America, France, religion, and other observations from an ex-pat
Jessica Harvey
February 25, 2003
Recently there was an anti-war demonstration in Toulouse. I did not attend. This was partly because I was a little bit afraid for myself as an American in the midst of ferocious anti-American sentiment (probably an exaggerated fear), but mostly because I did not agree with the protestors’ reasons for disagreeing with America. French people are currently having a free-for-all when it comes it insulting America which, sadly, only serves to show how uninformed they are. (I would say the same thing about the American media regarding the French, though). Comparisons between Israel and Iraq and the Security Council resolutions both have broken are often heard, making it obvious none of the protestors bothered to read the resolutions, and scarcely a day goes by without the word oil being invoked with scorn as the true inspiration for the war, as if the speakers have forgotten about the cars they own.
I do not pretend to know the real reasons behind the war threat, and nor are French people the only hypocrites of the world, but still, such blind opposition is troubling. Where is the “fraternité” the French hold so dear, or the philosophy of “all you need is love” that the peaceniks cherish? Apparently these sentiments are reserved for members of their own group. Humans often seem to behave like this when they get into groups. Refusing to take the time to comprehend the point of view of (or even get the facts right about) one’s supposed enemy allows one to be right, and thus to feel morally superior.
The kind of group that seems to be the best at imparting moral superiority is religion. It often has stringent rules for being considered part of the group. The more exacting these rules are, the more people want to belong to the group, and the more superior they feel when they are in the club. Unfortunately, often the consequences of this superiority are often righteous anger instead of universal love.
While for centuries the French were active members of the Catholic Church, recently they have defected to a new club which incites less murderous anger: the welfare state. While imparting less moral superiority, it seems to promote tolerance of different points of view. So though they still insult those who are not part of their same group, they do not wish death upon them. In America, however, religion has become more extreme in recent years. Fundamentalist Christian America refuses to allow any point of view but its own and tends to advocate the elimination of unbelievers. Thus France reacts to world events in an essentially secular and practical fashion while America goes to the extreme and takes the moral high ground. America’s position prohibits it from understanding or respecting those who disagree with it. This frighteningly ferocious display of religion in America brings the country closer in spirit to its enemies.
Mr. Bush is wrong to invoke his god when he speaks of fighting America’s enemies. It will only further polarize adherents on both sides. The Muslims and the Christians will always be able to justify more bloodshed in the name of their god. If both sides are provoked long enough, the dispute will not end until one or the other is completely destroyed. So maybe the French, who are more interested in advancing equality through government programs and diplomacy rather than by eliminating infidels, have understood something after all. By truly keeping religion out of their government, they avoid bloody excess. It is too easy to use religion as a justification for inflicting misery on others, and Americans should be careful to not follow religion’s lead into a holy war.