May 18, 2006

Secular government

Coming home today, I heard this on NPR about the killing of a judge in Turkey. As I understand it, the judges ruled against the Islamists and one of them decided to strike back.

The good news? Thousands of people protested in defense of their secular government. I suspect most Americans saw that protest as positive.

Yet, when we had our own judges killed here, people like Senator Cornyn (Texas) suggested that judges deserved this kind of violence if they were intent on ruling on the wrong side of the Schiavo case. In other words, when our religious extremists threaten judges, it is ok. When Islamic extremists threaten judges, it is a bad thing.

I am simply stunned that anyone watching the world would want to have more religious fundamentalism in our politics. Where in the world has that worked out? Where in history?

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