So a guy goes into a nightclub at closing time and shoots the place up, killing or wounding more than a hundred people before dying in a shootout with the cops.
The two main questions, the ones that always come up at times like this, are How? and Why?
And the How question often degenerates into a debate over whether the weapons he used ought to be legal, or if legal, so readily available to the likes of the assailant.
Cue the NRA to remind us of our constitutional right to keep and bear arms, so at least the How can be settled at once. The man had access to his weapons because our Founding Fathers wanted him to have them. Case closed.
So we move on to the Why part of the equation.
There appear to be two separate motives to Why: anti-gay and pro-ISIS. Conveniently, these two paths converge in the shadow of religious texts.
The Islamic State is based on fundamentalist Islam, where we find homosexuality denounced as an abomination. Members of ISIS do their best to execute all gays, as required by their faith. Failure to act on their beliefs is not an option.
Christians and Jews have similar prohibitions and instructions. The majority of gay-bashing in this country is probably based on Christian sentiments—as expressed in the Old Testament of the Bible. (Christians tend to be bi-biblical.)
The Orlando shooter was questioned at least twice by the FBI—for his pro-ISIS statements and associations—but sent on his way for lack of actionable evidence.
He may have been, at the time of questioning, self-radicalized, but not yet incited to do anything about it. Until, as his dad recalls, he saw two men kissing in public, an event that may have set him the road to that gay nightclub.
(In a previous video post, the shooter's dad said God would punish all those involved in homosexuality, though he now rejects his son's actions.)
The majority of Americans would probably dismiss the sight of two men kissing as "tacky" or "inappropriate," but would not feel moved to do anything about it.
Similarly, most Jews or Christians in this country would likely dismiss the sight of a business open on the Sabbath, perhaps even labeling it "convenient." They would not feel compelled, as the Bible requires, to put a stop to it. Nor to stone the workers to death on the spot, as is also required.
Members of ISIS, on the other hand, are out on the bleeding edge of religious observation. When those guys see something, they do something. And count themselves holy.
Do I need mention that dying in the process of performing your duty to God is the highest state of grace you can ever hope to achieve?
Arguably, you could define radical Islam as very, very observant Islam.
Donald Trump says Hillary Clinton refuses to use the term "radical Islam." He says she shouldn't be allowed to be president until she embraces that phrase. In fact, Hillary does use the terms "radical jihadist" and "radical Islamist." As often happens, Trump needs to first lie about what Hillary says before seizing the opportunity to condemn it.
Still, it's true: Politicians tend to avoid statements that might in any way be construed as anti-religion. Those folk (politicians) need to have believers in their camp. They know, if fact, they have no prayer of election without appearing to be religious in their own lives.
I think politicians, including President Obama, would be happy to remove the word Islam from Islamic State. ISIS, they say, does not represent mainstream Muslims.
Nevertheless, ISIS could not exist without Islam.
Religion is clearly at the heart of our current troubles. The very fact this country prints the word "God" on its money implies a federal endorsement of religion. It remains only that you pick your Revelation: One, Two, or Three.
The first revelation is of course the Old Testament, the basis of the Hebrew faith. The second is the New Testament, the origin story of Jesus of Nazareth. The third is the Quran, as revealed by Mohamed after encounters with archangel Gabriel.
Muslims are convinced the third time was the charm, and rather resent all that foot-dragging by Jews and Christians to come on board.
Not that hard to understand. People tend to adhere to the religion instilled in them by their parents. Fortunately, everybody knows their religion is the best.
They know this the same way they know anything: They just do. (Humans are idiots.)
All this incompatible knowledge banging around the world, all of it known (without doubt) to be true, makes for some colorful explosions.
One might say, rather harshly, we deserve it. After all, we positively insist on it.
Because we know we're right. Furthermore, we know God wants us to punish those who have inexplicably got it wrong.
(Seriously, how could anybody ever get it wrong? Didn't The Guy write a whole book, telling us exactly how to act? To protect themselves [and their excellent knowledge], members of the First Religion should have killed anyone coming up with rival nonsense. First Religion texts are by definition perfect. Humans may be fallible, but God certainly has the power to make sure we understand His Book in all its particulars and for all time.)
Following the events at Pulse, folks behave the way they always do: memorials, vigils, calls for prayer.
Makes me wonder who they're aiming their prayers at. Could it be the same God who very specifically called for the action at Pulse to take place? That would be weird, but typical of human behavior.
Just because we know what we know doesn't mean we can work out the logic of our positions. If fact, the nature of the method we use to "know" things (we make it up, then believe it) absolutely precludes any use of logic to fit one chunk of knowledge into a reasonable pattern alongside other clumps of the good stuff.
Trump, who has famously called for a ban on the immigration of all Muslims, is apparently also angry the shooter's parents were allowed to come to this country—and then breed. The man is clearly on the path to calling for the expulsion of all Muslims from the country.
Not good enough, of course.
The lesson we need to learn (but won't) is that religion itself must be condemned for the poison it spreads in the hearts of (relatively) innocent people.
The bigger lesson: Every distortion of reality brings with it a new calamity.
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