[Vision2020] The Moscow Taliban

[David M. Budge]

I applaud the call to protest and I've no use for radical 
fundamentalists, but as I digested Dr. Gier's missive over the past 
several hours, I became increasingly troubled by the broad brush with 
which he paints "fundamentalists".

I am not either a fundamentalist Christian or an evangelical. I do, 
however, have many friends who are.  Although I do not embrace their 
spiritual construct, I accept their beliefs while knowing that faith is 
the leap of personal understanding where science can show no proof. What 
arrogance would I display if I held that my faith were true and others' 
were false? This is the primary argument against fundamentalism - the 
belief that the literal reading of scripture are true and non-believers 
are lost.  So the antithesis must also be true for those who deny 
fundamentalist their beliefs.  This appears as intolerance of 
intolerance - defying the tenets of Lockean liberalism.

It is estimated that 30% to 40% of Americans are either fundamentalist 
or evangelical Christians.  Most, who I know, are hard working loving 
people who largely keep to themselves.  Baptist and Pentecostal 
organizations provide a great deal of charity and give a meaningful and 
productive worldview for millions of people.  For those of us who will 
not subscribe to their religious edicts, we are protected by the rule of 
law and the Bill of Rights.  Those, our tools to maintain liberty, must 
vigorously be used to protect our right to speak in the public square.  
Likewise, we must protect their's as well.

As I said, I've no use for radical fundamentalists and, taking the 
linkage between Wilson and Monroe as  likely true given the evidence, it 
is desirable to protest the radical ideology that may eventually 
infringe upon the quality of life and personal liberties of the 
community.  Accordingly I applaud the call to arms. But,  I think it 
would be more helpful while appealing to a larger constituency if we 
addressed our concerns to the villains at hand rather than call into 
question the religious liberties of a third of our countrymen.  After 
all, influence is politics.  Just a thought...

Dave Budge



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