I have been meaning to put something together on this topic, but have so far not found enough coherence of thought. I would like, however, to suggest a hypothesis.

It is possible that, as an organizing social principle, religion played a role in last weeks crimes. I do not, however, believe that religion lies at the root of those crimes. It is at best a pretext for attitudes and behaviors whose root causes are not subject to such simple categorization. Raw power must be considered at a fundamental level, and its correlative powerlessness. On a metaphysical level--do not reject the notion of the metaphysical on account of the term--the will to destruct is probably deeply bound to the will to create. Inhumanity is bound fast to humanity at the level of humanity's very possibility of existence. Destruction cannot disaffirm humanity. According to this hypothesis, humanity is indivisible. But, of course, I recognize in the last two sentences a flash of idealism.

(The three monotheistic religions remind me of the wives of a single husband, where each vies with the other for an exclusive legitimacy. I may have mentioned in an earlier post that the Yiddish word 'tsoris' --travail-- is the Talmudic word for multiple brides. Without hoping to give further offense where none was ever intended, I will say one must pity this God for his squabbling brides, who finds his emblem on the battle flags of opposing armies.)

That's a smattering.

I'll try to work out the hypothesis.

IP