Post Modern Religion and the Left's blind spot ...

"Post modern?" Is that another way of saying "primitive?"

Can I ask a nominally "non-PC" question?

Let me preface it with a simple notion - as compared to our understanding of the inherent freedoms endowed by our creator, or for the secularists, our understanding of the "just state" of man and his right to liberty ... Is Islam, as practiced today, an uncivilized religion? Or shall I phrase it, a "primitive" codification of moral codes and absolutes? I hesitate to agree, if only because I'm aware that this is exactly how Left of center ideologues would describe Christianity. But I am forced to reconcile that hesitancy with some basic facts. Again, I note that "primitive" in this instance is defined as its' incompatibility with both personal and national liberty. That is to say: democracy.

In a recent Freedom House survey of personal liberty and democracy around the world, 5 of the 8 countries with the lowest "freedom score" were Muslim. Of the 46 majority Muslim nations in the world, only 3 were free. Of the 16 nations in which Muslims form between 20 and 50 percent of the population, only another 3 ranked as free: Benin, Serbia-Montenegro, and Suriname. And with France's predilection towards a lavish welfare state, and the need for young North African workers to supply the tax base, one wonders how far away they are from joining these ranks.

So let me pose this question: off the top of your head can you name one Christian majority nation that is not "free?" And prior to my naming those above (and excluding nations we have boots on the ground in) could you have named one Muslim majority nation that is free? Give yourself 3 days distance from this post and you will again probably not be able to.

So this is my concern - Christianity has seen its reformation. And I use a lower case "R" on purpose, for this is no slap at the Catholic Church (not even the Indulgence selling one of Luther's day). But rather a "reformation" that has allowed for the peaceful coexistence of a secular, pluralist society and government. In fact, one can argue that given America's rise and triumph these 234 years, the highest preforming society is one that embraces God on a personal level, and a secular democracy on the national. But again, we get back to what form that embracement of God takes. As of 2010 if its form is Christianity or Judaism it is likely, to the 100th percentile, to be "free." If it is via the worlds other major religion, of the big three, (read: Islam) it is likely to the 90th percentile to be authoritarian. Is that a problem?

Let me rephrase the question under this light - if "freedom", defined as both personal liberty and a national form of government, is the preferred state of the "evolved man", can we then say that Christianity is a more "evolved" religion? As politically incorrect as that is to say, do the numbers not bare that out as a fair assessment?

Now you can certainly argue that millions of Muslims live in democracies, etc, etc. Yes. However the vast majority of practicing Muslims do not. Period. And this has grave concerns, demographically. So to answer my own question - yes, it is a problem.

The baseline rate of reproduction is 2.1. You must have 2.1 live births per couple to maintain populations where they are, wherever that is. Greece has a fertility rate just below 1.3. They are nearly halving themselves each generation. Is there any wonder why we see riots, protests, and general unrest at the idea of cutting government benefits? People have become accustomed to them, yet there are not enough young workers to maintain the tax base to keep them in place ... enter Northern African immigrants. Italy is at 1.2 (and that's without abortion mind you). Spain 1.1. America, just for the record, is 2.1 (thank you Catholic Hispanics by the way). The birth rate among Western living practicing Muslims? 4.8%. Go outside the West and that number climbs as high as 6.2%. Anyone a tad nervous yet? Clearly Europe has an unavoidable day of reckoning. What happens when they wake up one day and the majority of their population practices a faith incompatible with a secular, free government? And this leads me to the Left's blind spot, for this should concern them above all.

"I am a social conservative. When the Mullahs take over I'll grow my beard a little fuller, get a couple extra wives, and keep my head down. It's the feminists and gays who'll have a tougher time." - Mark Steyn, British born author and commentator.

How will gay marriage look to a UK (or Massachusetts for that matter), Supreme Court if 5 out of 8 of the justices are Muslim? It is the Left above all that should be enraged at such auspices of a major, widely practiced, religion. Gays executed in Iran. Women given forced clitorechtomy's in the Northern Africa. Females condemned to death for adultery. Attacks on Danish embassies over Mohammed cartoons, and the murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh (and they think Republicans want to censor artful expression). Yet Leftist's cries of havoc are reserved almost exclusively for practicing Christians. If I point out riots in Pakistan over the Newsweek Koran down the toilet story, I'm the nativist white Christian male racist. Yet it wasn't my ilk rioting or committing acts of violence when a Crucifix was submerged in urine and called "art." Why am I in their sights, and not the Mullahs?

Back to what this means for the near future ... Europe is clearly in dire straights. As far as I can tell, when surfing the web, "Eurabia" is all but a forgone conclusion to those Mullahs willing to speak out on the matter. Making it essential that America understand that it is not just one voice among equals. Reject that we are no more or no less then a UN filled with Sudanese human rights observers or Cuban worker's rights diplomats. It is vital that our president understand that we are the difference. That the thugs of Russia, or the multi generation planning (scheming) hard liners of China, and the 72 virgin aspiring followers of Mullah X, Y and Z are not fearful over the blue helmets of the UN. They find the EU laughable, and aren't particularly impressed with NATO, save one member's presence - America. And as the carrier USS George Washington parks itself in the Yellow Sea, sending a message to Kim Jong Jr and company, I hope that this president, and his 2012 successor, understand this. And particularly regarding the active fascists within Islam. For on our side we have every advantage in waging an effective war - wealth, vast armies, advanced weaponry, industry, technology; on the other they have pure ideology - young, reproducing believers ... and the rest, as its been proven, they can pick up at Radio Shack.