Another Can of Religious Worms

Just when you thought the furor surrounding the naming of a teddy bear after the Muslim prophet Muhammed had died down, internet Evangelist Bill Keller comes along to stir up the fires. Of course he's over here in the United States and not in the Sudan so I guess his actions can be a little more inflamatory but still, I think that once word of his actions leaks out, it's going to stir up a major storm. What did he do? Well, Mr. Keller recently aired an internet piece in which he sprang to the defense of, British teacher Gillian Gibbons when the irate people of the Sudan called for her death for allowing students in her school to name a teddy bear Muhammed.

In his piece Keller named a stuffed pig after the Islamic prophet and made various statements and proclamations condemning the Islamic faith and recommending bombing Khartoum (in the Sudan) with pig intestines. Keller states that there will be those of both the Islamic and other faiths who will state that the protests and actions are by people who practice an extreme form of Islam though Keller himself doesn't believe that. He claims that this is merely a convenient way for people to 'accept' the actions and statements of people who demand death as a form of retribution for a slight against their religion. Keller provides daily prayers and answers prayer requests on his website, LivePrayer.com. I decided to check out the website to understand where Mr. Keller was coming from and to understand what would drive a man who claims to be a tolerant Christian into such an obviously inflammatory path of action.

I read his devotional for today and in it he states that those who simply stand by and 'respect the beliefs of others' are denying their faith and the chance to spread their faith to others. On his website there are proclaimations and statesments that in essence state that it is the duty of someone who believes as Keller himself believes to spread the 'truth' to the non-believers out there. Frankly, I feel Mr. Keller can keep his truth to himself because in my view he is no more accepting than the very people he is claiming to condemn. Sure he can claim that he is standing up to Islamists by insulting their religion the way they insult his by demanding the death of a non-Islamist. Sure he can say that his religious beliefs are the truth and are the true path that all people should follow. Sure he can claim that his way is the way to bring non-believers to the correct path but if his path is the 'right path' then I'd rather continue walking on the wrong one.

According to the devotional I read, and from what I took from it, to simply shut up and listen to when someone says that 'they respect the beliefs of others' is to quietly accept the wrongs that they believe and not do anything about it. He claims that people who believe as he does should stand up and show non-believers the true path. In a respectful manner of course. I guess his version of respecting others is to insult their religious beliefs and then expect them to suddenly snap to a different tune and accept Keller's true path. The unfortunate thing is that while Keller views Islamists as being one extreme, he is an extreme on the other end of the spectrum and it is for these reasons that there has been so much religious strife in this world for so long.

Who says one system of beliefs is better or more accepting than another. If your religion teaches you that as a believer in your faith you are on the path to salvation shouldn't you simply rejoice in that fact that you will be saved? Why do you need to go down the path that says tell others that they are wrong for not agreeing with you and if they still don't believe you, open a can of whup-ass on them? I have never claimed that my religion is better than anyone elses. When I say I respect other people's religions I mean just that. I respect it for what it is. I have not been in a situation where another religious belief or system has been forced on me or been to a place where my religion was frowned upon and fate willing, I will never end up in such a place. Even if I do, I have the faith that whatever higher power is there will accept me for my devotion and not because of the number of people I've brought to the fold. Unfortunately there are not too many others who believe that and as long as people like Keller and others like him continue to hold sway over vast majorities, the religious problems of this world will never cease.