Fundamentalism dangerous, whether Christian or Muslim
By Thomas F O’Neill
There is a growing number of Christian fundamentalist in America that depicts Islam as nothing more than radical suicide bombers waging war on the U.S. There is certainly a terroristic threat against America by radical Islamic fundamentalists but they do not represent all of Islam.
Christian fundamentalist also have a habit of distorting history to show how superior they are over the other religions of the world. However, their Islamic-phobic rhetoric is far from the truth.
When the Christians were experiencing the Dark Ages" (400-1400 A.D.) brought on by religious extremism. Muslims were writing about Plato, Aristotle, and other great philosophers.
It was the Muslims' deep thirst for knowledge and wisdom that preserved some of the early literature of antiquities greatest philosophers. They also preserved the writings of early Christian theologians.
Most contemporary historians - but not all - believe that during the Dark Ages the Christians burned the library of Alexandria in Egypt. The library contained hundreds of thousands of scrolls, literature, and knowledge of the ancient world's greatest thinkers.
The Christians at that time however believed the Bible contained all the knowledge that is necessary for man's salvation. That belief resulted in the burning of the library and the loss of a treasure-trove of knowledge.
There is a particular Islamic sect known as the Sufis who believe all knowledge is sacred because the human intellect is ours for the enhancement of humanity.
St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1228 A.D.) was greatly influenced by the Sufi belief system. He and the Sufis believed that the spirit of God is implicit and can be intrinsically known by all people no matter what their religious upbringing may be. The Sufis and St. Francis of Assisi's spirituality stood in total contrast to mainstream Islam and the Catholic Church's teachings at that time.
The Sufis where trying to bring spirituality into the Islamic faith by living and communicating their spirituality altruistically. St. Francis was trying to accomplish a similar mission within the Catholic Church of his day.
In the 13th century Muslim and Christian extremists were slaughtering one another in the name of religion. St. Francis however walked into the Muslim camps without harm. He talked to the Muslims about the Sufis spirituality and how similar it was to his own spirituality.
He was revered by both Muslims and Christians alike due to his implicit understanding that if you want to be understood you must touch the hearts of others. He did not accomplish his mission by imposing his will and beliefs upon others. He simply lived his life as he would want others to live their lives, in doing so, others embraced and emulated his way of life.
The Sufi Muslims have a similar mission to bring about peace in the world through a genuine and authentically lived spirituality.
We mustn't judge all Muslims by fanatical fundamentalists. On the contrary, there are many good and spiritual followers of Islam.
Fundamentalism is dangerous - it forces ill-willed people to live their lives ignorantly due to a lack of spiritual insight and a narrow minded belief system. You can find these extremists in every religion throughout history.
Religion is shaped by one's parents and by their parents' parents, but our spirituality is what we are born with. Spirituality is the spark, the essence, and the spirit that sustains us and all things. It's beyond rituals and religious symbols because it's the core of our existence. True spirituality is the torch that lights the way not religious principles that are imposed or mandated on others. It is lived and expressed freely in ones character for others to emulate and embrace.
I did not write this with the intent of offending the religious. I wrote this as a way of expressing how religious beliefs and differences separate people. On the other hand, spirituality can and does unite those who are searching for an altruistic way of life.
Always with love from Suzhou, China
Thomas F. O’Neill
Phone: (800) 272-6464
China Cell: 011-8615114565945
Skype: thomas_f_oneill
Email: introspective7@hotmail.com
Other articles, short stories, and commentaries, by Thomas F. O’Neill can be found on his award winning blog at the link below,
Link: http://thomasfoneill.blogspot.com
Link: http://www.myspace.com/thomas_f_oneill
Link: http://thomasfoneill.spaces.live.com
There is a growing number of Christian fundamentalist in America that depicts Islam as nothing more than radical suicide bombers waging war on the U.S. There is certainly a terroristic threat against America by radical Islamic fundamentalists but they do not represent all of Islam.
Christian fundamentalist also have a habit of distorting history to show how superior they are over the other religions of the world. However, their Islamic-phobic rhetoric is far from the truth.
When the Christians were experiencing the Dark Ages" (400-1400 A.D.) brought on by religious extremism. Muslims were writing about Plato, Aristotle, and other great philosophers.
It was the Muslims' deep thirst for knowledge and wisdom that preserved some of the early literature of antiquities greatest philosophers. They also preserved the writings of early Christian theologians.
Most contemporary historians - but not all - believe that during the Dark Ages the Christians burned the library of Alexandria in Egypt. The library contained hundreds of thousands of scrolls, literature, and knowledge of the ancient world's greatest thinkers.
The Christians at that time however believed the Bible contained all the knowledge that is necessary for man's salvation. That belief resulted in the burning of the library and the loss of a treasure-trove of knowledge.
There is a particular Islamic sect known as the Sufis who believe all knowledge is sacred because the human intellect is ours for the enhancement of humanity.
St. Francis of Assisi (1182-1228 A.D.) was greatly influenced by the Sufi belief system. He and the Sufis believed that the spirit of God is implicit and can be intrinsically known by all people no matter what their religious upbringing may be. The Sufis and St. Francis of Assisi's spirituality stood in total contrast to mainstream Islam and the Catholic Church's teachings at that time.
The Sufis where trying to bring spirituality into the Islamic faith by living and communicating their spirituality altruistically. St. Francis was trying to accomplish a similar mission within the Catholic Church of his day.
In the 13th century Muslim and Christian extremists were slaughtering one another in the name of religion. St. Francis however walked into the Muslim camps without harm. He talked to the Muslims about the Sufis spirituality and how similar it was to his own spirituality.
He was revered by both Muslims and Christians alike due to his implicit understanding that if you want to be understood you must touch the hearts of others. He did not accomplish his mission by imposing his will and beliefs upon others. He simply lived his life as he would want others to live their lives, in doing so, others embraced and emulated his way of life.
The Sufi Muslims have a similar mission to bring about peace in the world through a genuine and authentically lived spirituality.
We mustn't judge all Muslims by fanatical fundamentalists. On the contrary, there are many good and spiritual followers of Islam.
Fundamentalism is dangerous - it forces ill-willed people to live their lives ignorantly due to a lack of spiritual insight and a narrow minded belief system. You can find these extremists in every religion throughout history.
Religion is shaped by one's parents and by their parents' parents, but our spirituality is what we are born with. Spirituality is the spark, the essence, and the spirit that sustains us and all things. It's beyond rituals and religious symbols because it's the core of our existence. True spirituality is the torch that lights the way not religious principles that are imposed or mandated on others. It is lived and expressed freely in ones character for others to emulate and embrace.
I did not write this with the intent of offending the religious. I wrote this as a way of expressing how religious beliefs and differences separate people. On the other hand, spirituality can and does unite those who are searching for an altruistic way of life.
Always with love from Suzhou, China
Thomas F. O’Neill
Phone: (800) 272-6464
China Cell: 011-8615114565945
Skype: thomas_f_oneill
Email: introspective7@hotmail.com
Other articles, short stories, and commentaries, by Thomas F. O’Neill can be found on his award winning blog at the link below,
Link: http://thomasfoneill.blogspot.com
Link: http://www.myspace.com/thomas_f_oneill
Link: http://thomasfoneill.spaces.live.com
posted by Thomas F. O'Neill | 3:11 AM
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