Why I am always wrong

Paul Lewis suggests in the The Globe and Mail that agnostics have no compelling reasons to become terrorists.

Those of us who regard questions about religion as distractions from the urgent issues of this life are repeatedly startled and dismayed by the willingness of zealots - be they Christian, Muslim, Hindu or Jewish - to kill and die for their faith.

While it is no doubt true that a lot of terrorism is inspired by faith, and I cannot imagine a terrorism that is inspired by agnosticism, there has been plenty that was not inspired by any faith, but rooted in systems of thought that are not religious at all. Take the Rote Armee Faktion, the Brigate Rosse, the ETA, the GRAPO, Action Directe, the Irish National Liberation Army, the Japanese Red Army, all by no means religious extremists.

The real problem is the erroneous belief that we are right. Certainty is at the root of all evil. If we know the truth, then we must use all means to achieve our goals. Only doubt can stop us.

The solution is quite simple: We must convince everyone that we are always wrong.

Posted by mduvekot at July 5, 2004 10:39 PM