Chapter 1A
My New View of Islam - and Religion In General
My Nu Vu of Islam - and religion in general.
Having heard Ayaan Hirsi Ali speak about her new book "Nomad - From Islam to America" on C-Span at the National Press Club, my whole perspective of Islam has changed. I always have been concerned about the lack of moderate American Muslims denouncing terrorism committed by radical Muslims. Until now I had no perspective on the mind-set of these people. Ali's speech and her two books (Infidel and Nomad), provide a point of view that explains that lack of denunciation.
I have long felt that Muslims were practicing a religion that remains rooted in 8th century,holding to pre-enlightenment concepts. But I had no idea of how "backward" these people were. Also, I had no idea about how radical "moderate" Muslims are. Until now I had given them the benefit of doubt. But after learning the view of Ayaan Ali, I now believe not only that these people are all nuts but I feel we are faced with a major global problem that is going to get a lot worse before it gets any better.
Her writings have also led me to reconsider my own migration from Catholicism to being a non-believer and my viewpoint about the appropriateness of all religion. I know one thing - I now have a renewed perspective of Communist China's initiative to ban religion. I guess I may have preferred a more genteel approach - ie use mass education to reorient the masses as opposed to the totalitarian approach they did use. But now, after my enlightenment about Islam by Ayaan Ali and about her "soul wrenching" struggle (so similar to mine) that she went through to arrive at her current non-belief and as I further ponder the negative influence religion has on the progress of humanity, I have come to a new perspective about religion, about all religions, about REALITY!
I have long maintained that ALL religion is, like all mythology, man created HOGWASH! My new perspective is that we "enlightened ones" have an obligation to spread the word. This chapter begins my journey to "spread the word."
Chapter Outline
I. Summarization of "My Beliefs"
II. My New Views of Islam
III. The "Problems" to Human Progress Presented by Religion
IV. What We "Enlightened Ones" Should Do About It
This Section was last modified on 2 December, 2008