The One True Faith
Social and Political Sciences
1. Is Faith-Based Activism a Constructive Force of Change
Faith-based activism, like all other activism, stems from a need to reflect the teachings of faith in others and people’s environment. The activism is both a constructive force for change and extremely dangerous when applied irrationally against others. Faith allows one to gather a perspective of the world from a religious standpoint and create meaning from this religious enlightenment. Faith brings about the conviction of the heart. Faith in turn seeks to make all that is around the person similar to his conviction. It will create a need to seek change and mirror the faith and religious teaching to the environment. While the intention that the activism seeks to spread is good, opposition to activism does not always end in a harmonious state of relation. Activism entails a vigorous campaign that sought to bring about political, religious, or social change. In the middle east, for example, faith-based activism that has sprung out over the last few years and categorically been denied a place to establish their view has turned violent. Take the example of Jews in Israel who Martin (2003) identifies have severally rallied behind religious lines to seek to drive Arabs who are fundamentally opposed to their religious views out of their homeland in Israel (202). While they try to revitalize their world with their belief, they (which is noble) faith-based activism in a diverse space often alienates the minority or drives the minority to extremism.
2. At What Point Does the Character of Faith-Based Activism Become Extremist and Terrorist
When the faith-based activism does not translate their values system into the broader society, the message takes on an extremist outlook. This might be due to a moral panic that comes out of a fear of losing the religious value system. The religious value system is expressly gained from observation of ecological activities that surround a religious group, with regards to its teaching on what is moral and what is not. The human mind becomes fundamentally conflicted about what to do and what ought to be happening. Under pressure and when no way seems to be forthcoming, it becomes increasingly challenging to create rational means to address the changes. Moral values differ from one society or community to another; religion reinforces morality and one’s action on the world around him. Religious texts guide people and their moral value systems differently. Religious teachings are heavily dependent on the interpretation to create a meaningful message. If the understanding sought does not discourage radical intolerance, then violence becomes a means through which change is sought. It becomes rationalized as the only way out. Religious interpretation plays a vital role in how a person decides to act. Yigal Amir, who killed PM Rabin in 1995, Identified that he killed him due to a requirement under Jewish legal code that dictated him to do so (Martin, 2003, 203). Most Islamist terrorist groups identify phrases such as the need to wage a holy war of jihad against Kafirs to gain religious dominance and administer their beliefs in their lands.
3. Does faith-based natural law justify acts of violence
Faith-based natural law does not justify acts of violence against others. The natural law seeks humans to live in the divine image they identify within their life. Most religious teachings create values and seek to define how a person ought to carry themselves, how they interact with others who are within their religion, and how they ought to interact with others, not within their religion. Natural law is a constituent of the eternal law, and eternal law is laws put in place by a person who cares most about communal living who is God (Murphy, 2019). It was God’s choosing to bring about humans who can act in free will and deduce understanding from their actions following the principle of reason. Practical rationality comes out as a needed feature for communal living. Faith-based natural law does not justify violence as it expressively shows the need for a conscious and rational lifestyle because it pins its rationale on a value system that seeks to reinforce religion and moral principles. Violence rejects the principle of rationality and, as such, rejects natural law encouraging irrational and unpredictable living.
4. Why do religious traditions that supposedly promote peace, justice, and rewards for spiritual devotion have so many followers who piously engage in violence, repression, and intolerance?
Complex social and political circumstances are a product of violence that emanates from regions in the world where extremists conduct violence in the name of their religion. The ability to not connect the message being taught to the general life being lived creates an imbalance. Omar (2015) identifies that in most studies conducted, political violence is often framed in religious terms and linked to the continued experience of injustices that stems from continued discrimination of people, corruption, and abuse by the state or groups with dominant support. Extremists are usually a small fraction of the population that feels pushed and curtailed to express themselves. Most religious extremist groups are motivated by the idea of a utopian state where the majority of its members get to see justice being delivered. In the example of Yigal Amir, the Halacha deemed it righteous and justified to kill PM Rabin to protect the values of a Jewish state (202). Similarly, the Islamist extremist usually conducts violence against the state and preach propaganda messages that expressly identify with the need for justice and fairness. The apply irrational values gathered from their religious text to drive the point home such as beheading etc. Religious space becomes a tool in which people can freely express their values and gain a moral high ground in their pursuit. The lack of equity within the world of politics and social affairs promotes the need to create one. Violence extremist utilizes this to achieve their message by preying on the masses that are fundamentally challenged on their roles within their society.
5. What is the future of faith-based terrorism?
The future is increased destabilization due to the continued fragmentation of violence against intra-religious lines. Christianity gained massive change when it fragmented due to the division from the Roman Catholic church to the Protestant church and the Catholic church. This created radical sections that can be seen in cults, and terror groups across the world. Similarly, the Sunni and Shia Muslims are a division between religious lines and create further values. There is a rise of intra-religious division and extremism based on these divisions. As such, faith-based terrorism is taking a more tailored approach to the region in which the religious view dominates. More and more societies are witnessing xenophobic social anxiety that is born out of the need to seek to identify to a group and be recognized by a larger institution to create a more substantial following. Political interference also cultivates more violence. Summarily, the future of faith-based violence/ terrorism will be tailored to regional problems and identifying with a global cause.
References
Martin, G. (2012). Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues. SAGE Publications.
Murphy, M. (2019). The Natural Law Tradition in Ethics (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/natural-law-ethics/#NatLawPraRat
Omar, M. (2015, November 9). Islam is a Religion of Peace. Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/11/09/islam-is-a-religion-of-peace-manal-omar-debate-islamic-state/
