...this:
That's because human nature is so powerful a force that it can bend and warp any peace-loving ideology to conform to war-loving human beings.
I find it ironic (and sad) how often religions which, at their cores, teach peace and acceptance are used as justification for hatred and violence. Even without the belief in some greater deity, the greater good that *could* be derived from the "love thy neighbor" lessons of most religions (even Islam and Judaism) is all too frequently corrupted by humanity's ingrained hatred of the great "them", in whatever form we decide it should take.
It was here that I felt Mr. Pearl was overreaching, as well, expecting that the social/economical/political/religious machinations of that part of the world would change because of the tragic death of his son. Folks aren't going to drop their hatred just for him.
But I also think he has a point about the sliding scale of our own acceptance of the methods that are being used to effect change in our world. Suicide bombers, shelling neighborhoods (or, conversely, launching attacks from neighborhoods so that retribution will kill civilians). And yes, kidnapping and beheading folks.
I don't think we can ever hope to change things, but like Mr. Pearl, I wish we would be careful in how we pick our political sides in these issues so as not to condone/encourage the actions of barbarism that we see way too often. |
