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

[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.