how to respond to a religious fanatic
This article was co-authored by Mary Church, PhD and by wikiHow staff writer, Christopher M. Osborne, PhD. [9] Contrary to what Shafer alleges, however, no eyewitness source refers to Crusaders killing native Christians in Jerusalem, and early Eastern Christian sources (Matthew of Edessa, Anna Comnena, Michael the Syrian, etc.) Let your mother know that, as long as she doesnt say anything hurtful, hateful or scary, she is welcome to expose your children to religion as much or as little as she likes. Grant Shafer says, "Jesus of Nazareth is best known as a preacher of nonviolence".[5]. No one is exempt from the risk. PostedNovember 4, 2014 but I'm allowed to give the answer I want to give." "I'm all for . There is something about a group of people connecting with their spirituality in unison that causes an electric response. Followed if needed by, "We're not allowed to talk about it". Consequently, I had trouble making friends outside the most sympathetic circle of gracious believers at my church. I am glad to know its okay to just deal with, "Has helped in many ways to avoid the judgemental verbal opinions of others, and not take any personal offense. Thats why its called faith. Charles Selengut, in his book Sacred Fury: Understanding Religious Violence, said: The Crusades were very much holy wars waged to maintain Christianity's theological and social control. Answer Fanaticism is typically defined as "excessive, irrational zeal." Fanaticism can develop within a variety of different traditions, but this does not mean these traditions are in their very nature fanatical. gives several features which are associated with religious fanaticism or extremism: Ever since Christianity was established, some of those in authority have sought to expand and control the church, often through the fanatical use of force. I advise you all if you see a bearded weirdo in your place of worship - dont hesitate to contact the MI5, CIA, KGB or MIB get them picked up and sent back to whichever planet they belong. Its hard to kick a drug if sobriety means admitting that youre a vile person through and through. What other activities do you enjoy doing outside of church? Once they have finished their thought, thank them for their time. If he/she started an argument about that, just pull yourself out and say you won't argue about faith choices. Genocide or Jesus: A God of Conquest or Pacifism? Thanks for respecting that." Made a list of all persons we had harmed and became willing to make amends to them all. This book doesnt make any sense, and it contradicts itself all over the place! Right, sure. Fanatics are determined to go to any length to prevent women the right to choose, to the point of embracing the unethical Machiavellian practice of the ends justifying the means, as the new Arizona law illustrates. Try promising yourself you wont get annoyed until you hear X number of religious remarks or stories. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. You in turn can invite them to a gathering of others like you. Avoid debate (especially when liquor is involved). Religious fanaticism, or religious extremism, is a pejorative designation used to indicate uncritical zeal or obsessive enthusiasm which is related to one's own, or one's group's, devotion to a religion a form of human fanaticism which could otherwise be expressed in one's other involvements and participation, including employment, role, and partisan affinities. If someone happens to complain that you arent bowing your head during the prayer or showing the proper reverence in some other setting, calmly offer to discuss the topic privately later. But we can play the Gap Game, too. Shaming the addict can make him dig in his heels. Explain to your kids that people have all sorts of religious beliefs, and encourage them to explore and ask lots of questions. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religious_fanaticism&oldid=1135853911, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from January 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Those judgments are not founded on truth or made by the Holy Spirit because most of them don't have the Holy Spirit to help them know the truth. If he insists, walk away. Admittedly, this is a problem. Here are a few religiousgaps: Now its no use for believers to respond, God is mysterious. 6 yr. ago You could just say your beliefs are personal, you don't feel comfortable talking about them, and change this subject back to whatever you were there for. By contrast, only three-in-ten people who are classified as not highly religious (31%) say religion is very important in their lives, and most of the rest (38%) say religion is "not too" or "not at all" important to them. According to Ellens, the al-Qaeda members who took part in the terrorist attacks did so out of their belief that, by doing it, they would "enact a devastating blow against the evil of secularized and non-Muslim America. Just be sure you think it through first, and that youve tried your best to make things work. And if a persons interests center on his or her religion, then allowing them to talk about his or her religion is a really nice thing. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Why is God in the Old Testament such a narcissistic bully, toying with people for his amusement, ordering genocides in which innocent women and children are killed. I have a love-hate relationship with Thanksgiving Day. Here are 10 common ways Christian fanaticism is obstructing American progress: 1.) I tried to do something similar to this by responding with the "it's just what I believe" when I was asked why I'm an atheist. Like so many of us, you became host to a powerful parasite that mutates quickly and has taken over minds throughout human history. That shit will get under anyones skin. 10 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft thanks to Howie Roseman's deft trading skills, and now the Birds have to figure out how best to use that valuable draft capital. Children may go to church every Sunday with their grandparents, but theyll still look to their parents for true religious guidance. How do you deal with religious fanatics? The result can be found in almost every corner of the globe. Please have your Passports Ready. Religious fanaticism, or religious extremism, is a pejorative designation used to indicate uncritical zeal or obsessive enthusiasm which is related to one's own, or one's group's, devotion to a religion - a form of human fanaticism which could otherwise be expressed in one's other involvements and participation, including employment, role, and partisan affinities. And if people can fault us for not reading Aquinas, Augustine, Origen, Tertullian, and modern theologians like Hart and Alvin Plantinga, well, then, why not ask something similar of them? The third level is even worse than the second. [11][12][13], Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian Islamist ideologue and prominent figurehead of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, was influential in promoting the Pan-Islamist ideology in the 1960s. Remember that there's potential for acceptance, and celebration of these differences, because they're all important. Admitted to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. It usually takes around 15-20 minutes to respond. The absolute truths that fanatics latch onto might be religious or political, right-wing or left-wing, Christian or Islamic, libertarian or communist, new age spiritual or old-time religious. How do any believers know for sure that their faith is the right one, especially given the presumed penalty for guessing wrong. [18] The Qutbist ideology has been influential on jihadist movements and Islamic terrorists that seek to overthrow secular governments, most notably Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri of al-Qaeda,[14][15][16] as well as the Salafi-jihadi terrorist group ISIL/ISIS/IS/Daesh. A one on one is pointless since they're not going to regain their senses no matter what transpires. Then he starts pressuring me about looking into Christianity and if I would take a bible with me (he was a youth minister so he had a few with him). "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.". All content copyright original author unless stated otherwise. So what hope is there? Christian rappers responded to Brady Goodwin renouncing his faith in January 2022. "I never mix business and religion. Its also called rationality, which comes from the same root as ratio, to compare, discern, evaluate, judging carefully and humbly in our efforts to find the better bets on how to live. I just felt attacked about something that was completely unprovoked (I didn't have anything on me or my car showing what I believe in) and I just wasn't sure how I should have handled the situation or how I should have reacted. Allow others the opportunity to speak. But before you start stacking up emergency supplies in your bio-shelters, realise that terrorists, the hated enemies of the world, are driven by the same instinct as those who hide from them, namely fear. How to deal with Religious Fanatics : by Outer_Real: Mon Oct 13 2003 at 9:39:44: A Cut-Out-and-Keep Ministry of Information Guide . You should never allow yourself to be pressured into talking about anything you don't feel comfortable talking about. After all, theyre the ones making unevidenced claims about reality, not us. Think of how youd like to be treated if the situation was reversed. Talk to your employer about it. If the person shows up at your door, dont just slam it in their face. As a small thank you, wed like to offer you a $30 gift card (valid at GoNift.com). If God works in mysterious ways, every single supernatural and incongruous event in religious history can be justified. Good point. His peers in Christian rap are responding . Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Over time, I grew to love Uncle John so much that I found it easy to see how God could love him, and I made a point to try to get that across to him. What's needed is an AA-style safe haven for recovering political and religious fanatics, ideologues and absolutists. The greatest gap that ever adduced God was our inability to explain the presence of all the Earths species, and why they seemed so marvelously adapted to their environments. NFL DRAFT. "I recently spent a number of meal times with my wife's (religious) family. But if youre going to end up feeling frustrated or angry or thinking less of the person youre debating, then leave it. Religious fanaticism definition: Fanaticism is fanatical behaviour or the quality of being fanatical. In the religious context, jihad most nearly means "working urgently for a certain godly objective, generally an imperialist one". So I propose that, when debating the religious, nonbelievers start using two tu quoque arguments. If you find it fun to discuss or debate religious beliefs, and can do so respectfully, then have at it. N.p., Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2021. Dont blame the person for all the evils you believe have been done in the name of that religion. And if all else fails, do what most families do and find a third-party to vilify. What I do is, I tell them that people believe different things, and that I wouldn't try to force my believes on them, and ask them to respect me as I respect them. The most obvious might be the feared Al-Qaida terrorists and Taliban militiamen tramping around Central Asia. And if we dont, well, then they wont regard us as serious atheists. Ill tell you what Ill get a couple of girls to meet up with you at my apartment, and they can really show you a thing or two., Before he could describe the thing or two they were going to show me, I launched into a fiery sermon, setting him straight and letting him know where I stood in my quest for purity. Should Christians desire to become martyrs? Atheists Could Learn a Lot from Religious People About How to Win Debates Youtube Religious people and "faitheists"my term for nonbelievers who feel that religion is good for society as a. How To Respond To A Religious Fanatic Because religion is often irrational, arguing about religion is usually pretty pointless. We want so much to encourage our children to have open, meaningful relationships with our loved ones, but we worry our kids will be pressured to believe things that arent true, or may even be harmful. How Religious Ideologies Spread Similar to how organisms and their genes compete for survival in the environment and gene pool, ideas compete for survival inside brains, and in the pool of ideas . Dont Panic! I mean, people didnt know what to do with a guy who was always trying to convert everyone including Christians to Christianity. Official Catholic doctrine, for instance, is that unconfessed homosexual acts doomyou eternal immolation in molten sulfur. How do I respond if a relative asks if I have accepted Jesus as my personal savior? 7. "There were a lot of gods. Long story short I got out of there as quickly as I could. Especially if you are very unfamiliar with the persons religion, search online, read articles, consult books, and consider taking a look at the faiths sacred text(s). 6. No matter what I said to him, he would warmly smile with that twinkle in his eye and say, Youre a good boy, Josh-ah.. Jeremy Sherman, Ph.D., MPP, has a wide research agenda psychology from cradle to grave, lifes origins to our grave situation, grounded in a 25-year close collaboration with Berkeley neuroscientist, biological anthropologist Terrence Deacon. These 14 items were selected after the evaluation of items [6]. [citation needed]. Like a good scientist, an atheist should never be afraid of being proven wrong. It is the normal-functioning man that builds and constructs. They kill innocent bystanders, sometimes by the thousands or millions. This article helped me. And as I listened, I gradually learned that Uncle John was a man of many sorrows, one with a broken life history, a man who was afraid God could never forgive him for all the ways he had failed. What should I do if something like this happens to me again? [.] This is the root cause of religious fanaticism. This is exactly what I should have done. www.subud.org - Official website of the World Subud Association. Let loose on society it's like crack cocaine or alcohol only worse. Approaching religious loved ones adversarially is that part. His eyes sparkled, he flashed a wide grin, and when I finished, he broke into a wheezy smokers laugh and said, Youre a good boy, Josh-ah., In the following years, I managed to alienate a handful of my coworkers I told one guy that his main problem was that he was evil; I strongly insinuated to a couple of others that they were going to hell; and I often yammered on about my faith with little regard for whether my coworkers were even listening. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Seen any good movies lately? Additionally, avoid conflicts by being respectfully quiet during religious activities, such as prayer, and by not trying to push your beliefs on others. When was the last time you changed someones religion by arguing a point really well? Dr. Church holds a BS in Psychology from Eckerd College and an MS and PhD in Experimental Psychology from The University of Memphis. From her parents Maria Theresa inherited not only their noble blood, but also a heart sensitive for the needy. The human body is not designed to withstand the constant emotional stress and narrow-mindedness that fanatical extremism requires. First of all, dont panic! All topics related to atheism, agnosticism and secular living are welcome here. Far more dysfunctional families than your own have been saved simply by identifying a common enemy. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Give them an opportunity to speak. Most of all, they blame the United States of America. Even my religious family members respect and accept me for who I am. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. Let's discuss the question: how to respond to a religious fanatic.We summarize all relevant answers in section Q&A of website Mytholi.com in category: Blog Finance For You.See more related questions in the comments below. There are huge gaps in believers understanding of God, and in those lacunae, I claim, lies strong evidence for No God. And it worked! Careers Workplace and Religion Columnists, Recreation Outdoors and Religion Columnists, Religious Music and Entertainment Columnists, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For more tips, such as how to define what atheism means to you, read on! Fanaticism definition, fanatical character, spirit, or conduct. Consequently, I had trouble making friends outside the most sympathetic circle of gracious believers at my church. If that doesn't help, I just leave them talking to themselves. You can always delay and resume the conversation at another time. Make jokes. In the meantime, the governments of the world are absolutely right to respond to fanatics who turn to terrorism with all necessary force. This is not to say that all or even most of the men and women in the anti-abortion movement are sadists or religious fanatics. The sad fact is that some relationships are not strong enough and never were to withstand the divide caused by religious differences. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible. At age 19, I was a proud, Bible-thumping holy-roller who was on a one-man mission to save the world from sin. If the person is a friend let them know you value their friendship, but feel uncomfortable by them trying to convert you. The majority of religious people are not fundamentalist; the majority of fundamentalists are not fanatics; the majority of fanatics are not terrorists. It's not what they believe that makes them fanatics but how they believe it that they have the final word, no need to consider further evidence, and no need to ever wonder or doubt themselves. When speaking about fanaticism it is necessary to mention the Urelative of the term fandom that has been used primarily in the sphere of entertainment. No one wants to expose kids to the family tension, or say something that will make the the tension even worse. At the end of the day, we all look at the same moon. According to the Syriac Chronicle, all the Christians had already been expelled from Jerusalem before the Crusaders arrived. Fanatics are driven by perpetual fear and emotional suppression. If they insist on continuing, tell them you didn't realize that they were going to insist on talking about religion, excuse yourself, and walk out. Instead, they believe their failure to receive any divine experience is because God has rejected them. But these are all long-term strategies. I once told someone I was a Cathode Follower. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible. Bin Laden's concept, though, is very different from the actual meaning of the term. [28], Violence based on communalistic-ideologies are quite predominant in the Indian subcontinent, especially since the British Raj, even resulting in the partition of British India based on religious lines. was it you did not understand asshole?" An atheist should be someone who is open to asking questions and seeking answers. Christian martyrdom - what does the Bible say? Press J to jump to the feed. All rights reserved. [17] When he was executed by the Egyptian government under the regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ayman al-Zawahiri formed the organization Egyptian Islamic Jihad to replace the government with an Islamic state that would reflect Qutb's ideas for the Islamic revival that he yearned for. Reason is also related to logos, a word with diverse implications over the millennia but related to language, and logic, uniquely human gifts for our ongoing effort to understand the true ways of the world. | He asks me why and I say that it's just what I believe(I wasn't looking to get ino a discussion about it. I'm glad that you agree that this was, perhaps, the optimum behavior. Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. . Try shedding your armor before you walk in the door. I paused for quite a while to be sure of my words. Ergo, there remains good evidence for atheism in the yawning gaps of religious understanding. The Kharijites broke away from both the Shas and the Sunns during the First Fitna (the first Islamic Civil War);[11] they were particularly noted for adopting a radical approach to takfr (excommunication), whereby they declared both Sunn and Sha Muslims to be either infidels (kuffr) or false Muslims (munfin), and therefore deemed them worthy of death for their perceived apostasy (ridda). I live in Brazil and most people here are religious, but like, REALLY religious. Don't blame yourself. It makes them feel good. For example, refrain from saying something like, What makes you think your religion is so much better than others? Instead, try asking, What aspects of your religion set it apart from others? This is a nicer way of asking the same question. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. On their way to conquering the Holy Land from the Muslims by force of arms, the crusaders destroyed dozens of Jewish communities and killed thousands because the Jews would not accept the Christian faith. Fanatics, ideologues, and absolutists are humanitys greatest scourge. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. We all have different sensory capabilities and process information differently. A lot of my fanaticism was fueled by a fear that God didnt like me, that He was an angry, cosmic king who delighted in sending failing subjects into eternal torment. Psychiatry professor Dr. Harold Koenig, from the Medical Center in Dukes University, North Carolina, studies the . If they did maybe they would be a bit smarter than they actually are. [26] The word jihad in Arabic means 'struggle'. I rest my case. If you think of another point youd like to make, dont put yourself back into a bad situation. If, on the other hand, we wish to tackle the causes of terrorism, the only conventional means to do this would be to reduce the fear and insecurity resulting from the process of modernity. His tangent has taken away his joy of walking with Jesus, as well as the joy of fellowship with others in the body of Christ. For example, respond to the question, What religion are you? with I watch football every Sunday, but my mom says thats not a religion. It is not Us whom they fear, or at least not to start with. Fundamentalists do not obsessively focus upon dogma and ritual because God came to them and told them that was His will. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. The Reformation set off a chain of sectarian wars between the Catholics and the sectarian Protestants, culminating in the wars of religion. You can say I am feeling disrespected right now and am going to take myself out of this situation.. Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world. [10] The driving force of the Inquisition was the Inquisitors, who were responsible for spreading the truth of Christianity. Well, youre that football, Uncle John, and Hes the quarterback. Im lucky to have a supportive family. Fanatics drive through life like alcoholics driving under the influence. 5. Let's keep this to the business at hand.". They were cleansing this world, God's temple". 15 Colas 1997, p. xix. Tell them to go suck a bag of dicks but, you know, more nicely. RTS symptoms can negatively affect cognitive ability, emotional development, socialization, and culture. Try to open your mind, without judgment, to the variability of human perception. A Heart for the Missions. Fear is a lack of faith. For example, I am feeling attacked right now. All your friends don't need to be atheists. This is a breaking news story. Give a measured, calm response, or none at all if you so choose. I do polite first, nice second, then blunt, then I go to asshat mode. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Religious fanatics make frequent judgments on other people who are better off than they are spiritually. Religious people and faitheistsmy term for nonbelievers who feel that religion is good for society as a wholehave been using a new strategy against atheists. And our own tacticis far superior to God-of-the-gaps arguments, since the gaps in science grow smaller as we learn more (neuroscience is one example).
