General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: I do not condone killing ... [View all]sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)putting people's beliefs to rest. The world's history is replete with religious persecutions, persecutions that have led to some of the most horrific reprisals against people of one belief or another.
Our Founding Fathers were aware of that history, see eg, the persecution by Henry V111 against those who refused to give up their beliefs when he changed his. Then the persecutions by his daughter of those who DID, I am talking about Bloody Mary.
I have no problems with anyone's beliefs, so long as they do not try to impose them on the rest of us, as has been the case throughout history.
It is a very dangerous thing. Which is why the FFs specifically did not want religion of any kind to a part of our government. So far, it has worked fairly well, no one in this country should fear practicing their beliefs because the government is going to crack down on them.
But I am seeing shades of history in many comments since these horrific murders, and indeed since the Iraq Invasion, creating an 'other' that needs to 'anihilated'. We on the Left fought against that dangerous bigotry, which was directed specifically at Muslims coming from the Right. 'Ragheads', 'treat them like dogs' etc. Not because we believed what they believe, not even because we thought much of their beliefs, but because we were aware of the dangers of singling out a group and labeling them as the 'other'.
I hope the left doesn't now join that chorus that we fought so hard against back then.