by Jack » Sat 23 Dec 2006, 14:47:52
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'I') see your point Jack, but all of your categories fall under the argument via hyperbole category. I think you have to get it down to the area of respecting the rights of individuals within a healthy compromise we call society.
But notice this means that cultural diversity is fine, within certain changeable limits - which is in accord with my original contention. Once, witchcraft was forbidden. Now, it is within the limits. On the other hand, once it was perfectly permissible to treat animals badly since they were regarded as property. Now, a growing body of law punishes such behavior severely. Note that I am not saying which is right or wrong, nor which might be good or bad - I merely point out that phrases such as embracing multiculturalism or celebrating diversity are poorly defined and (in my opinion) lack intellectual rigor.
$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ElijahJones', 'B')ut hate that is acted out through discrimination or other types of crimes cannot be encouraged. All of the groups you mentioned have a hate based ideology, or have allowed hatred to affect their interpretation of their religion.
The choice is simple, love or hate; live, be sustained, be nourished, or die, be denuded, be starved.
Well, first of all - some kinds of discrimination have always been allowed, and most still are. There are published studies of wage disparities between tall and short people, between fat and lean people. One cannot explicitly say that they will not hire someone because the person worships the snail god (whatever that might be); but they can choose a "better qualified candidate" who just happens to be younger, leaner, and appears to be "our kind of people".
And there's another problem. You say the groups are all about hate; but in truth, the practical difference between love and hate is small. Did the typical National Socialist act out of hate? Or out of love for the folk (see Hitler's Mien Kampf on this point). You can extend this to other groups as well.
You mention that love lasts forever - but if we love something or someone, can we abide that which threatens the object of our affection? What, then, drives our reactions?