..is the title of this post from James Lileks. And in it, I think he hits the nail on the head.
Now if we could only get a few hundred tankers of live-and-let-live juice brewed up...
LILEKS (James) ScreeeeeeedblogIt sure is.I had long conversations about Islam and Christianity with cabbies in DC, and they always ended with happy faces and salaam and go in peace. I’ve no doubt millions and millions of Muslims are content to let the Christians go about their errant path, content that in the end a just God will say okay, you crazy lug, you’re in. Just as millions of Christians are willing to say Koran, Shmoran, you’re just and upright and believe in the One Big Guy, meet you at the Old Country Buffet in the sky. Bacon bits on my side, hummus on yours, whatever. But when you have your Clash of Civilizations, people retreat. MOOOON GODDDD! Oh yeah? Cough up the dhimmi tax, kaffir!
The point is not to get to that point. We are seriously need in live-and-let-live juice applied globally by aerosol spray, the sort of thing that makes people swallow big chunky doctrinal differences and concentrate simply on the idea of a God who is out of the smiting business for the time being. Take that as your daily verse: smite not. And the first one who says “but” gets sent howling down to hell? Smite not. Tomorrow, smite we might. After a day of not smiting we might actually refocus and agree who is smite-worthy, who truly profanes God’s gifts. But today? Smite-free.
It was a good start when President Bush had a revered Imam speak at the National Cathedral after 9/11. Now it would be nice for the Saudis to invite the Pope to speak at Mecca.
Ball’s in your court, guys.
I'm tolerant of a lot of things. I'm definitely live-and-let-live when it comes to religion. Don't want to go to church? fine by me. Actively disbelieve? Not a problem, just don't try to impose your disbeliefs on others. Go to a different church? Fine by me. Believe differently? That's no skin off my whatever, have fun. Think rolling eggs in the snow in the middle of a winter's night naked will bring the spring? Whatever, just watch out for frostbite. Drink fresh goat or cow blood as part of the worship ceremony? Hey, no thanks but you go right ahead and have my share, just invite me to the BBQ later. 14 wives? Well, you're the one who has to deal with 14 mothers in law but that's your choice.
I'm cool with whatever you might want to do when it comes to religion. Humans like social structures, and a religion isn't the worst social structure you could build.
Where I part on religious tolerance is when your religion mandates I convert or I'll be fair game and marked for death. I don't see why I should be called upon to tolerate being turned into a free-roving target, or why I should believe that after announcing same that I shouldn't believe you're serious about it. Metaphor, schmetaphor, you tell me you want to kill me because I don't believe as you do and it seems like you're the one being pretty damn intolerant - not me for objecting to being a target of your hatred.
J.