The "Ideal" Sits Within the "Imperfect" World

This morning over breakfast, a friend and I had a discussion about "life". We realized that life was a "desire", as well as a "disappointment". What do we do with the disappointment? And what does the "desire" mean?

The "desire" we both had was over the "Ideal Life". And we questioned how we came to the "ideal". Was our "ideal" the same as another's cultural "ideal"? Was our "ideal" influenced by our cultural "Disney World" standards? And what would that mean as to a "True Ideal"?

The cultural "ideal" of Islam is not what I would consider an "ideal". Honor killing for the sake of God's honor is horrendously offensive. And I told my friend that it makes me very angry. This is why I find myself curious as to the U.N.' tolerance to Islam's atrocious acts of inhumanity! How can ANY civilized society tolerate such barbariansim? The civilized world MUST defend itself against such religious zealotry! Otherwise, our disregard of injustice toward individuals will lead us down a primrose path to slavery under Sharia Law, in the name of tolerance and cultural relativity/diversity!

I told my friend that I had grown more passionate about political engagement than theological reflection, because the political realm was where people really lived. The ideals of our Constitution which defends and protects our citizens' lives are universal standards of human rights, as well as national defenses.

We are a people because we choose to live in a land that is free, but also, dependent on our commitment to freedom and justice in our public life. So, when it comes to reason, most of us would choose freedom of conscience in regards to religious conviciton and not the other way around, where religious conviction supplants reason because of some cultural understanding of "god"!