Saturday, October 08, 2005
as I was reading up on the grant I found this really interesting article
on Ssempa's church, but more broadly about the tensions between Muslims & Christians in Africa.
There is a really, really, really interesting project somewhere on the confluence of these two religions with politics and government schemes in Africa.
I don't know, but it seems to me that religion should not be used for political expediency. At times it seems I am the only Christian that believes this, except for the hippies.
But what do I know? I keep wanting to find something redeeming about the Bush administration. I do admire his apparent devotion to following Jesus. Or something. I'm just... confused. I don't see how this current buildup toward a final showdown between Christianity and Islam is at ALL good. The neocons seem to treat this as if it's inevitable, but of course they seem to be orchestrating it all along (not that the big Islamic governments are exactly doves.)
I may be wrong about this, but attitude toward government seems to be a central difference between the tenets of Christianity and Islam. Christianity is almost, by definition, a bit anarchic - that is, constantly subverting human systems (there's disagreement about this, of course), while Islam is intent on making a really good human system and making sure everyone lives by it.
It's funny how, in their corrupted state, both religions behave so dang similarly.
on Ssempa's church, but more broadly about the tensions between Muslims & Christians in Africa.
There is a really, really, really interesting project somewhere on the confluence of these two religions with politics and government schemes in Africa.
I don't know, but it seems to me that religion should not be used for political expediency. At times it seems I am the only Christian that believes this, except for the hippies.
But what do I know? I keep wanting to find something redeeming about the Bush administration. I do admire his apparent devotion to following Jesus. Or something. I'm just... confused. I don't see how this current buildup toward a final showdown between Christianity and Islam is at ALL good. The neocons seem to treat this as if it's inevitable, but of course they seem to be orchestrating it all along (not that the big Islamic governments are exactly doves.)
I may be wrong about this, but attitude toward government seems to be a central difference between the tenets of Christianity and Islam. Christianity is almost, by definition, a bit anarchic - that is, constantly subverting human systems (there's disagreement about this, of course), while Islam is intent on making a really good human system and making sure everyone lives by it.
It's funny how, in their corrupted state, both religions behave so dang similarly.
