how to respond to a religious fanatic
[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. 7 Tips for Dealing with Religious Relatives | Wendy Thomas Russell Sooner or later, they will all burnout from the strain, or else get bored, give up and find a hobby. No one wants to expose kids to the family tension, or say something that will make the the tension even worse. 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. T. With the Draft a month and a half away, many fans are zeroing in on ideal targets with the No. Dr. Mary Church is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist based in Honolulu, Hawaii. He knew how straight-laced I was, and that was probably the reason he enjoyed making these kinds of comments on a regular basis. A Cut-Out-and-Keep Ministry of Information Guide. Take this seriously. It will almost never change minds. Talk to your employer about it. By using our site, you agree to our. Moran, Sen Farrell, "Patrick Pearse and Patriotic Soteriology," in Yonah Alexander and Alan O'Day, This page was last edited on 27 January 2023, at 07:23. Otherwise, youll come across as aggressive, which will likely lead to conflict. 16 Bryan, D. Fanatics, Mobs and Terrorists: The Dynamics of Orange Parades in Northern Ireland. You dont have to convert to their religion or share their beliefs, but you will certainly learn something new. For example, if your religious friends start to discuss their church activities try saying, Thats great youre so involved in your church. Ergo, there remains good evidence for atheism in the yawning gaps of religious understanding. [11] The original schism between Kharijites, Sunns, and Shas among Muslims was disputed over the political and religious succession to the guidance of the Muslim community (Ummah) after the death of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. How do any believers know for sure that their faith is the right one, especially given the presumed penalty for guessing wrong. Missionary Sisters of St. Peter Claver of North America Last Updated: January 12, 2023 The best single way I can think of would be to end injustice. Just sit it out and wait for the subject to change. Since you know what to expect, you should prepare a short list of rules that YOU must follow. Construction and Validation of the Religious Fanaticism Scale in PR There are huge gaps in believers understanding of God, and in those lacunae, I claim, lies strong evidence for No God. Its 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 again. 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. At age 19, I was a proud, Bible-thumping holy-roller who was on a one-man mission to save the world from sin. Ongoing thats how science practices reason. Think of how youd like to be treated if the situation was reversed. Truth should be your ultimate goal. Steffen[who?] Religionists often float God-of-the-gaps arguments, saying that evidence for God lies in the intersticesof our scientific understanding. This is exactly what I should have done. So what can be done? Not a chance. How to deal with religious fanatics - Quora This is a pioneer research whose main goal is to explore the levels of religious fanaticism with an adult sample of five different religious denominations in Puerto Rico using a pioneer scale entitled Religious Fanaticism Scale (RFS). Christian martyrdom - what does the Bible say? [8], Shafer adds that, "When the crusaders captured Jerusalem in 1099, they killed Muslims, Jews, and native Christians indiscriminately". He had no idea how badly I needed to hear that. So what hope is there? I sat there quietly without bowing my head or closing my eyes. First, let the person know that his/her words or actions are hurtful, and that your beliefs are very personal and important to you. This will help you better understand where the other person is coming from, and will help you to generate questions about their faith. Like good debaters, they aim to put us on the defensive, insisting that we deal with this or that Deep Theological Book (the latest must-read is David Bentley Harts The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss), or we answer this or that argument, or we read every sophisticated theologian in the history of Christianity. My relaxed attitude made all the difference, and the trips always exceeded by expectations. 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. Make eye contact and focus on what the person is saying. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. If I resolved not to get stressed until she had three meltdowns, for instance, I didnt exhaust myself trying so damn hard to prevent just one. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm good.". For example, refrain from asking, Why are Christians so crazy? Youre not only generalizing, but youre backing the person into a corner, as they couldnt possibly begin to answer your question. (For semantic precision by "fundamentalist" I mean a person favouring strict observance of their own religious doctrine to the exclusion of all other sources of moral guidance. How To Respond To A Religious Fanatic Either the dogma and rhetoric is too thick to see through, or the religious belief has becomes intertwined with out-and-out bigotry. Sustained reason is just the hard work that addiction to fanaticism frees us from. . 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. Try to open your mind, without judgment, to the variability of human perception. Why cant he keep kids from getting cancer, or stay the waves of tsunamis? Avoid the person and focus on those who accept you for who you are. Okay, so youve been disrespected, condescended to, verbally attacked or even threatened. You should never allow yourself to be pressured into talking about anything you don't feel comfortable talking about. You need to understand why they have chosen to radicalize their parishioners. he Eagles hold the No. I tell him I'm an atheist. Religious Fanaticism and Communalism - JSTOR Its message is, "Yes, youre a wreck and have done real damage. Remember that there's potential for acceptance, and celebration of these differences, because they're all important. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Weve learned though, that treating alcoholics as criminals doesnt help us or them. 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\n<\/p><\/div>"}. I do polite first, nice second, then blunt, then I go to asshat mode. It is more widely appreciated in religions today that an actual contact with God's power is the true source of good behaviour. If you have an especially vocal family, and find yourself getting stressed out easily, you may need to lower your expectations a bit. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 1) Never, never, never, never, never, argue in an attempt to disprove The sad fact is that some relationships are not strong enough and never were to withstand the divide caused by religious differences. Consequently, I had trouble making friends outside the most sympathetic circle of gracious believers at my church. Explain to your kids that people have all sorts of religious beliefs, and encourage them to explore and ask lots of questions. Religious sadists just want to see women suffer - Raw Story Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. Jerry A. Coyne is a professor of Ecology and Evolution at The University of Chicago. For more tips, such as how to define what atheism means to you, read on! Whether theyre the leaders or the followers, fanatics are people who indulge in a heady, intoxicating, and toxic concoction of self-affirming, know-it-all confidence that they have unique access to absolute truths, truths so perfect that they have to impose them on everyone. The kind of response that one Sunday led to our entire congregation lining up, and, at the touch of a remarkably dynamic worship leader, falling to the floor like dominoes slain, as we were, in the spirit. But we also have another ace in the hole: Make atheism-of-the-gaps arguments. 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. What is the best way to evangelize someone who is in a cult or false religion. All rights reserved. I'm glad that you agree that this was, perhaps, the optimum behavior. How do I respond if a relative asks if I have accepted Jesus as my personal savior? What's needed is an AA-style safe haven for recovering political and religious fanatics, ideologues and absolutists. [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. Something happened to me the other day that made me feel pretty uncomfortable and I felt like I had no idea how to respond. The Effects of Religious Fanaticism on Mental Health In the race for Alabama governor, an advertisement bankrolled by the state teachers' union attacked candidate Bradley Byrne because he supposedly supported teaching evolution. Many Christians were killed for having rival viewpoints. "I never mix business and religion. Now is not the time to be planning your next question or trying to look up something on your phone. 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 . A one on one is pointless since they're not going to regain their senses no matter what transpires. Left Eye Twitching for Females: What Astrology Says About Eye Twitching, How to Use Angel Numbers for Manifestation. It must be pointed out that fanaticism is not related to religion; it is related t6 human psychological type. [11] From their essentially political position, the Kharijites developed extreme doctrines that set them apart from both mainstream Sunn and Sha Muslims. Evangelical Fanatics and the Damage They are Doing This book doesnt make any sense, and it contradicts itself all over the place! Right, sure. 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. Fundamentalists do not obsessively focus upon dogma and ritual because God came to them and told them that was His will. Falling in love with someone's musical taste, Expecting your wedding to be the happiest day of your life. 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 . In the meantime, the governments of the world are absolutely right to respond to fanatics who turn to terrorism with all necessary force. Religious Fanaticism in Puerto Rico: An Interdenominational Pilot Study Fanaticism Is a Disease Like Alcoholism | Psychology Today When he first brought up Jeebus I would have said, "I don't like talking about such a private matter as religion. Official Catholic doctrine, for instance, is that unconfessed homosexual acts doomyou eternal immolation in molten sulfur. Tell them its okay to believe in God or not believe in God, and that people have lots of different ideas about how the universe was made and what happens after we die. The human body is not designed to withstand the constant emotional stress and narrow-mindedness that fanatical extremism requires. Grace was said at the start of some, "Praying in public. People's views become extreme when they feel they are being treated unfairly. 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. People like that owe you nothing. Why didnt Jesus return during his followers lifetime, as he promised? And so they proceed to blame everyone and everything else in the world, save themselves. Avoid debate (especially when liquor is involved). Looking back, I suppose the most remarkable thing about those conversations was how little I talked about Jesus not because I was avoiding the topic, but because for once in my young adult life, I was listening. They kill innocent bystanders, sometimes by the thousands or millions. Thats why its called faith. To comprehend religious fanaticism, it is crucial to understand the basics of religion and spirituality. When everyone is safe, secure, fed, and content. I rest my case. 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. Led by a member of the quorum or class presidency; 10-20 minutes. Making our society less materialistic, reducing poverty and the commercialisation of sex, would give fanatics less of a reason to hate the West, as well as being very desirable policies for their own sake. In contrast, the gaps in theism never narrow. 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. The argument-from-gaps depends, of course, on the claim that science will never be able to explain these things, but that makes the argument vulnerable to unforeseen advances. Admitted to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs. The Haynals write: "The dictionary defines a fanatic as someone with excessive and single minded zeal. In the end, religion, despite centuries of theologizing, hasnt begun to provide credible answers to the goddy puzzles above. Thats unconscionable. Such zealousness may result in severe problems for humanity at large. Jews had to be killed in the religious campaign because their very existence challenged the sole truth espoused by the Christian Church. flutherother ( 33539) "Great Answer" ( 3 ) Flag as . Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it. Counsel Together. Atheists make up about 3% of the U.S. population; however, within your community, it may seem as if youre alone, particularly if you live in a small town. Islamic extremism dates back to the early history of Islam with the emergence of the Kharijites in the 7th century CE. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. As always, there is a balance to be struck. Fanatics are driven by perpetual fear and emotional suppression.