Religious Freedom or Whatever... Also Pirates

Icebreaker:  Is "religious freedom" an oxymoron?  Think about it....


In any case, the 1500 year-old war between Christianity and Islam has been in the news spotlight lately.  Two related (and now intertwined) events are the proposed construction of a large Muslim center near Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan and a certain church in Gainesville, FL whose pastor thinks it would be a good idea to publicly set alight a couple hundred copies of the Quran.  Note for the sake of truth:  As of today, it seems pastor Terry Jones has agreed not to proceed with the book-burning in exchange for a phone call from the White House (which he got from the SecDef) and the cancellation of the Ground Zero Muslim center project (which its developer adamantly claims he will not get).  Where this thing goes from here is anybody's guess.  Here are my thoughts, which I invite you to read and then argue with.


Everyone needs to chill the f*ck out.


Muslims: does it damage your relationship with God at all if someone halfway across the world from you sets a book on fire?  Does it hurt your family?  Does it cause you to lose money or food?  Will it cause your favorite sports team to lose?  How does this planned Quran-burning really affect you?


Christians: Are you f*ing serious?  I'm not disturbed by a redneck preacher in North Florida wanting to burn books they don't agree with.  That's not a new thing in the United States - we have always had a religious fringe that loves to scorch and squelch knowledge they don't like such as copies of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and The Origin of Species.  What bothers me are the hundreds of Qurans that people across the country have mailed to this guy to have him burn.  Do you really think this is the way to prove to people that your way is right?


These would be my thoughts if we weren't currently engaged in a war whose purpose is to establish a pro-US democracy in a Muslim Central Asia.  In light of the fact that we are, in fact, in such a war, here's an additional thought:


Are you out of your mind?  How does this burning help anyone's cause?  It doesn't reduce the number of Muslim  extremists in the world.  It doesn't make people any more attuned to the fact that these Muslim extremists want to kill them.  All this stunt serves to do is enrage Muslims everywhere, and it push the ones who were teetering on the edge right over from the Religious Zealot category into the Jihadi category.  Epic win for al Qaeda.

"We need to speak up against sin and call the people to repentance. Abortion is murder. Homosexuality is sin. We need to call these things what they are and bring the world the true message: that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.  Any religion which would profess anything other than this truth is of the devil." (From the Florida church's website)

Never in history have people with this kind of rhetoric ever produced anything but violence and pain.

As for the Mosque at Ground Zero, here's my message.  Quit trying to instigate.  Go build your giant Muslim center in a place a little less sensitive.  Grow up.  You don't see Americans building Statues of Liberty in Hiroshima or monuments to the courage of the US Cavalry at Wounded Knee.  And the Empire didn't build a palace on the ruins of the Jedi Temple.  That said, if you don't think a mosque should be built at ground zero, fine.  Keep it to yourself.  If you own the property, build whatever you want on it, in accordance with the zoning laws.  You bought that privilege when you bought the property.


Earlier today, Donald Trump offered to buy out one of the developers for this project for 25% more than it cost him.  Props to Donald for (a) trying to diffuse the situation in your own nonviolent, mature way and (b) raising the value of a chunk of Manhattan property by 25%.  The developer declined, which leads me to believe that his agenda is not making money (as it is with legitimate developers) but starting a commotion.  Shame on you.


I'm not going to delve much further into this subject because then I might start offering my views on religion and holy books and what not.  And as nobody in the world is restricted from reading this (potential employers or soul-mates included), I'd probably better save that discussion for a gathering over a few beers.  I might say something I regret.


Bottom line: everyone get over yourself.


Now, for pirates:


The US Marines just recently seized control of a German cargo vessel from Somali pirates, capturing nine of them in a raid that resulted in no shots fired or injuries to anyone (props to them for that).  Now the issue at hand is what to do with these nine delinquents.  International maritime law is ambiguous and its laws make trying and punishing piracy extremely difficult.  I offer the Miller compromise:  When pirates are captured, release them on the spot.  Tell them, of course that they are no longer welcome on that vessel and must disembark immediately.  In the middle of the ocean.  Done and done.