Common Features Of Religious Extremism
The common features of religious extremism invariably involve a return to some idealised state of purity. Whether it be Islamic extremism or Christian extremism adherents are instructed to live under a strict behavioural set of dogmatic rules. Wine, women, and song are out. Prayer, worship, and supplication are in. The Abrahamic religions, which include Judaism, Christianity and Islam, share a common source. They are all Bronze Age cultural manifestations that highlight a patriarchal world order. Thus, the father = God sits above the rest of the family tribe and the male members fill the descending hierarchical positions below. Prophets like Abraham and Mohammad play an important role as the conduits between God and humanity. The role of women is strictly limited to child bearing in the main. Wives are defined as support acts for their husbands and must conform to this role.
Shared Cult Behaviours
Therefore, when modern human beings take on the mantle of cult behaviour within religious orthodoxy of these Abrahamic traditions it is like travelling back in a time machine to the Bronze Age. Pure religious behaviour conforms to the patriarchal precepts. Beards are in. Partying is out. ISIS jihadists can therefore see those partying in New Orleans on New Year’s Eve as targets for their violent terrorist acts. Of course, the term jihad has, of late, been rescued by Islamic scholars from the evil hands of religious extremists. Wanting to see the world as a reflection of an idealised state as depicted in your holy book is not a healthy thing for the rest of us. Fanaticism is no friend to humanity, whatever the flavour of the religious cult.
Ideals Of Purity Weaponized By Extremists
Conceptions of purity are, most often, to blame for intolerant behaviours. Idealised ideas about what is good and bad or good and evil are direct contributors to inhuman actions being committed. All these Bronze Age traditions are detrimental to the soul of modernity. Hardline extremists imposing their narrow ideals of purity on revellers at one of the few seasonal festivals remaining on the calendar is a clash of civilisations. A few of us have been infected and indoctrinated with ideas from the ancient past. Then, radicalised by those wishing to weaponize such extreme beliefs into performing horrendous acts of violence. The common features of religious extremism inform terrorism.
“A man has driven a truck through a crowd of people in the US city of New Orleans, killing at least 15 and wounding at least 30 more. The FBI said the driver was a 42-year-old army veteran from Texas, and an Islamic State flag was attached to the tow bar of his truck. Suspected bombs were later found in the area.”
Righteousness Is No Excuse
Wanting to hurt others out of some misguided belief about righteous behaviours is dishonest at the motivating core of this kind of thing. The foot soldiers themselves are acting out of their own hurts. Those manipulating them are involved in a power struggle for earthly control. The common features of religious extremism are there for all to see. Religions are not really about God, as they are all made up of human beings. Even if there is a God those directing them and those carrying out their orders are all people. Religions are cultural manifestations. All the holy books were written a long time ago by men. This desire to believe in something more than who we are is missing the point. We are the point. It is time to take responsibility for who we are and stop offloading that upon an imaginary supernatural entity. It is time to grow up.
Robert Sudha Hamilton is the author of America Matters: Pre-apocalyptic Posts & Essays in the Shadow of Trump.
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