Typically, one is most at odds with heretics -- those things, people, animals -- closest to us but not close enough. Also those close to us but not close enough are close enough to fight with. This explains at least in part why domestic disturbance calls are worst for police officers. It's hard to get riled about a religion that is as distant in beliefs and practices -- as say Buddhism is to a Methodist -- as it is for, say, different wings of the Episcopal church to fight over the role of homosexuals in the clergy. You fight with your neighbors -- not the guy in the next subdivision -- largely because they are most available to fight with. Regrettably, Islam, Christianity, Bahia and Judaism...

Typically, one is most at odds with heretics -- those things, people, animals -- closest to us but not close enough. Also those close to us but not close enough are close enough to fight with. This explains at least in part why domestic disturbance calls are worst for police officers. It's hard to get riled about a religion that is as distant in beliefs and practices -- as say Buddhism is to a Methodist -- as it is for, say, different wings of the Episcopal church to fight over the role of homosexuals in the clergy. You fight with your neighbors -- not the guy in the next subdivision -- largely because they are most available to fight with. Regrettably, Islam, Christianity, Bahia and Judaism are all in the same ideological and and physical neighborhood. In support of this thesis look at what the Taliban did to ancient and revered Buddhist sites when they were "in the neighborhood" in Afghanistan -- an except that proves -- or at least supports the rule......