Religious Cycles
I was listening to All things Considered on NPR last night and they had a segment on Islam. It instilled an interesting parallel to my mind.
If you follow scientific advancement you have this movement from the roman empire to the Arab world. During this time Europe was in it’s dark ages and gripped by religious control. At this time we had the crusades, inquisition and witch hunts.
I’m going to admit not having much knowledge about the Islamic world during this time. What I have heard is that during the dark ages it was the center of learning and scientific advancement. I’ve also heard that it was an fairly tolerant (Spain under Islamic rule is often sited as an example).
Keep in mind the crusades, whatever you argue they were really about, they certainly seem like a religiously motivated attack on ones more successful and prosperous neighbor.
Move up to the last century or so and you see a reversal of roles. Islamic countries are more and more under religious control engaging in dark age like behavior culminating in a crusade(jihad) against the U.S. and other countries. Europe has loosened the religious grip and become more secular.
Could the religious push in the U.S. be the beginning of the next shift of control? Maybe this time it will fall (back) to the Buddhists or Hindus?
Anyway I’m sure people will tell why my understanding of history is wrong and way oversimplified, but I think the underlying point has some validity.
–Zafkiel