Large Fierce Mammal

Welcome back Goode Reader. While last night’s Dark Sentiment proferred no small amount of snicker fodder, the concerns it conveyed dovetail into tonight’s offering, which is a whole lot more serious.

Clarke’s Third Law states that, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”. From long study and observation on my own part; otherwise known as paying attention; I would also add that with every generation there inevitably comes a population of hand wringing parents who fear whatever technology, music, and/or system of belief has come to be adopted by their offspring, and by so doing grants it a status where it might as well be magic.

Right now we have the internet and all its dark, gnarled, root entangled paths leading to child predators, sexting, bullies, teen rampages, Slenderman, the “knockout game“, performing dangerous stunts just to post a video of it happening, song lyrics that speak of suicide, and ISIS recruiters, to name a few in no particular order. In the face of that are a disappointingly large number of parents who can barely navigate facebook without getting their own ass in the wringer. That being said, it cannot be denied that the quite right, proper, and predictable propensity of adolescents and young adults to try on the dark and risky side for size leaves them open to exploitation by those who would consume them. Before the internet, as now, we have always had adults with their own agendas who were ready, willing, and more than able to “assist” the young on their quest for adventure, to no good end. These days, that end might include strapping on a suicide vest.

As I’ve written and quoted at the start of this year’s season of Dark Sentiments, “Darkness, as it inspires me, isn’t limited to expressions of evil, mayhem, and bad outcomes. Something can also be considered “dark” if it is unknown, misunderstood, or incorrectly interpreted.”

In a world that makes pretense of no longer hysterically pursuing witch trials for those deemed to be actual witches, Nazis, or Communists; the pot still simmers and so now we have a renewed zeal based upon some new words that are equated with evil, mayhem, and bad outcomes; while being unknown, misunderstood, or incorrectly interpreted. Islam and Jihad being two. My purpose here tonight is neither to vilify Muslims, nor to excuse what has been done, and continues to be done, in the name of Islam, or any other system of belief for that matter.

Steven Weinberg said, “Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion.” I personally maintain that the quality of another is to be judged by his or her conduct toward others, and not by whatever beliefs they may hold and visibly or invisibly practice that led them to the desirable behaviour. A friend, a comrade, is that regardless of the path they trod that brought them to that state. Nevertheless, it’s hard to take a wide ranging stance of disagreement with Dr. Weinberg’s statement in a world that can justify some of the actions I highlighted, only in part and only in the present year, in the second installment of my recent piece on zealotry. Religion is an insult to human dignity if it is internalized or applied as such.

There is an excellent CBC Radio documentary programme called Ideas that never fails to impress me with the clarity of thought it brings to controversial topics, and tonight’s Dark Sentiment relies upon a recent episode to shed some light through the cracks of something even its adherents seem doomed to grapple with.

Titled The Struggle Over Jihad, its introduction reads –

For many non-Muslims, jihad is synonymous with violence. We’ve all seen images of ISIS and other extremists using the term to justify their butchery. But jihad is traditionally defined as a noble endeavour — more about how to live than how to die.  Contributor Naheed Mustafa looks at the origins of jihad, how it’s been transformed into a narrowly defined call to fight — and what can be done to reclaim it.

Jihad. I wish the best of fortune to those who grapple with it by any definition.

Whatever you choose to sip for this one, make it strong, and then click here to listen.