By now we've all seen coverage of the insane, violent reactions by some Muslims to cartoons caricaturing their prophet, Muhammad. While some see this as proof of the exceptional extremism of Islam, I simply see it as a natural extension of organized religion. It's one more example of why I reject all religions and consider myself spiritual but not religious.

Spiritualism is inherently individual. It can be described but never truly shared, and that fact can be both exhilarating and terrifying. It connects one to the mysteries of the universe, but does nothing for that pesky, low human fear of isolation and need to belong. Religion, on the other hand, is all trappings--it organizes all of our fears and desires into a tidy, black and white rulebook which attempts to create one standard common denominator for all human spiritual experience, in the process turning the vast, incomprehensible infinitude of reality into a simple little historical narrative which typically takes place in a very small geographical area.

Which, of course, is all rubbish. I don't disparage individuals' religious beliefs, but the recent violent protests around the Middle East show once again, as we've seen before on countless occasions including the Crusades and Inquisitions, that all religion has a dangerous capacity for terror and destruction. It's another reminder that the distinction between faith and dogma is crucial.

On a side note, far more worrisome to me than the actual protests is a line of commentary from the Vatican about the issue:

The right to freedom of thought and expression cannot entail the right to offend the religious sentiment of believers.

On the contrary--it can, and it does.

Labels: Culture