Posted on 03/02/2003 1:18:31 PM PST by yonif
The world's future is being decided at this time.
Such moments are extremely rare in history. And when they have occurred, they have between two, not three, competing ideologies.
But there are now three ideologies competing to shape the future of mankind. They are militant Islam, Western European secularism and socialism, and American Judeo-Christianity and capitalism. The first is being spread both peacefully and violently, the second is being spread peacefully, and the third is not being spread.
Though most people ignore the fact, almost all of the world's believing Muslims believe that all of mankind should be Muslim. This, in and of itself, is not troubling -- after all, most Christians would like the whole world to be Christian, and most Westerners would like the whole world to democratic. What is troubling is that if only 10 percent of these Muslims are prepared to use violence to impose their religion on others, we are talking about 100 million people.
This is the reason about one million non-Muslim Sudanese have been killed in the last 15 years -- because they are resisting the violent imposition of Islam by the Islamic government in Khartoum. This is the reason for the Muslim-Christian violence in Nigeria -- Christians there, too, are resisting the violent imposition of Islam. And this is the reason for Islamic terror -- to weaken those countries, particularly the United States and Israel, that stand in the way of an Islamic takeover.
The second ideology seeking to dominate the world is secularism and socialism as practiced in Western Europe and supported by educated elites around the world. This is a primary reason for the anti-American demonstrations in Western Europe and in the United States. They were far more against America (especially the America of George W. Bush) than they were against war. Most of these people could not care less about the wars of the world. They have been silent throughout the mass murder of Sudan's blacks, during the genocide in Rwanda, during China's crushing of Tibet, and during Saddam's wars against Iran, Kuwait and Iraq's own Kurds. American and European "peace" activists have found those atrocities and wars quite boring.
Western European socialists and their American (and Canadian, and Latin American) supporters are as passionate about secularism and socialism as believing Muslims are about Islam. And they want to dominate the world as much as militant Muslims want Islam to. Their vehicles are the United Nations, the European Union, international treaties such as the Kyoto Protocols, and international institutions such as the International Court.
Regarding the American way, there are serious impediments to its success.
First, while the first two ideologies -- Islam and socialism/secularism -- dominate many countries, the third ideology only dominates one -- America. There is no other country that claims to be Judeo-Christian and no other that has such strong support for capitalism and small government (the opposite of socialism). Therefore, while both the militant Muslims and the socialists/secularists have supporters around the world, American values have few. That is why America goes it alone -- with the partial exceptions of Israel and Britain, no other society has the same values as we do.
Second, neither Judeo-Christian nor capitalist values are secure in America. Many Americans, including almost its entire intellectual class, are as hostile to Judeo-Christian and non-socialist values as the militant Muslims and European socialists are.
Third, almost no one is teaching the next generation of Americans (as almost no one taught the present adult generation) what is unique, let alone superior, about American values. Our children are overwhelmingly educated by people who believe in Europe's values, not in ours.
As neither China nor the rest of Asia, nor Africa, nor Latin America are offering an ideology that can dominate the world, either Europe's, or the militant Muslims', or America's way of life will prevail.
But the American way can only prevail if Americans believe in it. That is why, as important as the military and ideological battles against militant Islam are, the most important battle is the ideological one within America. But with America's universities, unions, professional associations, mainstream news media, and one of its two major parties ideologically aligned with Europe, and with big businesses constantly undermining Judeo-Christian values, the battle within America itself for America's unique values is far from won. And given that only America offers a viable alternative to both militant Islam and secularism/socialism, if we lose the battle here, humanity has a very dark future.
The US is the great exception to this evolution, though in the 1950s and 1960s it probably didn't look that way. Evangelical Christianity is very strongly rooted here, but it wasn't in Europe and it's unclear just how exportable our model is.
We send other countries mixed messages and it's not clear which part will get through. My guess is that it's too much to expect that other countries will follow both our religious broadcasters and our secular advertisers.
With one critical little difference - that people should become Christians *of their own free will.*
Yes, we all know about conversion by the sword, the Inquisition, etc. That was then, this is now. Christians in general do NOT believe in converting people by force, or killing them if they try to leave Christianity. To suggest that we do is not only ridiculous, but takes away from the reality that Islam across the world *does* these things today, and that millions of people are dying regularly because of it.
Kruschev said it, but Lincoln also said it about a century before.
Agree. Very, very well thought out, well presented, and sadly, accurate.
MM
Yes but by and large Christians are content to let people discover the truth on their own. Islamists prefer to convert by force.
Obviously, some followers of Islam present serious problems in our world today, but I am not convinced that there are not a good many moderate Muslims
I hope you're right here, trouble is in the face of Islamic terrorism the silence from these moderates has been deafening.
So far the US has been a hold out, because of our strong religious faith. I suppose that we'll remain hold outs, but I don't know how exportable our system is. So, yes, the short answer is that secular capitalism is possible, but it will probably have more welfarist elements, and it's not "the American Way."
There's a possibility that the US will secularize without developing a bigger welfare state. Perhaps the great opportunities of financial success will keep citizens working hard, taxes low, and bureaucracy weak, even without transcendental moral sanctions, but I won't bet on it. Eventually it becomes too easy for the "have nots" to outvote the "haves" or for the "haves" to buy off the "have nots" by giving them what they want.
Another possibility is that global competition, mass immigration, or declining birthrates, will render European-style welfare states obsolete or unsustainable. Maybe they will collapse under their own weight. In that case, maybe the future will look American after all.
A Singapore-style regime wouldn't work here. People are too rebellious and dislike conformity. You can't just impose rules on people and expect them to like it. People may follow the rules if there are few of them, and people make them themselves, but you won't get the kind of enthusiastic obedience that trational East Asian societies have commanded. You have to be satisfied with minimal obedience and minimal social cohesion or find ways of sugarcoating the pill of compliance.
I suppose that European societies do survive with little religious faith and have done so for at least a generation, but whether they'll endure over the long haul is another question. Maybe they will be able to keep going by resorting to this or that expedient. It doesn't look like Europe will collapse into chaos any time soon. But the vitality, resilience, and energy of Western Europe do look diminished or impaired.
The Praeger article does have weaknesses. What I think people respond to is the general theme and the stimulus it gives us to develop our own thoughts.
That concerns me too and yet there are many who have spoken out and who are supporting us in our drive to get rid of Saddam.
Remember Muslims were instrumental in nabbing Khalid Muhammad in the last few days.
For us in the West to villify all Muslims merely plays into the hands of the extremists who portray us as infidels out to destroy the followers of Islam.
Yes but by and large Christians are content to let people discover the truth on their own. Islamists prefer to convert by force.
I find this to be a rather sweeping generalization. Over the years I have known a number of Muslims, none of them tried to convert me by force or otherwise. I have known a few (very few fortunately) Christians who almost had to be beaten off with a stick.
I don't mean to make a blanket defense of Islam or to attack Christianity, however I seriously question some of the sweeping judgements that are made of Islam by people who really know little of what they are talking about.
The common roots of Judaism, Christianity and Islam are common knowledge to anyone who has taken Comparative Religions 101.
... common knowledge to anyone who has taken Comparative Religions 101
A bit condescending?
Therefore the Biblical Christian God of Israel is not Allah.
Your logic is faulty.
Christians believe Jesus is the Son of God. Jews and Muslims do not. At the same time, Muslims hold Jesus in high esteem. Notice, for example, when a Muslim, such as Mansour Ijaz, mentions the name Jesus or the name Mohammed he follows it with the respectful phrase, "Peace Be Unto Him.".
Muslims believe that the notion that God has a Son is a form of blasphemy because it detracts from the absolute greatness of God. Christians, Muslims and Jews have some differences of opinion about the nature of God, but all believe in the same lineage of mankind going back to Adam and the same creator.
Which Scriptures?
You miss the point.
No one can prove whether or not God has a Son or for that matter that God exists. These are matters of faith upon which people do not agree.
A person can believe in any Scripture they wish, but no one can prove beyond a doubt that those who follow another are wrong.
In a way you are proving my point, because many Muslims are as convinced of the truth of their beliefs as you are of yours, but that does not necessarily mean that either of you embody truth.
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