad when it’s use and direction is used for evil — but it is good (for hate) when we also hate what God does (which is evil and sin). It’s on the basis of His authority, God’s authority that we can say that. And so, those are the distinctions regarding God, the Jihadist, hate, Cho, and us.

And so, no, the Jihadist is not insane when he follows *his worldview* perfectly and with planning. He is simply faithful to his religion and way of life — even when it is false and evil (false and evil on the basis of the Craeator God who made all of this, that is). But, the jihadist doesn’t believe this Creator God, but the false god of Islam, who is for murder, mayhem and destruction. And the postmodern culture really has no defense against that. Only the Creator God of the Bible, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has any defense to that.

Regards,
Star Traveler