From: kellmeye@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu (kellmeyer steven l)
Subject: Re: Religious rights and responsibilities
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 02:27:35 GMT

nate@psygate.psych.indiana.edu (Nathan Engle) writes:

>bthomas@perdita.gac.edu (Barbara L Thomas) writes:
>>In article <1992Oct6.194027.27391@organpipe.uug.arizona.edu>  writes:
>>> Christian principles - isn't that what the inquisition was based on?

>>If you were trying to be offensive, you succeeded - so was the settlement  
>>of the colonies.

>    I suppose that Christian principles formed the basis of of colonization 
>in North America in much the same way as it formed the basis for the British 
>conquest and dominion of India, Africa, and New Zealand. It was unthinkable 
>to the British that the Sikhs, Maoris, Zulus, Ashantis, Boers, Americans, 
>etc would rather be ruled by their own leaders than British ones. I'd say 
>that there's plenty of room for discussion over whether the British were 
>justified in taking that position regardless of how altruistic their motives 
>may have been.

Oh definitely.  What right did the British have imposing their moral 
values on the Indians?  Suttee (wife-burning) was outlawed by those
damnable white European imperialists.  Heaven knows the indigenous 
leaders were terribly oppressed in the free exercise of their religion.
The British also had the unmitigated gall to outlaw the killing of 
female children by those same Indians.  Certainly we now recognize that
every society has a live according to the cultural values they have
developed, and no society is superior to another - none of us have the
right to judge the Indian practice as wrong.

Similarly, those devilish Jesuits were instrumental in stopping the 
ritual cannibalism of the Eastern American tribes they proselytized.
We, who recognize the intrinsic greatness of those noble reflections
of the most perfect Mother of them all (Nature), are outraged to find
*MORE* white European males interfering in the cultural values of
indigenous peoples.  After all, running the gauntlet is a concept that
may well have been lost to us, if those damnable priests had managed
to exterminate it, as they most certainly planned.  Ritual torture of
captives by those self-same noble Americans was greatly reduced primarily
because of religious nasties like the Black Robes.  OH woe is me! How
can we ever forgive ourselves for foisting OUR morality on others!
It is truly a deep shame we bear.  

I can only say that, as a true liberal who has no wish to impose evil
Western values on other cultures, I join Clinton and Gore in fully 
supporting the repression of women in Islamic societies.  I am glad
that we did not try to impose our evil western democracy on any 
Middle Eastern power.  I hope that the former Eastern Bloc countries
soon see the error of their ways in emulating the West, and return
to the only true path of righteousness, the cultural heritage bequeathed
them by Lenin and Stalin.  

Such a position is the only way a liberal can maintain logical consistency.

Steve Kellmeyer

LARGE :] :) :-] and a slice of cheesecake for those who bite.


>--
>Nathan Engle                        Software Juggler
>Psychology Department               Indiana University
>nate@psygate.psych.indiana.edu      nengle@copper.ucs.indiana.edu
-- 

Steve Kellmeyer 
kellmeye@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
Newsgroups: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh