Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Old Rant: Fanaticism




END FANATICISM!!!!!
            Fanatic: a person filled with excessive and single-minded zeal, especially for an extreme religious or political cause. Synonyms: zealot, extremist, militant, dogmatist, devotee, adherent; sectarian, bigot, partisan, radical, diehard; informal: maniac.  Example: "…a religious fanatic…"        (Google Definition)
            Except in a few cases (maybe mild sports mania), fanatics are bad news for the rest of us. They would die for their beliefs.  Come to think of it, that’s not a bad idea – the sooner the better, as long as they don’t take anyone else with them.
            They warp the space around themselves, pull mentally unstable persons into their sphere of influence, proselytize, and impart their disease to others, especially impressionable children.
            It’s time for the world to declare war on fanaticism.  Not on religion, not on politics, not on sports, but on the overzealous prosecution or deliverance of any message.  It’s okay to believe in something, even to the point of destroying your own health, career, or life, so long as you don’t damage anyone else.
            To this end I am starting the Fanatics Against Fanatics Organization  (FAFO).  Please send me all the money you can spare to jump start the establishment of this institution. 
            Pass this message on to your friends and family.  Help save the world!  If we collect enough money we should be able to isolate each fanatic from the rest of the population.  Possibly, we could place them in sound-proof cages at zoos.  There they will be visible but not intrusive.  Any remaining money will be used to educate the remaining world population in the art of rational discussion and the art of disagreeing without violence, and to use their inherent mental powers to think more rationally.
It has been pointed out by various people that George Washington and the boys at Valley Forge were fanatics, and that the present administration can be considered fanatics, as can anyone who pushes Political Correctness.  The obvious responses are these: 1. Most people consider those who oppose their viewpoint vigorously as the fanatics, not themselves. 2. Just as a FANATIC against fanaticism is still a fanatic and probably deserve to be in the zoo, too.

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