was far more than an attack on those who were murdered or on free speech. It was an attack on our very existence.
I am not religious in the sense that I go to church and believe in a "god" who is some sort of little old man sitting up in the sky working miracles and surrounded by angels. I don't believe in the other "gods" of other faiths either.
If someone asks me I will say I believe in the command that we "love one another" - that we do unto others as we would have them do unto us. To me, those things are just common sense. They make it possible to live with each other - and find some pleasure in doing so.
If really pushed then I will admit to a belief in something other than myself. I have absolutely no idea what that something is. I merely have this sense that to believe just in myself would be incredibly arrogant.
I do not believe that I have any right to demand that other people believe what I believe. I detest people trying to persuade me that I "should" believe anything or do anything or be anything. That does not mean I do not want to be challenged or that I want to avoid debate, discussion or argument. I do want these things. They involve me with the world.
To go out and kill people because they do not believe what you believe or because they challenge your beliefs is something I find totally abhorrent. The idea that any "god" would condone this I find appalling. This is not the sort of "god" I could believe in - certainly not if the god in question is supposed to be a creator one. It makes no sense to me.
It makes no sense to me because surely our very existence depends on our diversity? Diversity can only be protected if ideas are challenged. If we have the right to exist then we must also have the right to challenge those who threaten that existence.
Come on, talk to me...challenge me... laugh at me - but please don't threaten my existence.
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3 comments:
I looked you up at bedtime instead of first thing tomorrow morning,since I knew what you would feel the need to speak about.
I think that the mental capacity and emotional intelligence of the kind of people who would do such things is inferior to the average two year old. Sorry, perhaps that is insulting two year olds. These people have effectively resigned their membership of the human race.
Our best defence is to try and spot them before they act - but then what?
I don't know Jean - I don't think I ever knew what the answers were. All I know is that I am less certain than ever.
They won't accept any challenge to their certainties...and a bullet is a quick way to silence what they do not wish to hear.
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