Pavel Hoek Religions and violence
Violence and Fanaticism
In recent years, there has been a steep increase in
religious terrorism all over the world. In the 1990s, the American public was shocked by a series of bomb
attacks against abortion hospitals organized by Christian terrorists. In
1995, other Christian terrorists blew up a government building in Oklahoma City. Nearly
170 people died. In 1994, a Jewish terrorist in a mosque in Hebron shot dead more than 30 Muslims, as an
answer to similar atrocities committed by Palestinian Jihadists. In
the 1990s in India,
Sikh separatists committed a series of horrible terrorist acts. The
horrid attack of 09/11/2001 was among a series of Muslim terrorist attacks on
the symbols of western culture. In 2008, anti-Christian pogroms took place in India, led by
Hindu nationalists. What is happening? We live in a pluralistic world; the globe is being transformed into a
colourful global village. However, many people do not enjoy this cultural
situation.
They understand plurality as a threat, as a loss of traditional
certainties, as if the earth under their feet was shaking. The
heart of many a person is today veiled in the creepy anxieties of uncertainty. The
lost paradise of certainty is in ever-higher demand, as is also a solid anchor,
a safe and cosy haven for the weary souls. And it is this paradise lost which sectarians and fundamentalists
offer. They
answer the deep and justified needs of the current generation. Fundamentalist
groups offer the longed-for islands of security in a sea of uncertainty. Often,
their offers are well intentioned and also successful. The
thing is that fundamentalists can be peace-loving, kind and harmless, they
can give themselves satisfied with the paradise regained, and they can enjoy it
together. A problem arises when a fundamentalist decides to enforce his or her
ideals, in other words, to impose his or her black and white views on the
whole of humanity. In this moment s/he becomes a fanatic. A fanatic does not long for
security, anchor, and safety. S/he needs to transfer his or her ideas into deeds. S/he
wont have peace until the whole world will follow his or her vision. S/he
suffers from the madness of one thought only . The
thing is that a fanatic faith desperately needs self-assurance; it is
characterized by an angry unyielding persistence of unambiguity. A
fanatic tortures himself or herself and their surrounding by a moral terror,
a part of his psychical profile is passion for perfection, and it usually is
a person without sense of humor, a person hard as a stone. Understandably, a fanatic usually encounters misunderstanding and
protests in their environment. This makes him or her, logically, feel humiliated and
being done wrong upon. His or her excruciating inner tension can then often
turn into bitterness and aggressive anger. Usually, sooner or later, a specific scapegoat
will be looked for, a symbolic representative of Evil. Usually,
in the end, the main vehicle carrying corruptness and perversity in the world
is identified. The
blaming finger points to the Jews, Roma, Americans, religious or ethnic
minorities, state authorities or to abortion hospitals. And at that point the ominous short connection comes. A
fanatic comes under the ancient spell, s/he believes in the myth of the
purifying power of violence. Stains on the worlds face have to be cleansed by the
blood of the victims, in order to establish the coveted order. There
is no place for mercy in the cosmic battle of Good and Evil. Your
own doubts have to be out voiced by a militant cry for perfection, by a
terrorist deed. This is the context which explains bomb attacks at abortion hospitals in
the USA, Muslim terrorist
attacks at western countries institutions, or anti-Christian pogroms of Hindu
nationalists in India. By their aggressive deeds, fanatics try to overcome their own fears and
anxieties. Therefore,
an answer to fanaticism is not an atheistic skepticism, but rather a mature
faith. Such a faith which can be the source of courage to
live with imperfection and uncertainty.
(The article was originally published in
the Czech Protestant youth magazine Bratrstvo nr. 10/2008.)
Pavel
Hoek teaches at the Charles University, Prague, at its Protestant Theological
Faculty. He wrote on C. S. Lewis, now he focuses on interreligious relations.
Among others, he published a book called 'On the Way to Dialogue' (Na
cestě k dialogu) dealing with the principles of coexistence of
Christianity and other religious traditions in the globalized world of today.
