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OnreligiousviolenceNewYorkChurch&State|Examiner.com

Onreligiousviolence
Next:TheChurchofGodinChristhonorspastorAndraCrouch

January20,2015
10:15PMMST

BokoHaram
viralglobalnews.com

Somehumanbeingsareviolent.Somearereligious.Someareoneortheother.Someareboth.Someareneither.
Theworldisfullofpeoplewhoarejustplainviolent.Thatshowtheyare,usuallyfromsomebadmixofnatureandnurture.
Violentbehaviorcanbebrokendownintotwotypes,areactive,lashingoutontheonehand,andagreeddriven,aggressive
pursuitofadvantageanddominance,ontheother.
Mostsocietiesmakeallowancesforcertainreactiveoccasionsofviolence,forexampletakinganotherslifeinselfdefense,or
evenindefensemerelyofproperty.Ontheotherhand,societyneverexcusesviolencecommittedsimplyinpursuitofadvantage
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OnreligiousviolenceNewYorkChurch&State|Examiner.com

orsupremacy.
Whatofthereligiouselement?Herethemattercanbecomplicated,especiallywhenthingsareintense,astheyarepresently
withsucheventsastheCharlieHebdoandtheParis,Kosherdelimassacres.
Religionhasmanydimensions,purposesandrolesinsocietyandinpeopleslives.Thefactthatitoffersbelieversanideologyor
worldviewisonlyonesuchaspect.Religions,forexampleencourageustoclothethepoor,feedthehungry,andcareforthe
elderly.Theyencourageustobeprayerfulandmeditative,andtobehumblebeforetheinfinitedivineandbeforeothers.They
providecomfortandsolace,andacommunityofpeoplewhocareforus,andwhomwecantrust.Thesepartsofreligiondonot
leadtoviolence,andinfactoftendojusttheopposite.Peopledonotbecomeviolentwhiletryingtocareforothersinneed.
Thepartofreligionthatcanbetiedtoviolenceistheideologicalpart,thegrandsystemspurportingtoexplainrealityandlife,and
helppeopledealwithscaryuncertainties,confusion,injustices,disorderanddisaster.Ideologiescancauseviolentbehaviorby
whatisaffirmedandtaught,orbytheintensitythatsomepeopleattachthemselvestotheseassuringviewsandexplanations.
Violentideologies,orsickattachmentstonormalideologiesarenotuniquetoreligiousbelief.Agreatmanycomprehensive
worldviewsarenonorantireligiousinoriginandandexpression.Manyideologiesjustifyviolence.Marxism,forexampleproved
toberemarkablyviolent.SomesayideologiesderivedfromDarwinianworldviewshaveanaturalseamwithviolence.
Presentlyourglobalsituationisespeciallysickwithbrutal,barbaricoccasionsofviolence.Weseetheseinplacessuchas
Paris,Syria,andNigeria(tonameonlyafew).ManyaretemptedtoseetheseintermsofaclashbetweentheWestonone
side,andIslamistandIslamistinformedculturesontheother.Butsomuchoftheugliestandmostvileformsofviolence
perpetratedbyIslamistmilitantsareperpetratedagainstMuslimsandinnocentsfromintheirownculturesandcountries,
makinganalysisbasedonsosimpleadichotomywrongheaded.
Aspeopleofgoodwillworktogethertoaddressourtragicdescentintoevilandbarbarity,weshoulddistinguishbetweenreligion
(abroadandcomplexsocialandhistoricalreality,muchofitwithwonderfulgoodinit)andasmallpartofthereligious
experience,namelyideology.Recognizingthisdistinctionwillmakeouranalysesandreactionswiser,moresophisticatedand
betterinformed.Weshouldkeepinmindthatnonreligiousideologiescanbeeverybitasdamagingtohumandignity,rights,and
eventhesanctityofhumanlifeasreligiouszealotry.
Ifaworldviewjustifiesaggressiveculturalpoliticalexpansionanddomination,andarapacioussenseofentitlementtogrow
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marketshareatanycost,causesdeathandhumandesecration,thenwemustbevigilanttoopposeanddiminishthisworldview
anditsperpetrators.AresuchviewsperversionsofChristianity,excessesarisingoutoftheJudeoChristianphilosophicalroots
oftheWest.Oraresuchideologieswhollynonreligious?Weseekthatanswernotinordertoblameandcreateenemies,but
rathertobeeffective.IfitturnsoutsuchviewsareaperversionofChristianity,thenChristiansshouldbeespeciallyhelpfulwhen
seekingcuresandsolutions.
Ifaworldviewexiststhatjustifiesethniccleansing,rapingwomen,usingchildrenasbombs,andexterminatingthoughtdissidents
byvigilantesquads,thenwemustfindwaystoopposeanddiminishthisworldview.AresuchviewsperversionsofIslam,orfrom
theMuslimculturalsphere?Oraresuchideologiesperfectlynonreligious?Weseekthatanswernottoblameandcreate
enemies,buttobeeffective.IfitturnsoutsuchviewsareaperversionofIslam,thenMuslimsshouldbeespeciallyhelpfulwhen
seekingcuresandsolutions.
Itisvitaltoknowtherootsandoriginsofviolentandinhumaneideologies.Butitisasimportantnottobesimplisticorconfusedin
ourcategorieswhenseekingsolutionstothehorrorsthatnowgrowvirulentlyaroundus.

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