by Ted Sherman

Created on: June 23, 2007

Humans are considerably more stupid than animals. Animals kill each other for food or territorial control. Humans kill each other because some old guy in a beard issues a fatwa that tells them to go out and kill all other people who worship other guys in white beards.

Ever since men came down from the trees and formed tribes, they have always conjured up some religious justification for killing the people of the tribe over yonder who look different, speak different and/or have a different religion. Of course, they wouldn't commit murder with any real zeal unless they were taught to do it at a very early age. The old guy of the tribe, called the witch doctor, shaman, priest, president, holy man, ayatola, king, emperor, prophet or other title of absolute power, was always ready to take on the job as both teacher and leader.

The Muslims, who were also very active in tribal murders for ten or so centuries, have been fairly quiet for the past couple of hundred of years. Meanwhile, the Christians and other tribes were keeping the old traditions alive by running around other parts of the world converting heathens, enslaving and/or killing them. All in the name of the only one true religion, of course.

However, the Muslims woke up again after the Christians discovered oil on Islamic lands and started bribing the local holy men to cooperate in digging it out. Then, as the Muslim holy men became rich, they discovered they were being exploited by the Christians. It was then they decided to start a new holy war, which meant they would keep all the oil, blow it up or sell it at outlandish prices to the infidels.

The original idea was just to kick the Christians out, maybe kill a few here and there, but as the holy men began issuing their fatwas, the peaceful Islamic tribes turned warlike. It was back to the Tenth Century in mentality and emotions, and the Crusades all over again. Feeling their strength growing, the holy men decided that Islam was the only religion, and that all other people were infidels. They had to convert or be killed, preferably killed.

Maybe it is just a matter of time before we all climb back into the trees and start all over again. That is, if we don't destroy each other in the meantime.

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