Religion And Violence

Religion And Violence Religion can be a transformative force toward peace as well as war. (R. Scott Appleby, The Ambivalence of the Sacred: Religion, Violence, and Reconciliation, Rowan & Littlefield, 2000) Religion is the most dangerous energy source known to mankind. The moment a person (or government or religion or organization) is convinced that God is either ordering or sanctioning a cause or project, anything goes. The history, worldwide, of religion-fueled hate, killing, and oppression is staggering. Eugene Peterson, The Message (from the introduction to the book of Amos). Reflections from: Jessica Stern, Terror in the Name of God, Why Religious Militants Kill (Harper Collins,2003). The religious terrorist s moral error is partly his impatience (his zealotry). Taking the law into their own hands; not waiting for the institutions of society to deal with the perceived injustices. Common tendencies among terrorists: To focus on a single value to the exclusion of others; To use morally unacceptable means to address genuine grievances or achieve defensible goals; Philosophers traditionally identify three kinds of evil: Moral evil suffering caused by the deliberate imposition of pain on sentient beings; Natural evil suffering caused by natural processes such as disease or natural disaster; Metaphysical evil suffering caused by imperfections in the cosmos or by chance, such as a murderer going unpunished as a result of random imperfections in the court system. (Stern, xxiii) The use of the word evil to describe such disparate phenomena is a remnant of pre- Enlightenment thinking, which viewed suffering (natural and metaphysical evil) as punishment for sin (moral evil). (Stern, xxiii) Religion has two sides one that is spiritual and universalist, and the other particularist and sectarian. We should not turn away from this dangerous aspect of religion in an attempt to remain uncontaminated. We must recognize the seductiveness of sectarianism to understand the extent of the danger. Religious terrorism attempts to destroy moral ambiguities. 1

Religious terrorists commitment to a religious idea or a religious group leads them to dehumanize their adversaries to a degree that they become capable of murder. They start out with the intention to purify the world of some evil, but end up committing evil acts. What is so deeply painful about terrorism is that our enemies, whom we see as evil, view themselves as saints and martyrs. Writing this book has helped me to understand that religion is a kind of technology. It is terribly seductive in its ability to soothe and explain, but it is also dangerous. Convents such as the one I visited as a child may make good people better, but they don t necessarily make bad people good. They might even make bad people worse. (xxvii) Although we see them as evil, religious terrorists know themselves to be perfectly good. To be crystal clear about one s identity, to know that one s group is superior to all others, to make purity one s motto, and purification of the world one s life work this is a kind of bliss. This is the bliss offered to those who join religious terrorist groups. Participants in the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the kamikaze suicidebombings raids all understood the appeal of purifying the world through murder. It is a bliss I have seen among the terrorists described in this book. The powerful yearning for bliss cannot be denied if we are to fight terror in the name of God, the gravest danger we face today. (Stern, xxviiixxix) Jessica Stern, Terror in the Name of God, Why Religious Militants Kill (Harper Collins,2003) Alienation Humiliation Demographics History Territory Inspirational Leaders and Their Followers Lone-Wolf Avengers Commanders and Their Cadres The Ultimate Organizations: Networks, Franchises, and Freelancers Conditions in which Religion Becomes Terroristic The group in question conceives of itself not as attacking but as defending. It represents a culture or idea which is itself being threatened. All other avenues of protest or selfprotection seem to be closed. The group feels on the edge of calamity. A crisis of weakness and despair. 2

In their despair, the group finds hope and consolation in the promise of religious victory. God is on their side; they cannot lose. This provides an eschatological dimension for their cause. They are only a small part of the battle between good and evil and God (their cause) will eventually win. The group of activists, often few in number, is supported by a wider circle of believers who see the world similarly. John Hull, Religion and Terror in the Modern World. www.johnmhull.biz/religion&terror.htm Religious violence is not limited to but seems to be more prominent in Monotheistic religions. Some even argue that violence is inherent within religion, especially Monotheism. In the OT there is a tension between the justice of God and his punishment of sin and his love and grace. As human beings we struggle to keep the tension between these two aspects of God in a healthy balance. Especially is this true in a world that is so diversified and different from what it was intended to be (a fallen world). Our struggle is to know how to apply God s love and grace in a fallen world. [Christianity s] early history was characterized by a fairly strict form of pacifism. That approach slowly gave way to an acceptance of violence in defense of the innocent. And sadly, some Christian leaders eventually came to advocate force against heretics and infidels, and even total war in the interest of defending and expanding the faith. Roland Bainton, Christian Attitudes toward War and Peace. Abingdon Press, 1960. [Cited by David L. Perry, Killing in the Name of God: The Problem of Holy War. ] www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/ethicalperspectives/perry.html religious violence can take on a particularly intense and ruthless character, if the objects of that violence are seen as blaspheming or insulting God, as the enemies of God or God s way narrowly conceived. Religions Ranked by Propensity toward Violence http://www.roadtopeace.org/resources/great_religions/religion_and_violence.htm Internet reports of or articles about the use of violence within these religions. Religion Judaism Islam Christianity Events 255 16653 2044 Adherents Millions 14 1300 2000 Events / Million 18.21 12.81 1.02 David L. Perry, Killing in the Name of God: The Problem of Holy War. ] www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/ethicalperspectives/perry.html Buddhism Sikhism Atheism 319 10 135 360 23 850 0.89 0.43 0.16 Hinduism 55 900 0.061 Confucianism 12 225 0.053 3

Monotheism Compared With Eastern Religions http://www.roadtopeace.org/resources/great_religions/religion_and_violence.htm Religion and Atheism Rank For Violence Normalizing the rank order to Atheism = 1. Shows monotheism to be multiples more violent than atheism. Belief System Monotheism Eastern Religions Atheism Events 18952 396 135 Adherents Millions 3314 1508 850 Events / Million 5.7 0.26 0.16 Belief Events / Religion System and Atheism Million Rank For Violence Monotheism 35.6 Eastern Religions Atheism 1.62 1.0 Stages of Terrorism Mark Juergensmeyer A world gone awry. The process begins with real problems Israeli occupation of Palestine; corruption of governments; US military presence in Mid. East Most people are able to cope with such situations. Some rebel politically and culturally. A few take these situation with ultimate gravity and perceive them as symptoms of a world gone badly awry. The foreclosure of ordinary options. Most join in political or social campaigns to make changes. Even if changes are not made, they persist with the expectation that eventually changes can be made through ordinary means. The few who are part of cultures of violence see no possibility of improvement through ordinary channels. The frustration is seen as the potential for personal failure and a meaningless existence. Satanization and cosmic war. For those in despair and hopelessness, religion provides a solution: cosmic war. Opponents are satanized and regarded as forces of evil. The world begins to make more sense. They now know who has been behind their humiliation and dismal situation. Hope now exists because God is with them and they will win, even against tremendous odds. Symbolic acts of power. Performance of acts that display symbolically the depth of the struggle and the power they think they have. Private rallies, public demonstrations, newsletters, books, flaunting weapons, developing communication systems, creating alternative governments with courts and cabinets, etc. More dramatic and desperate situations sometimes result in violent acts terrorism either isolated acts or part of a protracted state of guerrilla war. (Mark Juergensmeyer, Terror in the Mind of God, The Global Rise of Religious Violence, 3 rd ed. Rev. University of California Press, 2003, p. 188.) 4

Why Religions Sometimes Promote Hatred, Animosity, and Intolerance www.religioustolerance.org "My son, always respect and honor the other fellow's point of view. Unless it's different from yours, of course." "The earth is flat, and anyone who disputes this claim is an atheist who deserves to be punished." Hagar, in the Hagar comic strip for 1999-MAR-3: Sheik Abdel-Aziz Ibn Baaz, Supreme religious authority, Saudi Arabia and author of a Muslim religious edict, 1993: Religion generates strong personal commitment and passion Expressed as: caring, love, respect, support for others Motivates people to dedicate their lives to helping others Can also motivate people to reject and hate others can escalate into actions of oppression or worse Several factors contribute to the hatred and intolerance Truth claims Us vs. them phenomenon Linking religion and nationalism Collective responsibility Fear of the other Truth claims They alone have the complete truth All others are in various degrees of error Their group represents God on Earth Us vs. Them phenomenon All major religions teach an Ethic of Reciprocity (the golden rule) Many people limit the application to their fellow believers only Based on a dualistic perspective of the world My side is the good side; the other side is evil 5

Linking religion and nationalism Many people closely link their religion with their nationality "No, I don't know that Atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God." (George H.W. Bush: (R) as Presidential candidate on 1987- AUG-27) Collective responsibility The responsibility of one person or small group can be transferred to all people in the same race, religion, gender, etc. Responsibility across generations An entire group is held responsible for an event that happened generations ago (hundreds or even thousands years ago) Fear of the other We are conditioned to be cautious toward people who are different from ourselves. Feeling uncomfortable toward those other people is a natural extension of this fear. This fear can lead to rejection or worse. 6