Courage Of Convictions

     Politicians seldom have it. Presidential candidates almost never do. Ben Carson does:

     Needless to say, the entire press corps jumped down Dr. Carson’s collar at once. So did all the Muslim-mouthpiece groups. Yet his statement is logically impeccable:

• Islam forbids its adherents to have any allegiance other than Islam.
• Islam sanctifies the most brutal imaginable maltreatment of the “unbeliever.”
• Islam demands that Muslims work to make Islam the only accepted religion on Earth.
• Islam encourages lying (taqiyya and kitman) in service to Islam.
• Islam demands that all Muslims support jihad -- the use of violence, subterfuge, and any other means expedient – to advance Islam’s political hegemony over all peoples.

     Thus, Islam is incompatible with the Constitution of the United States. Indeed, adherence to Islam virtually guarantees that if an Islamic state were to strike America, Muslims in this country would support the enemy.

     Think about that in the light of Iran’s rush toward nuclear arms.

     But of course, “no religious test” and all that. Which compels me to ask a few questions:

• If Hitler had explicitly called Nazism a religion, would you be willing to have a Nazi as president?
• If Stalin had explicitly called Communism a religion, would you be willing to have a Communist as president?
• Were the Vatican to adopt the five Islamic dictates mentioned above – were the pope to declare them Catholic doctrine, ex cathedra from the Throne of St. Peter, and invoke papal infallibility to place them beyond question – would you be willing to have a Catholic as president?

     Take your time. Of course, a lot of people would respond to the above questions by saying something to the effect of “calling an ideology a religion doesn’t make it a religion.” That’s true, but the implication is that a belief system must fit a particular definition to qualify as a religion. What is that definition? What particular characteristics – what genus and differentia – must an ideology possess to qualify as a religion?

     Not sure? That’s a pity. The IRS is sure. Ask ‘em.

     I’ve wondered for quite some time whether Dr. Carson might be the outsider to watch – the man we’ve been looking for to help us escape the grip of the political class. I understand that he holds some positions unpalatable to conservatives, particularly on gun control. After this, I intend to look more closely at him. As I’ve written before, character is trumps, because the possessor of a sound character will recognize and admit his mistakes, and will work to correct them. Dr. Carson, whatever one might say about his lack of political experience, appears to have character. Stay tuned.