Fundamentalism in politics…
Tuesday’s post was about the social singularity that appears in my books and is currently happening in the real world. One aspect of this is fundamentalism in politics. Whether human beings are by nature fundamentalist savages or not, it’s clear that fundamentalism across the world is bringing human rights and responsible government to their knees. Let me elaborate.
The hope of the Arab Spring is being dashed against the rocks by the stormy waters of Muslim fundamentalism. Mubarak might have been a psychotic sociopath (most dictators are), but he was secular and held the dark forces of Muslim extremism at bay. The current Egyptian leader, clearly desiring the power of his predecessor, is the other extreme. It’s obvious that he and his followers want another Muslim theocracy in Egypt.
I’m afraid Libya and Syria are going the same way. The transformation in Iran from despotic Shah to despotic Ayatollahs was more of the same. Countries are jumping from the frying pan into the fire all over the globe as they descend into the darkness of fundamentalism. Theocracies are a blight on mankind—Israel is also a victim of this plague. The world will not end with a bang or a whimper. Fundamentalist thinking will be our doom.
“Thank God we’re not susceptible to this disease,” you say? First of all, thanking God is a cop-out. We create our own problems and we have to solve them. An egregious one is fundamentalism. Even rabid atheism is fundamentalism. Don’t get me wrong. If you want to believe that world was created 6000 years ago, you can go on denying all the fossil evidence and radioactive dating and do so, but I don’t want to hear about it. And I don’t want it taught in public schools because what you believe is not science and your quirky religious ideas should not be taught there. Send your kid to a brainwashing religious school or home school your kid if you want him to believe that hogwash.
Most objectionable is the pandering of certain politicians to this fundamentalist thinking in order to get votes. Consider Mr. Rubio. I don’t believe he’s stupid, but when he answers the question “How old is the Earth?” with the statement “I’m not a scientist” and then goes on to talk about all “theories” being taught to our children, he is either pandering to his GOP base of religious extremists, or he truly doesn’t understand what a scientific theory is, or both.
A scientific theory calls for tests, it wants to be tested, and that’s part of the scientific method. No ideas associated with creationist or intelligent design blathering can be tested because they are beliefs, not science. Their adherents don’t want these “theories” tested. Calling these beliefs a scientific theory is like saying fairies and leprechauns exist—great for Harry Potter maybe, but they have nothing to do with reality. Yet we give our American fundamentalists a soapbox and let them bloviate about their fundamentalist opinions on abortions, same-sex marriage, and other social issues. Worst of all—they negatively influence elections. I’m sick of it. And the last election showed many other people are too. So just go back to your cave drawings, please. Mr. Rubio, you can lead the way!
I’m truly worried. The instabilities we see in national and international politics might very well lead to the Balkanization of traditional empires as I’ve conjectured in my dystopian sci-fi. People are becoming intransigent everywhere, assuming completely polarized positions, often filled with internal contradictions, positions that make me think there is some collective disease going around. Maybe an alien virus has come to Earth and is making people stubborn about too many issues and unwilling to compromise for the greater good of humanity? I spoke of those chimpanzee tribes on National Geographic that go to war. Are we any better?
Coupled with this rabid fundamentalism that seems to justify all sorts of division and atrocities is an anti-science current among Earth’s teeming billions. Science News reported on a study that showed that a high percentage of Generation Xers in this country can’t even identify the picture of an object as a galaxy. What’s going on? Belief that the Grand Canyon appeared as a consequence of Noah’s flood aside, are we becoming a nation of technological savages? Are we descending into a new Dark Ages where ignorance blissfully reigns supreme and you burn your neighbors at the stake for having different beliefs?
I find it amusing to hear people who consider global warming real and then turn around and blame scientists for it. That’s fundamentalist thinking too, because it assumes a rather small minority of scientists have a tremendous power—god-like enough to create the greening of Greenland, the disappearance of glaciers around the globe, and the extinction of hundreds of species. Must be a government conspiracy. Or, maybe the U.N. increasing temperatures with their black helicopters because the militias won’t let them invade the U.S.?
Fundamentalists will have to live with the consequences of their push for political relevance and power. Shoring up ignorant beliefs will be disastrous for humanity’s future. Ever been to a revival meeting? The cured are happy and those remaining uncured are not, but it’s all God’s will, they say. What’s the difference between that preacher in the tent (or megachurch stadium) and the tribal shaman shaking his rattle to ward off the evil spirits? If you answer that the shaman doesn’t believe in Jesus Christ our Savior, or the great prophet Mohammed, or the benevolent Buddha, or any other religious megastar, you’re part of the problem, because there is no difference.
I’ll end with a prayer. I pray that humanity can see the light, throw aside ignorant fundamentalist beliefs, and learn to live together and work for the progress of humanity. I don’t see it happening, though—at least, not any time soon.
And so it goes….
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