Why call yourself a "heretic"?
OP - November 21, 2011, 02:42 PM
A heretic, according to my understanding, is simply someone who does not agree with the majority. So if such a person as the Jesus of the Christian gospels existed, then surely that Jesus was a heretic!
Often, in Islamic history, those who were executed as "heretics" were not preaching anything bad, but were termed "heretics" because the truths they expressed were simply inconvenient to Orthodox power-structure.
To to be orthodox or to heretical, surely, has nothing to do with the dissenting individual being right or wrong and much more to do with whether the majority opinion is correct or merely convenient to the current power structure.
So why not call yourself a "heretic" if you think "Shalom", "Peace" and "Salaam" are all wonderful words for a wonderful idea but you can't cope with the sanctified sectarianism?
And when I read death threats against such as Irshad Manji, calling her a heretic, I think that I'm flattering myself calling myself a "heretic". Although I would not call Irshad Manji a "heretic" because I do not want to incite Islamists against her, I think that she is a heretic in the noble sense of the word which is speaking truth to power.
"And you, you are a fantasy, a view from where you'd like to think the world should see, just be true, and you will likely find a few building a vision, doing justice to our times."
Roy Harper, addressing the doorstep evangelists, dawa-doers and other self-appointed representitives.