Religious Fundamentalism

Sunday, August 6, 2006

My Sunday newspaper contained an op ed from John Farmer, writing for the NJ Star-Ledger. His thesis is that all forms of religious fundamentalism are responsible for the fiasco and conundrum in the Middle East. Crusaders, who could be described as fundamentalist Christians, initiated the Crusades which started the ball rolling for animosity between Muslims and Christians and has given modern Muslims the attitude of persecution at the hands of what they perceive to be an infidel faith.

The Sunni- Shi'a divide, he maintains, is an orthodox and fundamental schism that developed because of a lineage disagreement and, today, is responsible for untold numbers of deaths and sectarian violence that creates the volatile and unstable conditions in Iraq, specifically, and in the Muslim world generally.

He further goes on to say that Jewish fundamentalism can be cited as a cause for Zionist expansion into the West Bank, and for Jewish expansionism in general and that this has exacerbated the traditional Jewish - Muslim hostility that dates back to Abraham and legitimate descent.

Mr. Farmer is confident that, since political entities have been entirely ineffective in quelling Middle East hostilities, that, perhaps, religious institutions may be better equipped to inject a sense of sanity to the region. As much as I applaud his intial analysis, I am afraid that I perceive those organized religions to be equally ineffective in any attempt to stabilize the region. My thinking is that, far from employing a thoughtful and non- extreme philosophy, religious institutions are possibly more extreme, fundamental and reconstructionistic than ever.

The hatred is palpable and visceral and pervasive. Extremist Muslims preach jihad. Zionist Jews push for expansionism and holding onto traditional territories. American Christians have drawn an imaginary line around the region as the site of Armageddon and the impetus for the rapture. None of these represents, even remotely, a sane mind set.

I believe that only a small fraction of the world's Muslims, Christians and Jews, however, are responsible for this overwhelming fundamentalism. Their voices, however, are SO LOUD, that they sound like the dominant opinions. They have managed to drown out the voices of more moderate Muslims, Christians and Jews whose voices cannot be heard above the din.

It is these moderates who must work for peace, tolerance and an end to this seemingly perpetual hostility. They have the numbers and, as we have been taught, there is strength in numbers. The process works through discourse and education until overwhelming numbers of citizens insist that their governments and religious institutions get the message and initiate an end to the conflicts.

I call upon all you moderates to get involved. Engage your neighbors in dialogue, speak with your pastors, imams and rabbis, and write letters to the press and to your government officals, whether they are elected or not. Speak up and out and let your voices be heard!!

trickster108