Some thoughts on Terrorism

[kallistii]

Terrorism boils down to power. As media and the internet spreads culture/information around the world, power based upon control of information is quickly being eroded away.

Most religions are based upon control of information...and the fundamentalists of all religions fear the loss of control of their information. Unfortunately for them, Information wants to be Free, and unless you destroy it, it will always leak out.

Islam, Christianity, and Judaism are all religions based upon a priesthood that mediates the flow of information between their Deity, and the people. And thus the priesthood of each religion fears the loss of that power. So the resort to tighter control of their followers, and fear is a very easy and effective way to control people. And this is the heart of Terrorism...the use of Fear to make people behave the way you want them.

Unfortunately, this use of Fear is what underlays out culture today. Many people do not do things simply because they fear being arrested and/or killed. That's why Police and Armies exist.

One day, I hope, people will do things simply because it is the best thing for society, not because The State holds power of them.

Comments

[dirtybunny.livejournal.com]

"One day, I hope, people will do things simply because it is the best thing for society, not because The State holds power of them."

amen.

[filkerdave.livejournal.com]

I don't know much 'bout Christianity or Islam, but Judaism has't been based on a priesthood for 2 millennia -- rabbis are ordained as leaders, but every adult is expected to be able to act in that role if need be.

A for effort, though ;)

[kallisti.livejournal.com]

Noted...Judaism is probably my weakest area of study. But in the far past, the priesthood in the Temples in Israel held great power. Judaism has had time to evolve...to make their mistakes and correct them, while Islam and Christianity are relative newcommers on the scene. Of course, being sandwidged between a number of "superpower" religions/states and persecution with the aim of extinction have forced it to evolve a "Third Wave" style format that has a radically decentralize power structure.

In many ways, Al Quaeda has stumbled upon a "Third Wave" power structure, but it's stated aim of having a centralized, Caliphate will eventually be it's downfall.

Ultimately, all religions will have to evolve a "Third Wave" power structure where descisions can be made on a very local level, or cease to be relevent. Even though technology has allowed for communications between the lowest levels and the centralized authority to be fantastically fast, the number of levels it has to pass through cause a distortion of reality such that usually the people at the top can no longer percieve what is really happening in the day to day business level down near the bottom, and cannot act swiftly enough to follow rapid change, and compensate.

You can think of the old style power structures as supertankers...they can haul a great deal of oil across vast distances, but just don't ask them to change course too often! Imagine if there were a great deal of needed changes in course...sometimes to avoid bad weather, reefs, other traffic; sometimes to take advantage of favourable currents. A supertanker would not be able to make the rapid changes needed, but, say a fleet of smaller boats could. Each has enough independant authority to make their own course, but there is an admiral who can give large, goal-setting directions, and help co-ordinate any large scale descisions. In fact, this is exactly the structure that DARPA chose for the Internet so that it can change and adapt to rapid change.

Looking at religions through the lense of the Toffler's "Three Waves" of human power structures would be a great subject for a combined anthropology/sociology/religious studies thesis.

ttyl

[electricvelvet.livejournal.com]

I was gonna say the same thing about the Jews but you beat me to it. :)

Actually, the Protestants don't uniformly have priests either. They may have elders but it's a much flatter power hierarchy than the Catholic church. I am generalizing of course. I tink if there had been a bit more stricture you wouldn't have the huge number of sects within Protestantism.


The clergy I have known have been way more level headed (in general) than the laity.

Technically the Protestants believe that they need no internediary between themeslves and God, other than JC. They believe they amount to a priesthood of believers on their own. I'm sure Luther is rolling over in his grave. ;)

A lot of the people who lead and teach are self taught in some sects, like the Pentacostals.

Actually the Protestants have little regard for priests at all.

I am leaving the Anglicans out of this because the Anglicans are a form of Catholic, though the Vatican would heartily disagree!

I think it's the attitiude rather than the power structure that causes the problems. I used to think it was the structure but having seen enough powertripping pagans and Wiccans and Qukares and name me a group... I no longer think it is the structure that causes the problems.

Power-trippy people who are frightened and want to put God in a box and make God-Goddess-Allah-Hashem-Sadashiva-pickyerfavoritenameofthedivineone
serve *them* are the problem. Scared people who are at a spiritual level that sees God as a monster - on *their* side.

From descriptions I've read form converts, the hierarchy in Islam is fairly flat as well. :-/

But the Mullahs and Imams and religious scholars and leaders like Sheiks have tons of power to issue fatwas - religious legally binding orders. So you can have one leader, unconnected to teh others issue a fatwa, that the others disagree with but his followers will stick to like glue.

It could be something like wearing burkas (syupposedly under moderate dress) or it could be a death warrent hanging over some poor writers heads.

In a way that reminds me of the Protestants except that if a Christian leader (outside of the pope) issues a statement it is NEVER alegal decree as it is in Islam.

We almost always hear what the fringe fundy loudmouth loons say, (not to say it doesn't represent a threat) but the sensible stuff said by sensible religious leaders gets buried and left unheard except by those following the sensible leaders.

*sigh*

So people get a twisted scewed view in the media becasue weird sells. And normal doesn't get covered much.

Which is why people have such terrible ideas about... Wiccans. pagans, Jews, Muslims and Christians.

People in other religions are eagar to see those not in their religion as outside God, not God/desses's chuldren. and so then OK to treat like dirt. Unclean! etc.

:-(

And I'm absoultely positive this is not what Allah-God-Goddess-Siva-Vishnu-Trimurti-etc. wants.

[electricvelvet.livejournal.com]

oops! specifically a number of self-identified pentacostals and evangelicals run house churches and haev no regard for priests.

But Pentacostal ministers do exist.