I think it's a hang-up of Christianity that we're expected to have positive regard for all in virtue of their humanity. What's so special about humanity that we're not allowed to condemn human beings out of hand?
I happen to think we're a remarkably stupid species.
On the one hand, we can send people to the moon, perform miraculous medical feats, write stunning literature, produce brilliant philosophy. But on the other hand, we dip people into acid baths because they don't agree with us. We condemn the Third World to poverty and terrible illness, because the Catholic God doesn't want them to use condoms or have abortions. We make women cover their entire bodies including faces lest any passing man be "corrupted" by their bare skin. We kill people because they're witches. And so on.
This is all evidence of a profound lack of intelligence, in my view, made worse by our potential to be exactly the opposite.
THIS is why I oppose Islam (not Arabs) - because it is non-progressive, and we need progressive ideas more than anything else, I believe. I don't like Christianity either, but at least it's now virtually powerless, at least in the West, with even many of its priests admitting they don't believe in god.
Sarah
At 8:59 PM +0000 01/07/2003, colin wrote:
I do believe that we ought to have positive regard for eveyone regardless of anything other than their humaness.
