30 Oct 2007
Laurie
I'm not sure what ambiguity you are concerned about. His statements seem to be entirely logical and consistent with his beliefs. If he believes that killing infidels is going to get him into heaven and that heaven is better than Earth, then what weight does a moment's inconvenience in front of a firing squad carry?
This consistency between belief and action is usually described as "integrity" though I doubt many of us are comfortable with that description in this particular case. The interesting thing about Amrozi and the other Bali bombers is how well they illustrate the insanity of religious belief and, by way of contrast, demonstrate the hypocrisy of most believers who not only fail to establish that unity between belief and action, but create a gulf that undermines any hope integrity.
Having visited Indonesia frequently over many years, the rise of a more fundamentalist type of Islam is a source of concern. However, on balance, and perhaps excluding Aceh and parts of East Java, the average Indonesian is no more religious than the average Sydneysider or Londoner. They too are happy to espouse beliefs that they have no intention of acting upon! However it is a big country and they have their share of homicidal, religious maniacs. In the present circumstances though, given the history of the christian west, it is hard to see that we have grounds for more than condemnation of specific events and specific killers.
30 Oct 2007
Rebecca Bynum
Laurie, you must be new to this site. Hugh was being sarcastic.
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