Compassion is the key in Islam and Buddhism and Judaism and Christianity. They are profoundly similar.
Karen ArmstrongRead
Fundamentalists are not friends of democracy. And that includes your fundamentalists in the United States.
Interpretation
Fundamentalists oppose democratic values and processes, including those in the U.S.
This quote by Karen Armstrong highlights the inherent conflict between fundamentalist ideologies and democratic principles. Fundamentalists tend to uphold rigid beliefs that may undermine the pluralism and open dialogue essential for a healthy democracy, suggesting that their presence in any society, including the United States, poses a challenge to democratic values and governance.
In practice
During a political discussion about the challenges faced by democracy, one might reference this quote to emphasize the risks posed by extremist beliefs.
Compassion is the key in Islam and Buddhism and Judaism and Christianity. They are profoundly similar.
Yet a personal God can become a grave liability. He can be a mere idol carved in our own image, a projection of our limited needs, fears and desires. We can assume that he loves what we love and hates what we hate, endorsing our prejudices instead of compelling us to transcend them.
When violence becomes imbedded in a region, then this affects everything. It affects your dreams, your fantasies and relationships, and your religion becomes violent, too.
Far from being the father of jihad, [Prophet] Mohammad was a peacemaker, who risked his life and nearly lost the loyalty of his closest companions because he was determined to effect a reconciliation with Mecca
Yes, all fundamentalists feel that in a secular society, God has been relegated to the margin, to the periphery and they are all in different ways seeking to drag him out of that peripheral position, back to center stage.
Religion is a search for transcendence. But transcendence isn't necessarily sited in an external god, which can be a very unspiritual, unreligious concept.
A man without a vote is man without protection.
In America any boy may become President, and I suppose it's just one of the risks he takes.
When Western politicians propose blanket discrimination against Islam, they bolster the terrorists' propaganda.
He brings to the fierce struggle of politics the tepid enthusiasm of a lazy summer afternoon at a cricket match.
If you're worried about the deficit, pay attention to the fact that it's almost all attributable to military spending and the totally dysfunctional health program.
Rising political tribalism, shamelessly exaggerating our opponents' claims or behavior, is leaving us vulnerable: No one loves America's internal fighting - and our increasingly siloed news consumption - more than Vladimir Putin.
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