Coexist?

Figure 1: Popular COEXIST slogan version

Many folks have seen the COEXIST banner on bumpers, billboards, t-shirts, and other places. The symbols of one of the more popular versions, Figure 1, are several religions and secular movements in the following order from left to right; Islam, peace, homosexual, Judaism, Paganism, Taosim, and Christianity. The Group, U2, increased the awareness of the slogan when Bono of the rock group U2 wore a headband with the original design, Figure 2, during the Vertigo concert.

Figure 2: The Original Design and U2's COEXIST Support

Figure 3: Piotr Mlodozeniec

A Polish graphic designer, Piotr Mlodozeniec, created the original design in order to participate in an art contest hosted by the Museum on the Seam in 2000 for Dialogue, Understanding, and Coexistence within Israel promoting religious tolerance, Figure 3. He was runner up in the competition. Since that time, the original design has been adopted by many secular groups who adapt the design and message to their cause. Nonetheless, the message is a secular one; everyone should coexist.

The message strikes at the heart of conflicts seen between the three monotheistic faiths. The Koran's Surah 112 overtly denies John 3:16 in the Bible and ultimately the entire Bible and the Torah. Surah 9:5 is the ultimate revelation in Islam which states to kill the infidel or non-Mulsim. Conflicts between Judaism and Christianity have been mostly non-belligerent and a matter of doctrine and/or personal belief. The other symbols brought into the COEXIST mantra are the peace, homosexual, pagan, and Tao movements which are doctrinally in opposition to the three monotheistic faiths. Can all these movements and religions coexist?

Brands of Peace

There are multiple peace brands. The first peace brand is of a secular nature focusing, at least, on non-war and a secular notion of coexistence. Numerous social movements have latched on to this brand of peace over the years dabbling in the concepts. For example, wars are fought by leveraging an information differential. Some circles believe that if the information differential was closed then there would be peace or at a minimum no war. This is myopic thinking and does not account for the intent to war by the other side. The notion of secular coexistence is at the expense of the other doctrines since those must surrender to the secular concept of peace in lieu of their own peace concepts. This makes secularism no different than and other beliefs.

The Christian brand of peace is the outcome of removing that which prevents peace, evil. War broke out in Heaven and the evil was defeated then cast to the Earth like a bolt of lightning. The Judeo-Christian God trapped evil in the world then wages the war against evil beginning in Genesis 3:15 and ultimately defeats evil in the book of Revelation bringing peace to the believers only. The war is fought on a personal, communal, and national level. Humans choose sides in the war between good and evil becoming one or the other in the eyes of the Judeo-Christian God. Hence, Christian peace is at the expense of evil as defined by the Judeo-Christian God who personally wars against evil. War on a national level is used as an instrument of judgement by the Judeo-Christian God. Believers are both pawns and the prize in the fight against evil. Through trials and tribulation, the believers may be called to fight a moral war. The only righteous war involves Israel.

The Islamic notion of peace is to war against the oppressors who are defined as infidels. The goal of Islam is global dominance through a war fighting methodology detailed in the scriptural writings. The war fighting methodology centers on a three stage approach of enumeration, training, and execution. The ultimate Islamic revelation is the Sword of Islam, Surah 9:5. This final revelation states to tidy things up with the infidel then to kill the infidel where he is found, to kill him in his sleep, to bind him up firmly and smite his neck. Hence, the Islamic notion of peace is the outcome of belligerent actions determined by the believers to purify the world in the name of Islam.

Interestingly, Surah 9:5 is countered by Matthew 26:52. The Sword of Islam is countered by the Christian axiom that those who live by the sword die by the sword. The secularist argue to abandon these beliefs for theirs. However, many secularist have undertaken war when influenced by power and money in order to maintain that state regardless of any specific religious belief. Peace by brand is desirable to all but true peace may only be afforded to a few. Determining which few is a lifetime journey for each human to undertake.

Homosexuals desire to Coexist

This discussion focuses on the world-views in the Coexist banner and is not intended to promote or reject any specific personal view as a matter of point in the post.

The third symbol in the banner is the Homosexual, a secular or pagan practice that desires to coexist with the other world-views. Regardless of secular calls for legitimacy, the Judeo-Christian and Islamic world-views doctrinally hold homosexuality as an rebellious behavior.

In the Judeo-Christian worldview sexual disobedience, including homosexuality, is direct rebellion towards God. The doctrinal basis begins with Rabbinical thinking based on Genesis 1:27 that acts against the body impugn God's image in the body. The Rabbinical claim in Genesis is to the point that the image in humans gives them rights, dignity, and purpose in life. Christian doctrine builds on this Rabbinical thinking to the point that without this image, humans are just a bag of dried bones as well as humans are gifted everything from life, embodiment, money, love, talents, etc... The soul and/or the Christian are stewards of these things. Sexual misconduct impugns the dignity and rights of the image within humans and is outside the framework provided in the Bible.  This is cause for rejection by the Judeo-Christian God who provides a remedy for the offender such that if the offender turns away from the rebellious conduct and accept Jesus Christ as the Savior then they are saved from a second death, a spiritual death. The Judeo-Christian God further presents in Romans 1:20-32 that people intentionally reject God as a creator then perform unnatural acts (homosexual). When the state endorses the homosexual conduct as a matter of policy, the Judeo-Christian God turns the enemies of the state to war against them for their fall from power and/or destruction. However, the Christian worldview places the Christian amidst the world as a beacon of hope. The Christian is to hate the rebellion but love the human. Christian philosopher C.S. Lewis speaks to charity love which has several forms. The form that applies here is appreciative love common to all humans. The Christian is to share information and knowledge with others per the Great Commission, Matthew 28:19-20.

In Islam, Surahs 4:15-16, 7:80-82, 26:165-175, 27:55-58, and 29:28-29 reject homosexual conduct and provides for punishment up to the extreme of death for offenders in order to maintain purity of Islam. While many Islamic variants avoid the extreme punishment they still reject the practice implementing other forms of punishment.

Thus, homosexuality is rejected by the monotheistic world-views doctrinally as it is anti-thetical to the theology. Adherents to these world-views will resist acceptance or legitimatization of the practice.

Paganism's Desire to Coexist

Per the Random House Dictionary, Paganism is a religious practice other than the three monotheistic faiths; Judaism, Christianity, or Islam. Paganism includes polytheistic religions, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Pantheism, Wiccan's, Atheism, Agnostics, Secularists etc... The US Supreme Court ruled in 1961, Torcaso vs Watkins,  that secular humanism, atheism, is a religion. The United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled in 2005 that atheism is Constitutionally afforded treatment as a religious belief. Given these rulings and that they are inclusive of a Pagan religion the ruling extends to Paganism as a whole. Thus, Paganism is a religious belief system counter to the monotheistic faiths just as Islam is directly counter to Judeo-Christianity. Unfortunately, there is no scriptural reference or single focal point for paganism other than a common purpose of denying the monotheistic faiths. In general, anything is possible in paganism.

Paganism holds many principles and values counter to the Monotheistic faiths. People practicing Paganism often hold very strong emotional ties to Pagan rituals and express them with evangelical fervor. For example, many Pagan's either believe in or practice homosexual conduct which is antithetical to the monotheistic faiths as already discussed. It is not uncommon for Pagan's to mark their bodies, tattoo and pierce themselves adorning with jeweleries and various symbols often demonic or satanic in nature. Tattooing is not supported in Judeo-Christian belief, Leviticus 19:28. Pagan's often latch onto secular notions of peace which is counter as discussed to the notions of peace in the monotheistic world views. Many Pagan beliefs have their own brand of peace which involve harmony with nature to sexual freedom as an expression as love or peace.

Evolution Theory is often an underpinning of Pagan beliefs as in Pantheism. Two principles hypothesis are Abiogenesis and Speciation which require over 7 epistemic assumptions that undergird the belief in evolutionary processes which are in direct denial of the Judeo-Christian notion of Creationism. Evolution is theory based thinking verses normative thinking. Hence, evolution operates under a ‘revolutionary science’ which calls into question fundamental paradigms then explores the possibilities. The discussion shifts to the theories that become more important than any of the phenomena. Often one discovery or phenomenon will be featured as evidence of the theory vice the normative approach of a repeatable experiments and outcomes to verify the conclusion. Under evolution theory there is a lack of order, repeatable processes or experimentation, and demonstrable outcomes. In short, evolution is said to be ‘deeply complex’ and not fully describable by the proponents. In general, Pagan practice often rejects other views first then seeks an alternative answer. This was the impetus behind Darwin's efforts in his evolutionary operative mechanism of natural selection.

In the Judeo-Christian world-view, this God is sovereign over all of creation including the science. Judeo-Christian beliefs are based on 3 epistemic assumptions and is counter to evolution in that Judeo-Christian God created the universe using mostly doxological arguments as opposed to scientific arguments. In Christianity there may be as many as three different sciences; creation, current, and utopian sciences with distinct switchover points in the Bible. Therefore, arguments between evolution and Christianity do not have the same focal point. Evolution proponents argue from the current science regressed back. Creation proponents argue from either a doxological posture or attempt to regress the current science back finding that difficult since the creation science may have been significantly different. The Judeo-Christian God changed nature in Genesis 3 cursing the ground and introducing the death as a means of payment for rebelling. Christians are not given the science but only the doxological account in Genesis. Moreover, belief in evolution theory is the kind of action that denies the Judeo-Christian God as a creator in Romans 1 leading to homosexual conduct then ultimately a fall from power and/or destruction of a sponsoring nation from this world-view.

The Islamic account of creation is similar to the Biblical account but uses precariously different words. For example, instead of greater and lesser light of the Sun and Moon found in the Bible, the Koran uses torch and light. Yielding different meanings that are thought to be more consistent with scientific understanding today.  Overall, the claim is that the Koran is more consistent with modern scientific discovery about creation than the Bible. 

In the mind of a Pagan, coexistence is the acceptance of their world-view based often on scientific justifications which may be a pseudo-science instead, court rulings, or impassioned insistence on acceptance that may include the passing of laws by sympathetic lawmakers. Paganism imposes itself upon the monotheistic world-views at their expense making Paganism not unlike the Islamic world-view in this matter. Judeo-Christian God does not impose himself upon people in this universe but through systematic implementation of trials and tribulations as well as efforts by the Holy Spirit attempts to convince people to return to him willfully. For example, the Bible discusses how people wander off and squander their inheritance but are are always welcome back; Luke 15:11-32.

Pagan's coexisting with the monotheistic faiths will be a challenge since the common purpose is to deny the monotheistic faiths then demonstrate that through numerous practices anti-thetical to the the monotheistic faiths. 

Taoism's Desire to Coexist

Taoism is a combination of pantheistic, polytheism, alchemy, divination, and magic of Lao Zi as taught by Tao Te Ching. The belief professes a simplistic life in harmony and noninterference with the course of natural events. Taoism is a brand of Paganism having many practices, beliefs, and values antithetical to the monotheistic faiths. Much of the differences have already been covered under the Paganism discussion.

Practices Confounding the Pursuit of Knowledge

All world-views are competitive for domination at the expense of the others in some way, shape, or form. This may be the effort behind the slogan as an operative practice. Perhaps those who gain the most desire to advance their posture through this seemingly innocent yet deceptive mantra to coexist. Getting along requires individuals to investigate other world-views and make rationale decisions based on knowledge and inner callings. However, there are many practices that get in the way of honest investigations.

Information Warfare (IW): This is an expansive discipline that exploits information for dominance in the battle space leveraging doubt, ambiguity, innuendo, and deceit at the core. The discipline involves a number of underpinning disciplines that include psychology, information sciences, and others. The Judeo-Christian Bible is said to be designed to withstand IW. The Bible delivers messages from the Judeo-Christian God. Using a high signal-to-noise ratio, important messages are delivered numerous ways to avoid hostile jamming from outside sources. Believer's are commanded not to lie. The Devil is the great deceiver who employs IW tactics of ambiguity, innuendo, and deceit detailed in the Bible while warring against the Judeo-Christian God. The Devil first used these tactics on Eve in the Garden of Eden when he placed doubt in Eve's mind about the Tree of Life by challenging what God really meant. From the Judeo-Christian world-view, other world-views are designed to disrupt, deny, diminish, deter, deflect, and/or deceive humans from receiving accurate Biblical messages.

Islam is supportive of and utilizes IW declaring Allah to be the supreme plotter; Surah 3:54. Deceit and lying are moral imperatives, Surah 16:106, when dealing with the infidels particularly during the weaken stage of Jihad. The practice is called Taqiyyah. Other Koranic Surahs that compel lying are 3:28, 9:3, 2:225, 66:2, 8:30 and 10:21. The Hadith also encourages lying and deceit (Federer, 2007, pp. 78-80).

Condemnation Without Investigation: The most damaging actions one can take is the assumption that they already have the knowledge or know the truth. This leads to the desire to rose color or filter information and knowledge based on what is thought to be known or on preconceived notions. Leonardo Di Vinci had a principle of sfumatso which means to throw everything up in smoke and re-examine. Condemnation without investigation is the most frequently used by many people usually regarding highly complex or controversial topics. This leads to a coupling of condemnation without investigation to agnosticism or willful ignorance. Some people simply have no interest in knowing or pursuing truth, knowledge, or virtue. In doing so, those who willfully deceive have ready and willing pawns who play into their schemes and deceptions.

Post Modernism: The operative mechanism in post-modernism is relativism. Truth is relative or anything goes. However, relativism fails miserably at resolving issues, questions, and arguments. A basic assumption is that everyone has a right to an opinion or their own truth. No such right is possible if an argument is to be settled. Settling an argument requires one position to be correct and others to incorrect. No one can respect the right to a personal truth or opinion without violating another's right to their personal opinion or truth.

People must re-examine everything from time-to-time. For example, upon discoveries in quantum physics, famed Physicists Richard Feynman quipped that if you think you understand quantum physics then you really do not. Discoveries in quantum physics turned the entire scientific community upside down. Perhaps honest investigation into the various world-views will turn your views upside down.

How does one COEXIST?

Coexistence, in the case of the slogan's proponents, assumes that everyone can keep their competitive beliefs, values, and practices without conflict from the other world-views. Everyone simply gets along. This is not a realistic paradigm as suggested in a world of views competitive for dominance and recognition as legitimate by those opposed.  Humans live among each other in a world where conflicts occur on personal, communal, and national levels. Identities are disparate and competitive in many cases. This is a pipe dream when many of the other world-views formed in direct opposition principally to the monotheistic world-views. For example, Charles Darwin initially set out to determine a view other than creationism. The struggle is not to coexist through tolerance. The battle among world-views is dominance instead of tolerance. Even the secular world-views pleas for tolerance are dominance  of their own world-view instead. 

The proper approach to this conundrum is multi-faceted and requires effort on all parties. People must:

• Resist acting on impulse or emotion. ie it just seems right...
• Resist assuming that the knowledge or truth is already known.
• Study how to discern truth and honest knowledge; Epistemology.
• Broad base your knowledge on the core subjects; math, science, languages, history, etc...
• Study and compare as many world-views as possible.
• Try to step out of the world and look back in order to see a grander picture.
• Try to assume other positions and argue from that point of view.

These actions are the basis for forming a knowledgable position and rightly selecting a world-view to follow. Most people have little time and may not execute all these efforts reasonably well though. Nonetheless, any effort is better than condemnation without investigation or willful ignorance. Is it not better to be rooted in a winning side based on solid knowledge, truth, and virtue?

References:

Numerous resources were used in developing this post. I cited the most prominent and greatest contributions.

Bucaille, M. (1976). The qurán and modern science. French academy of medicine:  Saudi Arabia.

Clendenen, E.R. (2003). Holman illustrated bible dictionary: peace. Holman: Nashville, TN. pp 1261-1262.

El Fadl, K.A. (2004). Islam and the challenge of democracy. Princeton University Press: New Jersey.

El Fadl, K.A. (2002). The place of tolerance in islam. Beacon press: Boston.

Federer, W.J. (2007). What every american needs to know about the quran: a history of islam and the united states. Amerisearch; Saint Louis.

Gabriel, M.A. (2002). Islam and terrorism. Frontline; Florida.

George, T. (2002). Is the father of jesus: the god of muhammad? Zondervan: Michigan.

Johnson, J. A. (2003). Holman illustrated bible dictionary: Homosexuality. Holman: Nashville, TN. pp 777-779.

Lewis, C.S. (1971). The four loves: the much beloved exploration of the nature of love. (2nd e.d.). Mariner books; New York.

Mohler, A.R. (2003). Holman illustrated bible dictionary: sex, biblical teachings. Holman: Nashville, TN. pp 1469-1471.

(2013). Homosexuality and islam. Religion Facts. Resourced May 20, 2013 from:
http://www.religionfacts.com/homosexuality/islam.htm

(2013). History: charles darwin (1809-1882). BBC. Resourced May 21, 2013 from:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/darwin_charles.shtm

(1999). King james: bible commentary. Thomas Nelson Publishers; Nashville.

(2007). The apologetics: study bible. Holman bible Publishers; Nashville, TN.