Slave Soldiers and Islam_ The Genesis of a Military System - Daniel Pipes

An

ExplanationofMilitarySlavery 101

thenChrist

diedfor

nothing.

’’1

Among

other

consequences,

thisbeliefhadtheeffectof

withdrawing

religion

from

many

as-

pects

oflifeforChristians;the

emphasisonfaithmadethe

many

regulations

whichdefinedthe

everydaylifeofthe

practicing

Jew

unnecessary.WhileintimetheChurch

builtupabodyof

regu-

lations,theCanonLaw,whichin

some

waysapproachedthoseof

Judaism,

thesenevertouchedon

spheresoflifetotheextent

that

theHalakhadid,in

respect

both

to

quantity

andtobasic

principles.

The

ProtestantReformationincludeda

passionate

denuncia-

tionofthe

regulations

whichhad

proliferatedinCatholicism;

whatevertheir other

differences,

the

Protestants

agreed

on

reemphasizing

the

paramountcy

offaith.

Moreover,therearose

among

Lutheransa

theoryoftenalludedtoasthatof"two

king-

doms,"

oneofGod

andtheotherofthestate.Anindirectconse-

quence

ofthis

theory

wasthe

shrinking

of

religionfrom

being

all-inclusive(aswasthe

Jewish

andMuslim

view)

intoalimited

domainof

worship,personalpiety,

andthelike.Thisreduction

inthe

scope

of

religion

hashada

far-reaching

impact,

not

only

onProtestants,butalsoon

Catholics,Orthodox,

and

evenon

Jews

(sincethelate

eighteenthcentury)

andMuslims

(since

the

latenineteenth

century).TheProtestantethoshasbecomethe

modern

way;

modernmanrestricts

religiontobeliefandfeel-

ing;

heisnotfamiliarwiththe

pervasiveness

and

absoluteau-

thority

of

religiousinjunctions,

ls

Thus,Catholicshave

cometo

view

confessionintermsofits

psychological

value;

Jews

point

outthe

medicaladvantagesofcircumcision;andMuslims

argue

thesocialbenefitsof

banningliquor.

Themodern

personhas

nearlyforgottenthe

originalreligious

mandatethat

established

these

requirements;heistherefore

psychologically

distantfrom

thenotionthat

religioncouldboth

directly

and

indirectly

affect

nearly

all

aspects

oflife;he

isunpreparedforthisbecausehe

looksat
religion

inaProtestant

way.

104.Galatians

2:21.

105.Ouralienationfrom

comprehensivereligioncanbe

compared

toour

alienationfromanimals.Themodern
personno
longer

lives

among

themashis

ancestorsdid,butencountersthem
onlyaspets,
pests,clothing,

andfood.