He Has Found The Enemy, And It Is Them.
On Tuesday, former senator Rick Santorum made an appearance at UNL.
His mission?
To warn of the impending danger posed by Islamic extremists.
In a speech that blended history, current events, and theology, Santorum contended that Muslims "who take their religion literally" are threatening Western civilization as we know it. He condemned both Bush and Obama for refusing to acknowledge this.
A key problem in Islam, according to Santorum, is a lack of seperation between church and state. Mohammed was not merely a spiritual figure; he was a leader, and a ruthless conqueror. In contrast, Santorum identified Jesus's command to "render unto Caeser what is Caeser's" as the beginning of a long tradition of secular government in the Christian world.
Santorum believes that Islamic teachings on civil authority are incompatible with the democratic ideals of the West. The consequences of this are seen in Western countries such as the UK and the Netherlands, where critics of Islam are falling victim to what Santorum labeled "creeping Sharia" -- a gradual surrender to Islamic law.
The lesson was timely and informative, but not without flaws.
Santorum's analysis of the differences between Islam and Christianity was shallow. To say that Christiandom has been defined by a seperation of church and state is to ignore a history in which popes frequently held kings in their sway. Likewise, his invectives against Muslims who, unlike Christians, take their scriptures literally seemed strange indeed, considering that millions of Christians view the Bible in the same light.
Practical policy was also hard to come by in Santorum's speech. One of his suggestions for "defeating" radical Islam was to drastically reduce the price of oil, thereby crippling the economic engine of the Middle East. Even assuming that America has the power to magically manipulate oil prices, this seems like a bad policy. While poverty may not be the primary root of Islamic terrorism, it's hard to imagine a scenario in which poverty would make people less prone to religious extremism. Funding from wealthy sheiks may bolster some terrorist organizations, but as long as there are people willing to blow themselves up for a righteous cause, they'll find ways to do so.
However, the core of Santorum's message -- that differing religious beliefs can produce societies with radically different values -- was a solid one. On college campuses, where the dogma of diversity can silence meaningful discussion about the substantial differences that exist between cultures, we could use a few more Rick Santorums.
