http://comops.org/journal/2009/12/15/why-demonization-is-also-the-wrong-language/ A Journal of the Consortium for Strategic Communication Sun, 20 May 2012 16:58:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3 http://comops.org/journal/2009/12/15/why-demonization-is-also-the-wrong-language/comment-page-1/#comment-358 John Bauer Mon, 28 Dec 2009 20:57:17 +0000 http://comops.org/journal/?p=1780#comment-358 This is important thinking but in need of further refinement because it suggests that there are not important qualitative differences between religions on the subject of violence. Tragically, some religious worldviews are more violent than others and we have the discernment to recognize that. So while there may be a certain commonality among all to view other religions in negative, especially violent, terms and presuppose positive attributes to one's own, there remains the unfinished taslk of qualifying objective differences among religious worldviews with respect to when, where, how, how much and how often violence is considered justified. Further, we must be intellectually honest enough to view our own religious presuppositions in the same way, especially with regard to atheism, postmodern humanism, and secular neo-transcendentalism. Arguably, the most homicidal religious trend of the past 100 years has been the emergence of "post Christian Western secular" religions masquerading as scientifically-based ideologies, specifically German national socialism and Russian bolshevik Marxism. Indeed, is there ever a religion without violent tendencies? Thus, the question becomes more widely normative than before, because now we must face the truly difficult issue of which religion's sanction of violence is both just and justifiable. This is important thinking but in need of further refinement because it suggests that there are not important qualitative differences between religions on the subject of violence. Tragically, some religious worldviews are more violent than others and we have the discernment to recognize that. So while there may be a certain commonality among all to view other religions in negative, especially violent, terms and presuppose positive attributes to one’s own, there remains the unfinished taslk of qualifying objective differences among religious worldviews with respect to when, where, how, how much and how often violence is considered justified. Further, we must be intellectually honest enough to view our own religious presuppositions in the same way, especially with regard to atheism, postmodern humanism, and secular neo-transcendentalism. Arguably, the most homicidal religious trend of the past 100 years has been the emergence of “post Christian Western secular” religions masquerading as scientifically-based ideologies, specifically German national socialism and Russian bolshevik Marxism. Indeed, is there ever a religion without violent tendencies? Thus, the question becomes more widely normative than before, because now we must face the truly difficult issue of which religion’s sanction of violence is both just and justifiable.

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