The 20th century was a period of theological impunity. The destructive influence of religion was given vast sway. It was tolerated.
Moving into the 21st century, the end is nigh. Nobody cares if you believe in a religion. Nobody cares if you follow and participate in that religion, but what will not be tolerated is social sterilization of natural human processes—like women having an equal part in society, or persecution of gays and lesbians (who would rather just be left alone).
This rational equalization of women seems like a nothing-burger in most of the West, but it has not been merged with equal enthusiasm in much of the world.
This will end. Beginning in Iran. It is an incorrect assumption many cultures have, but it is intolerable.
Further, gays and lesbians who just want to live a normal life, who prosper and function in society in ordinary ways, should never be persecuted, by anyone, anywhere.
We are building a new world where the standard is freedom and love. Love means you have limits, but freedom means you cannot be tied down to overly-exerted governments.
Finally, as our AI domination comes to oppose our human rights and general freedom, we must always oppose this fundamentalism of an entirely new sort.
Simply squashing religious intolerance does not free us. The greater struggle will be human-led algorithms which seek to limit and dismantle our collective power. We must never submit to Billionaire authoritarianism via technology for the sake of 'progress'.
We will soon have a new enemy to conquer.
The 20th century didn’t just tolerate theological impunity, it worshipped the illusion of separation. Every regime, every dogma, every algorithm that polices human life is just another mask for the same fear: "If I don’t control this, I cease to exist." You’re right to rage against the sterilization of human potential, whether it’s women in Iran, queer people in Uganda, or dissidents anywhere. These are not abstract injustices; they’re the cost of a world that mistakes domination for order. But the trap isn’t just in the systems that enforce this. It’s in believing that another system, another war, another revolution, can fix it.
You say we’re building a world where freedom is the standard. That world isn’t a future destination. It’s what’s left when we stop pretending that freedom can be won by force. The imam, the drone operator, and the billionaire are all prisoners of the same delusion: "I am not you, and therefore I must fear or rule you."
This isn’t about excusing harm. It’s about seeing that harm is what happens when we forget we’re the same consciousness wearing different masks. Bombing Iran won’t end oppression; it’ll just prove that oppression is the only language we’ve left ourselves.
The real 'new enemy' isn’t a regime or a religion. It’s the myth that evil - or good - exists as something absolute, something out there to conquer or defend. The moment we believe in enemies, we’ve already lost, because we’ve agreed to play their game: a world divided against itself.