'How to defeat terrorists? True extremism'

How to defeat terrorists? True extremism (Guardian)

>1 John5918: I agree with Fraser's argument, but think that it's only one of a complex of ways of looking at the issue. One other element that's in play is the focus in various flavours of Islam and Christianity on reward and punishment: avoid demerits and accumulate points by doing works.

If unbelievers are going to Hell, then is it not up to the believers to convert them? The Bible has several points where it's clear that God isn't going to do it by himself; he sent Jonah to Nineveh, and later gave the Great Commission.

That humans should do nothing and leave it all to God is an extremist position, but it's far from the only one.

It reminds me of a conversation I had ten or so years ago with one of South Africa's well-known imams who, according to almost any western discourse, would be labelled a "moderate" Muslim, indeed "very moderate". But he completely rejected the label. No Muslim can be "moderate", he said; they must be extreme in their faith. He would accept the label "progressive" Muslim - he was extreme in his progressiveness, peacefulness and tolerance - but not "moderate".

I don't think anyone hardly ever thinks of "extremism" when seeing the golden rule promoted in some way. And is there any kind of senseless violence that could not be considered extreme? I don't think so.

Thus it seems to me that "extremism" is just a euphemism for organized murder and violent mayhem.

As to the various religious organizations, although they on balance may be good and do good things most of the time, perhaps group thought in general is a bad idea regarding belief about ultimate truths. Perhaps extreme anarchism regarding that category of human concern is best.

Personal morality and political morality (secular laws) are where we should confine the serious group thinking. Such should be based on both the teaching of empathy to children as they develop and focusing on pragmatism in the political level of human existence.

Mixing religion (god) and morality may be as inherently dangerous as mixing politics and religion - or so I have come to quite strongly suspect .