(Note: The word "using" has been added to the post title since it was first put up because with the addition the title more accurately reflects what the post is about. The parenthesis is there to distinguish between the original title and the new one.)
This morning I was involved in a discussion with someone whom I highly respect concerning the capitalizing of proper names. The issue was raised when I sent a message containing the words “islam,” and “muslim” purposely not capitalized, which I was informed should be capitalized because they are proper names. In reply I explained that this was a method of mine to discountenance these terms and what they describe. My opponent replied that this should never be done as it, in short, is a form of bigotry.
I acknowledge that there is an element of truth to this. And I understand that we need to be careful about the image we project. On the other hand, I think we tend to take things like this too far sometimes. If I say, for instance, that Islam is evil, or it is a false religion, or if I even imply these things about the Muslim faith, then how much more degrading to a devout follower of Islam can describing him as a muslim be?...
What if I call the Devil by the name satan, refusing to capitalize his proper name as an expression of my protest against him and his evil works? What if I refer to Mohammed as mohammed in the context of denouncing his supposed authority and prophethood? In referring to mohammed in this way, is this worse than identifying him as a false prophet, or comparing him with Christ as a 'farthing candle and the Sun,' if that were my choice of expressing it? Are these properly forms of bigotry on my part? To be fair to my counterpart here, I don't think he's objecting to this method of protest because he thinks I'm truly a bigot, but more based on concern for the image that methods like this tend to project. But he may speak for himself on that point.
I admit that I have an extreme dislike of and bias against the Islamic religion because, as I explained to my counterpart, the religion itself makes God out to be a liar and the father of it. It makes the unchangeable God out to be in fact changeable, and allows that he can in fact contradict himself. As most of us know, this is not possible with God, He being pure simplicity with no potentiality; we being complex beings with a great capacity for potentiality (getting better or worse).
I want to make clear that when I refer to Islam or Muslims in the lower case, it's not the people who wrongly accept this false doctrine that I'm objecting to, it is the false doctrine itself, or the religion that I object to in the form of de-capitalizing the proper names. I do the same when I refer to democrats, by that name or by their personal names many times, as many of you are by now thoroughly aware. Does this mean that I'm a bigot toward certain individuals who hold to liberal-democrat beliefs? I guess one could conclude that, yes. But I think that the evidence pretty well shows that it is the belief system I'm protesting against by this method, not the individual holding it.
So, I ask you (and please be honest) am I wrong in this? Do we not risk, in strictly observing the rules laid down by my counterpart with no departure from them allowed, censoring our very defense against the religion of Islam. What I mean is, if we accept that it is simply not allowed under any circumstances to refer to Islam in the lower-case because it seems like bigotry, then what will be our next censorship of an expression of disapproval of the religion of islam?
-DW
12 comments:
Terry,
While I might not do so as often as you do, I've done the same (and I prefer to refer to that religion often times as Mohammedanism, as it used to be referred to historically).
It's funny you bring this up because I've been wrestling with something along these lines for the past few days. I think I'll pick it up over at the AFB...
-MT
Mike,
First, thanks for commenting on this. And if you pick it up at the AFB, let's link the posts together.
There's an element of this that I did not mention in the text of the post that I'm going to here. And that element is the childishness of it. I acknowledge this, and on that basis alone I could probably make a strong case against what I argue for in the post.
But I still want to hear what others say because most who know me well know that I engage in this kind of thing at times just for the fun of it as much as anything.
I understand that sometimes it's necessary to lighten things up a little bit, and I've been known to use that kind of method to do so. On the other hand, there are times when being serious about a subject is essential. So here again we come to the idea of being balanced.
-Terry
Terry,
Just posted it, but I'm hoping you can help edit it to link the posts together, as I just saw your comment now...? Is that just (here I go letting the world know the depths of my ignorance) putting a link in mine to reference your post?
-MT
Well, putting a link in both to reference one-another. It's done now.
-TM
In my use of capitalization I tend to leave out the capital letters in the names that you speak of. I do it to show the lack of respect that I have for the religions such as islam. Now as for it being childish yes I would agree to a point. But I also must consider that we Capitalize words and names like God and Jesus Christ. And we hold them in high regard, and I do not like putting islam and mu hammed on the same level grammatically speaking call me a bigot if you like makes no difference to me. Because God and Jesus Christ are superior across the board.
Anonymous,
We can agree that it is a childish game we play sometimes with this removing the capital letters stuff. I'm not going to call you bigoted for doing it, but I also understand why some would consider it a form of bigotry. The question for me is whether I'm being taken seriously, or whether I want to be taken seriously, and I do.
There's something else here that your thoughts brought to mind. We capitalize Christ and God because they are proper names and the rules of grammar dictate that proper names be so capitalized. The same rules apply to other names like Islam and Mohammed. That's not putting Jesus and Mohammed on the same plane, it's just observing the rules of grammar.
But here's another way in which I've used this capitalization/non-capitalization technique. I can say something like "When Christ was in the world He said..." When I speak of Mohammed in the same terms I might render it "when Mohammed was alive he said..." See what I mean?
Thanks for commenting.
-TM
The usage of the term 'bigotry' is grossly and widely abused. Relaxed standards in today's culture have allowed other words to share the same fate. This reckless or ignorant usage eventually dillutes and contorts our language. It also degrades out culture.
Unless your purposeful lower-casing of certain letters (as I also do) indicates an underlying intolerance of ANY opinion or belief that differs from your own, then your critic is off base.
I agree Larry... but I would also say that the term intolerance is over used and exploited way to much these days. If someone calls me intolerant because I don't capitalize certain words. Or because I don't believe that certain people, illegal immigrants for example should share the same rights and benefits that we do. Then they are being intolerant of my "intolerance" so we both in the end share the same fate.
Yes; anonymous makes a good point about the misuse of the term "intolerance."
We've discussed this before here and at the AFB, and elsewhere, and what it all boils down to is that those who are so fond of railing against what they consider to be 'intolerance' are themselves, many times, the most intolerant people on the face of the earth. Generally they're intolerant of what they perceive to be your intolerance. It all comes down to what one considers to be tolerable. And let's face it, we don't 'tolerate' that which we agree with, we embrace it. So the term "tolerance" implies disagreement. Nothing wrong with disagreeing with someone.
As to your point, Larry, about my critic being off base, I did try to make clear in the entry that he was not actually assigning to me the vicious characteristic of bigotry, he was just pointing out that it can be a form of bigotry and expressing a concern for the impression that it leaves with some. I understand his point there.
Thanks to both of you for commenting.
-Terry
Also, Larry, I do want to make this point clear. While I agree with you that terms like "bigotry" are misused and abused these days by ignorant folk, my critic on this point cannot be said to be ignorant or foolish by any stretch of the imagination.
Indeed, someone of lesser credentials criticizing me in this way would most likely have been taken with a grain of salt. But this person commands my attention and my respect, and that's the whole reason for this post.
Again, I appreciate the thoughts.
-Terry
Interesting discussion. I've used lower-case letters when writing of certain groups but only in more informal situations; I find myself using the correct capitalizations on my blog at least.
To me, it inspires a kind of rebellion in me when I am told I must accord respect to someone or something which I intrinsically do not respect. I was brought up to be civil and polite to all, insofar as they allow it, but to me, respect must be earned and deserved.
I also tend to resist PC naming, for example, when I was growing up, the noun Moslem was used for a follower of Islam. Then it became 'Muslim.' Like Michael, I sometimes use the term Mohammedan, which was also used in earlier times.
I don't like being told that I must use a certain term because someone has decreed that the existing terms are 'racist' or bigoted. I prefer to choose my own words, although I am civil about it.
I do think that respect cannot be demanded; it's a privilege.
-VA
For many years I was careful to correctly capitalize all proper names, including the ones under discussion here. In the past couple of years, I have reversed that position, and I now make it a practice to never capitalize muzlim, izlam (a spelling I consistently use), mexican, and a host of similar words to show that these folks have earned my disrespect. They had to work at it, but they made the effort and they have succeeded. They should not be denied their reward.
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