OPPapers.com

The World's Longest War

The World's Longest War


Where We Are

Journals practice a laudable self-censorship of criticism of religions. The most
vicious devil worship is mentioned with little comment and then only in crime
reporting of the atrocities committed. This is a good thing. Religious hatreds
are so easily inflamed, and there is so much history of religious persecution,
that we are much better off with this self restraint. Furthermore the separation
of church and state is spelled out in our constitution and is practiced in most
countries of the world, even in the former USSR and China. In democracies it is
legal for a political party to yearn for religious domination, but in all
democratic countries such parties are very small and never reach the stage of
challenging their constitutions. The name "Christian Democratic Party," common
in Europe, refers to moral roots, not to theocratic ambitions. The consequence
of this separation of church and state is that political contention is not
poisoned by religious hatred.

There is one exception, Islam, a theocracy which has savaged the world for over
a thousand years. Its religious doctrine is that church and state are one and
that canon law and civil law are one. It periodically believes that unbelievers
must be converted or conquered and that hating infidels is a virtue and killing
an infidel is a ticket to heaven. In many of the faithful this religious
fanaticism has merged with the secular fanaticism of Marxism-Leninism to make a
witch's brew of hate and savagery against Christendom and capitalism. ('America
is the Great Satan.')

The demise of Marxism-Leninism in Europe does not extend to the Middle East.
Russian and Chinese weapons continue to be sold for Arab oil money. During
centuries of warfare the western countries have become democracies. Even Eastern
Europe is avalanching into democracy. But, except for present day Turkey and
some Far Eastern countries which practice a mild form of Islam, the Moslem world
is run by military...