My name is Ali Sadeghi . I was imprisoned twice in Iran for taking part in student demonstrations and also writing against religious absolutism. Right now I am in Turkey as an asylum seeker awaiting my fate to be decided by UNHCR — United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Definition of faith: Not waiting to realize what is true! — Friedrich Nietasche
Truth belongs to the category of discovery, not invention . Extreme caution of ancient sophists in mentioning the word truth, made them become the most condemned generation of thinkers in the history. A very obvious symptom of that condemnation is that we still use the expression “sophistication” in signifying of playing on words or using null statements in reasoning.
However, sophists were the graetest lovers of truth; so that they never forgot pondering at an object from different viewpoints.
If Aristotle knew that establishing “logic” and maintaining the idea of achieving “absolutely” true statements with the use of logic will shape the absolutism as a doctrine, and absolutism will become the firm base of all religions, and that will result in religious wars, the most horrible disasters of human history, maybe instead of disputing the sophists, he would prefer to put himself in the oblivion brought about by alcohol! Just as what his master Socrates did! Though there was still a danger of making “more absolute” conclusions in drunkness! That, absolute belongs to wine and philosophy.
Religious crimes, from killing intellectuals in Iran to world terrorism, have existed thousands of years. A very summarized analysing of this matter, is based on three main issues: “genius”, “conscience”, and “hatred”.
GENIUS The chained environment of ideology, determines every talent to be formed in a particular way. Only a scarce and valuable type of philosophical astuteness, can look at itself from the “outside”; I call it third eye. When I was a muslim, I had the chance to observe the fact that existing of that outside atmosphere is completely denied by religion; So, naturally, looking from the outside is already obviated .
A genius, accidently raised by deep religious culture, unconsciously uses all the ability in favor of getting melted in absolutism, more and more: Every other path is undescribable to him; His third eye is blind.
Describe a powerful spout in which there is an obstacle against it. In vertical stead, it will spout the water in a horizonal path. That's what religion exerts in order to lead the genius and its power to a specific direction.
CONSCIENCE That prepared and accumulated power of genius, will be demolishing if nothing hinders it. In common sense conscience is considered as a hinderance to any destructive intention . However conscience is but the spontaneous reaction of one's spirit to any unusual event in his or her life. Ideology, gives meaning to that reaction and justifies it Clearness of religious conscience is provided by ELEGATING the fear of crime to “beyond the invisible”! Ofcourse! What could be more comforting than leaving the responsiblity to the almighty's will? Therefore conscience gets monopolized by absolutism Literally there is no conscience there anymore .
HATRED Merely absence of conscience is not the cause of committing a crime. A strong motive is also required. Religion, as the greatest “inventor” of truth, is the natural enemy of any method concerning discovery. Because opening the longing arms for truth, inflicts the heaviest burden of patience; and this, threatens the existance of religion which intends to answer all the answerless questions as quickly as possible! Striving to survive makes the religion vindictive. And we shouldn't forget the fact that direct opposing with religion, provokes more vindication in religious world.
Draining the root of absolutism in traditional societies, is the only way of stoping ideological terrorism. “How to drain that root …” requires another consideration.
The age of philosophy is not passed! We still need it in order to get rid of it!!
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