(Wall Street Journal) James Q. Wilson - Reconciling religion and freedom has been the most difficult political task most nations have faced. The West has mastered this problem, while several Middle Eastern nations have not. Freedom of conscience has made the difference. When the West reconciled religion and freedom, it did so by making the individual the focus of society. When Islam kept religion at the expense of freedom, it did so by making the individual subordinate to society, and the price it has paid has been autocratic governments, religious intolerance, and little personal freedom.
2002-11-15 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive