The Worlds Longest War :: essays research papers

The World's Longest War Where We Are Journals practice a laudable self-censorship of criticism of religions. The most vicious devil worship is mentioned with little comment and then only in crime reporting of the atrocities committed. This is a good thing. Religious hatreds are so easily inflamed, and there is so much history of religious persecution, that we are much better off with this self restraint. Furthermore the separation of church and state is spelled out in our constitution and is practiced in most countries of the world, even in the former USSR and China. In democracies it is legal for a political party to yearn for religious domination, but in all democratic countries such parties are very small and never reach the stage of challenging their constitutions. The name "Christian Democratic Party," common in Europe, refers to moral roots, not to theocratic ambitions. The consequence of this separation of church and state is that political contention is not poisoned by religious hatred. There is one exception, Islam, a theocracy which has savaged the world for over a thousand years. Its religious doctrine is that church and state are one and that canon law and civil law are one. It periodically believes that unbelievers must be converted or conquered and that hating infidels is a virtue and killing an infidel is a ticket to heaven. In many of the faithful this religious fanaticism has merged with the secular fanaticism of Marxism-Leninism to make a witch's brew of hate and savagery against Christendom and capitalism. ('America is the Great Satan.') The demise of Marxism-Leninism in Europe does not extend to the Middle East. Russian and Chinese weapons continue to be sold for Arab oil money. During centuries of warfare the western countries have become democracies. Even Eastern Europe is avalanching into democracy. But, except for present day Turkey and some Far Eastern countries which practice a mild form of Islam, the Moslem world is run by military dictators, theocratic oligarchies, or a combination of both. A short list of these contemporary dictators (most entitled "President" or "King") includes: Ghadaffi of Libya, Assad of Syria, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, the Mullahs of Iran, Fahd of Saudi Arabia, Hussein of Jordan, and the competing warlords in Lebanon and the PLO. This theocracy has conquered or converted much of the civilized world. It's conquests have been impeded more by internal factional wars, murders, and schisms than by resistance of its victims. It is now on the rising slope of its next onslaught. It can not yet attack the superpowers in open warfare. Israel is a salient of the West in the Middle East so open warfare has been repeatedly