Abuse in religion does not arise only from its connection with the state. Ordinary people also fall into religious fanaticism.
Part II of this article focused on religion’s relationship with state institutions. Historically, this link has been responsible for most of the crimes, injustice, and suffering carried out by followers of various religions. This, however, is not the whole picture. Religious individuals themselves, even without political ties, often become the cause of harm to others. This additional section will discuss some harmful attitudes frequently found within religious circles.
Bigotry
The word bigotry has several meanings. One of them refers to excessive zeal in religious practice. Zeal is not necessarily harmful, but without self-control it can easily lead to extremes. This can take different forms. One example is moral rigorism and obsessive attention to detail, which often results in criticising others within the same religious community for not following the rules strictly enough.1 At times, people who show such bigotry do not observe these rules themselves and may even commit serious sins, which leads to hypocrisy.
The term bigotry also carries another meaning. It denotes intolerance and open hostility towards other social or religious groups. This often results in discrimination on various grounds, including sex, ethnicity, religion, race, or social class. Such behaviour stems from the tendency of bigoted individuals to divide people into categories of ‘us’ and ‘them’. Naturally, ‘we’ are seen as good, while “they” are regarded as bad or inherently inferior.2 Although discrimination does not always lead to violence, it unfortunately lays the groundwork for it.
Religious fanaticism
This brings us to phenomena such as fundamentalism, fanaticism, and religious extremism. Religious fundamentalism is often connected with nationalism. This is evident in the current war between Israel, led by a strongly right-wing government, and Hamas, an Islamist terrorist group that controls the Gaza Strip. Christian terrorism also exists and is usually linked to white supremacist movements. One example is the terrorist attack in Christchurch, New Zealand, on 15 March 2019. On that day, Australian national Brenton Harrison Tarrant opened fire in two Muslim institutions, killing 51 people.3
Tarrant was known as a ‘lone wolf.’ There are also terrorist groups that operate in the name of various religions. In addition to Hamas, the most well-known Islamist organisations include Al-Qaeda, responsible for the attack on the World Trade Center in New York on 11 September 2001, as well as Hezbollah, the Taliban, the Islamic State, and Boko Haram. Christian terrorist groups include the Ku Klux Klan and the Lord’s Resistance Army in Uganda. These groups remain on the margins of Christianity.
Sects
When discussing harmful religious groups, it is important to mention sects. What causes a religious movement to be regarded as a sect, particularly a destructive one? Such groups are often led by highly charismatic individuals who are able to persuade others of the group’s supposed uniqueness. According to Dr Steven Hassan’s BITE model, sects exert four forms of control: behavioural, informational, cognitive, and emotional.4 These methods result in the complete and unquestioning submission of followers to the leader. As a consequence, members may become willing to make extreme sacrifices for them, including taking their own lives or carrying out serious crimes and acts of violence.
The term sect should be applied with caution. Not every new religious movement displays the defining features of a sect, and even those that do may not fully meet the criteria for such a classification, although their practices may still cause harm. The boundaries are often unclear. Some of the most notorious destructive sects include the People’s Temple, Heaven’s Gate, the Order of the Solar Temple, the Branch Davidians, Charles Manson’s ‘Family,’ and Aum Shinrikyo. Some of these groups were responsible for mass suicides, while others engaged in murder and acts of terrorism. In many cases, such as that of the Church of Scientology, the social and religious demands placed on members can be oppressive, often resulting in serious mental health problems.
Not just a religious issue
Those who believe that fanaticism, terrorism, and sects exist only within religion are mistaken. These patterns also appear in politics and even in economics. They tend to arise wherever a fixed and complex worldview is promoted and where there is any risk of psychological manipulation. This is why we find examples such as the communist terrorist group Shining Path in Peru, multi-level marketing companies with sectarian traits like Amway, and secular self-help sects such as the now-defunct NXIVM.
Richard Dawkins, who initiated the New Atheism movement, has also faced criticism for creating what some have described as a cult of personality. Although atheism is not a religion, just as theism on its own is not, New Atheism, with its social aims and limited set of core beliefs, is often viewed as ideological or even quasi-religious. The movement has been accused of proselytism, fundamentalism, and right-wing intolerance. These criticisms have come even from moderate atheists who increasingly wish to distance themselves from figures like Dawkins and Harris.6
Judge righteously (John 7:24)
The word religion may have more than one origin. One possible source is Lactantius, who derived it from the Latin religare, meaning ‘to bind’.7 This can be understood as binding people through shared beliefs. It can also be seen as forming connections, both with a higher power, such as God, and with others who share the same faith. As with any form of connection, these relationships can become complex, and both those who cause harm and those who suffer it are vulnerable to abuse.
It is not surprising, then, that many crimes have been committed in the name of religion. Crimes, however, have also been committed in the name of resources, money, love, honour, power, philosophy, ideology, and even science when it has been misunderstood. The real source of evil is not religion or God but human beings and the corruption of the human heart. If we were to judge justly, as Jesus Christ taught, we would also have to remove love, power, money, and perhaps even humanity itself, alongside religion, as the New Atheists suggest. As long as people exist, there will always be wrongdoing of one kind or another. Still, it is possible to use all these gifts in a balanced and constructive way. This is what God truly desires for us through Jesus Christ.8
By the way, we recommend reading the articles:
- Archaeological Discoveries in Galilee Confirming Biblical Accounts
- The Quipu: Knotted Strings That Testify to Ancient Intelligence
- Lost Paradise – Did It Actually Exist?
- Was Jesus Christ a Historical Figure?
- Blue Eyes – Mutation or Common Genetic Variant?
Footnotes
- PWN Encyklopedia (n.d.) ‘Bigoteria’. Available at: https://encyklopedia.pwn.pl/haslo/bigoteria;3877598.html
- Oliver, T. (2020) ‘Is racism and bigotry in our DNA?’, The Conversation, 2 April. Available at: https://theconversation.com/is-racism-and-bigotry-in-our-dna-135096
- BBC News (2020) ‘Christchurch mosque attack: Brenton Tarrant sentenced to life without parole’, 27 August. Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-53919624
- Freedom of Mind Institute (n.d.) ‘BITE Model’. Available at: https://freedomofmind.com/cult-mind-control/bite-model/
- Brown, A. (2014) ‘The bizarre – and costly – cult of Richard Dawkins’, The Spectator, 16 August. Available at: https://www.spectator.com.au/2014/08/the-bizarre-and-costly-cult-of-richard-dawkins/
- Jones, O. (2013) ‘Not in our name: Dawkins dresses up bigotry as non-belief – he cannot be left to represent atheists’, Independent, 9 August. Available at: https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/not-in-our-name-dawkins-dresses-up-bigotry-as-nonbelief-he-cannot-be-left-to-represent-atheists-8754183.html
- Forward (2007) ‘Roots of “Religion”’, 25 May. Available at: https://forward.com/news/10776/roots-of-religion/
- The Bible, New King James Version, 1982, Galatians 5:22-23.
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