robin shepherd
2009-08-05 01:23:36 UTC
Our government is in a bit of dilemma how to respond to the negative
aspects of religious traditionalism in some of the Muslim regions
where our nation, through mechanisms of intervention, are attempting
to uplift and ameliorate the conditions afflicting the hurting
populations there.
In Afghanistan (perhaps the worst), the Taliban is pushed back, only
to move back in at the first opportunity. Our government seeks to
follow an "enlightened" policy, encouraging less anti-woman attitudes,
less corporal punishment (domestic discipline, flogging, and similarly
sanctioned violence there). Wives and children are the primary
victims, but even men can be victims under the more extreme religious
regimes, often using SHARIA as an excuse, much as our own history
often invoked the Bible or God.
These things are a bit problematic. How much do we impose our socalled
liberated, enlightened, "modern" (liberal) views on these traditional
regions. So what if the Taliban spanks their children? (Forgive me
for being a bit facetious. I want to provoke thought, and comparison.)
The West (especially Europe) has gotten almost POST Christian, or anti-
religious. It is not as extreme in the United States, but still our
government has strict rules (both under Bush and under Obama) to try
not to offend the local Muslim attitudes, needlessly.
For example, consider the spanking issue. Here in the states we have
sort of gotten "enlightened" in that we tend to look down on our
heritage based on the values of bygone era's, or Europe, (the Romans,
too), even the Bible. Sort of like the idea of moral authority is
outmoded, or medieval.
Yet for me, raised back in the fifties, sixties, there were more
traditional values then. Good parenting meant you restrained your
children, kept them in line. No government EXPERTS second-guessed a
mom for giving a brattish behaving kid a good whack now and again.
But now, that kind of parenting is derided, like it is "Bible Belt"
backwardness.
No one wants to get branded supporting child abuse. But in my own
memory, what seemed like total cruelty at the time, I now regard as
almost essential, indispensable, to my own moral development and
evolution into ADULTHOOD.
Where is our "helpfulness" (in opposing traditionalism) actually
intrusion and butting in?
aspects of religious traditionalism in some of the Muslim regions
where our nation, through mechanisms of intervention, are attempting
to uplift and ameliorate the conditions afflicting the hurting
populations there.
In Afghanistan (perhaps the worst), the Taliban is pushed back, only
to move back in at the first opportunity. Our government seeks to
follow an "enlightened" policy, encouraging less anti-woman attitudes,
less corporal punishment (domestic discipline, flogging, and similarly
sanctioned violence there). Wives and children are the primary
victims, but even men can be victims under the more extreme religious
regimes, often using SHARIA as an excuse, much as our own history
often invoked the Bible or God.
These things are a bit problematic. How much do we impose our socalled
liberated, enlightened, "modern" (liberal) views on these traditional
regions. So what if the Taliban spanks their children? (Forgive me
for being a bit facetious. I want to provoke thought, and comparison.)
The West (especially Europe) has gotten almost POST Christian, or anti-
religious. It is not as extreme in the United States, but still our
government has strict rules (both under Bush and under Obama) to try
not to offend the local Muslim attitudes, needlessly.
For example, consider the spanking issue. Here in the states we have
sort of gotten "enlightened" in that we tend to look down on our
heritage based on the values of bygone era's, or Europe, (the Romans,
too), even the Bible. Sort of like the idea of moral authority is
outmoded, or medieval.
Yet for me, raised back in the fifties, sixties, there were more
traditional values then. Good parenting meant you restrained your
children, kept them in line. No government EXPERTS second-guessed a
mom for giving a brattish behaving kid a good whack now and again.
But now, that kind of parenting is derided, like it is "Bible Belt"
backwardness.
No one wants to get branded supporting child abuse. But in my own
memory, what seemed like total cruelty at the time, I now regard as
almost essential, indispensable, to my own moral development and
evolution into ADULTHOOD.
Where is our "helpfulness" (in opposing traditionalism) actually
intrusion and butting in?