Is Religion Dangerous

Is Religion Dangerous?
By Keith Ward

I found this book at the public library. I brought it home and read it, looking as I continuously seem to be these days, trying to make sense out of the crazy world we live in. It was interesting in that he wrote it as a devout Christian. Much of the book is devoted to his attempt to prove there is a God and there has been since the creation of the Universe. His arguments are well articulated.
As to the title of the book, his conclusion is that religion is not dangerous and that whatever evil has been committed in the name of religion was done by radicals who have used it to further their purpose.
Following the 9/11 disaster I got and read three books about Islam trying to understand how and why we were attacked. They all confirmed as does this author that it is a peaceful religion. He states that “The God of Judaism, Christianity and Islam is a being of justice, mercy and loving-kindness, who commands humans to be just, merciful and kind, and who promises those who are just, a life beyond death in unison with absolute goodness”.
He mentions Sayyid Qutb of the Muslim Brotherhood who wrote in his
1965 book, Milestones on the Road. He stated, “One should accept the Shari’a without question and reject all other laws in any shape or form. This is Islam. Every society is either Muslim or jahiliyyah. Muslim societies are those that live in complete obedience to Shari’s.” He states that all of the societies existing in the world today are jahila and that they are all illegal. He concludes that all political systems that legislate laws- including, apparently all existing so-called Muslim societies are illegal. By contrast, in a truly Muslim society only God legislates laws. There can be no compromise or even co-existence. There is no Islam in a land where Islam is not dominant and where it’s Shari’s is not established. He continues that they must take the initiative in abolishing jahiliyyah. It is not just a defensive war; it is the use of force to establish properly Muslim societies everywhere in the world, so that ultimately there will remain only Muslims, enemies of Islam to be fought, and Dhimmies, those who pay tribute-money to their dominant Islamic society.
It is thus not religion that causes Islamic terrorism. It is a version of Islam
that has been corrupted by the most successful anti-religious movement in
the twentieth century. They are not motivated by the love of God. It is hatred
of almost everyone in the world, belief in very simple political solutions to
intractable social problems, belief that resorting to extreme violence is a
reliable means to future freedom and peace, and an intense certainty that one’s own beliefs are uniquely correct and morally pure,
whereas everyone else’s are irrational and corrupt.
I believe his conclusions are valid. We are not in a religious war but
nonetheless we are in a world wide war with radicals who want to conquer
all nations and convert them to their belief system. Knowing this, the
countries of the world need to unite and fight this evil wherever it surfaces
without mercy. They cannot be reasoned with so they must be eliminated
wherever they are found. Therefore the battle is not against Muslims, it is
against those who have perverted Islam to suit their goals.


Jack B. Walters
3961 N. Hillwood Circle
Tucson, AZ 85750
(520) 722-2958
August 7, 2007
jackbwalters@yahoo.com