The double edge sword of religious Belief: Faith, satire, democracy & correct posture of devotees
Introduction:
“Though religion makes men zealous it does not always make men wise” David E Hall.
The supposed caricaturization of the Holy Prophet Mohamed combined with other elements of satire, widely used in critiquing today’s turbulent socio, political, religious and cultural environment,were allegedly what brought the wrath of Muslim extremist to 'raindown' on the offices of France's satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. This attack resulted in the death of editorial staff and other citizens,including law enforcement officers. Its occurrence, coupled with threats of future attacks,now threatens the continued democratic right of individuals to freely speak their consciences. The fact that such attacks are perpetuated in the name of an all-wise, all knowing God makes their occurrence even harder to comprehend. The perpetrators have indicated that their primary concern and goal of these attacks is the preservation of the honour of their deity and his prophets, and a return to the purity of their religious ideals.Hence in recent times, the grossly fanatical Boko Haram in Nigeria and Cameroon and the Islamic state extremist in Iraq,Syria and surrounding nations, have joined other extremist in massacring untold thousands including:Christians, moderate Muslims and non believers in attempting to achieve their stated goals.Unfortunately,while one would like to regard these actions as simply misguided,unthinkable,ludicrous and anathema to sophisticated, and enlightened, individuals,the long chequered documented biblical and historical versions of mankind's existence, and his unpredictable nature under the influence of religion, demands that we accept that the unfortunate events highlighted above are nothing new. Hence,these recurring practices force us to continually ponder the power of ideas and the double edged nature of religious beliefs. I am therefore hopeful that this brief look at:“The double edge sword of religious Belief: Faith,satire, democracy&correct posture of devotees”will help the spiritual enthusiast among us to respectfully and peacefully carry out their mandate of world evangelization without having to resort to drawing of the sword, as Peter did, in the hope/effort of protecting the Saviour of mankind.
1. A god who does not act in his own honour is unworthy of devotion. Judges6:25-32King James Version (KJV)
“if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.” These were the words of Joash, Gideons father, in response to the men who came to him one morning demanding that he: “Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.” In response to their demand, Joash, also a devotee of Baal, seemingly motivated both by grief and anger spewed the defiant words in recognition that a god who could not defend himself against the assault of a wayward youth had possibly become unworthy of the status of a deity. Thus as these words echoed across the early dawn they brought the chilling winds of reality that doused the religious fervour of the agitators in an instance. Furthermore,these fierce and shivery winds(words)ripped the sails from the mast (k)of mankind's self imposed delusion, as reason prevailed, and demanded that these devotees open their minds and consider the implication of the previous nights happenings.Hence as these overzealous souls reluctantly pondered Joash's words it slowly but assuredly dawned on them, (that in-spite of the long held tradition that the 'unreasonableness of faith due to its intangible nature often places it outside the bonds of human understanding) that the intention to slaughter Gideon for dishonouring a god who himself mounted no defense was perhaps more than rational human beings should contemplate. In abandoning their mission this early morning war party knew as Joash had insisted, that any god who needed protection from a young upstart-in protecting himself and his territory did not truly posses immutability an inherent quality of the divine.Yet after all these centuries, and similar events in human experience, men, in the name of god and religion still don their armour and take up their physical guns, knives,explosives and swords, to go forth and fight a holy war in defense of the honour of their god. What they continually miss is that no matter how noble, no matter how worthy, no matter how well intentioned, mortal man cannot and must not resort to the use of violence and force in the defense a god should he be unable to defend him/her- self. If God be that god,in time he will speak and set in order all that need to be set in order. In the fulness of time, the true God will make himself known to all men both the living and the dead. In the meantime our defense of the faith is in deliberation, debate,vigorous discussion and contestation of ideas as encouraged by St Paul, as we contend earnestly for the faith. It was Paul who also encouraged the church even as he implored Timothy to study to show himself approved unto God and be a workman who could unashamedly rightly divide the word of truth and not be shy or hesitant in his defense of Christian doctrine.Thus in accordance with the admonition of the new testament at no time must our defense of our beliefs trespass into the barren wilderness of repression, oppression or destruction of others physically or psychologically.As long as life shall last, our service to God must be guided by the first commandment of scripture which ought to be dear to both Christian and Muslims alike:“love the Lord thy God with all they heart,and soul mind and strength and love thy neighbour as thyself”.
2.History demonstrates that holy wars alienate rather than draw adherents to a cause: (Acts5:33-42King James Version (KJV)
The harsh reality which needs be faced and addressed in haste by the wise and prudent brothers within Islam, is that on its present course, driven by extremist, Islam is more likely to self-destruct before it even begins to see its ultimate goal of worldwide domination. The barbaric practices of Boko Haram, Islamic state, and other radicals serve only to alienate the seeking and bewilder the faithful with respect to Islam.In this regard, Islam needs to learn from the mistakes of Christianity which previously persecuted Muslims in no small way, inadvertently leading to the accelerated spread of Islam across Africa and the Middle East. Ironically, the current atrocities of Islamic extremist mirror/imitate the actions of The Christian church centuries ago when headed by the Roman catholic popes the Christian Church persecuted and killed untold millions for their non Christian faith. The many forms of martyrdom exacted upon the non conformist populations have been only too well documented. The Spanish Inquisition alone ensured the persecution of Jews, protestants, and other non-catholics;confiscation of lands, censorship of views, control of peasants, and loss of life for offences such as “witchcraft, sodomy,bigamy,blasphemy and freemasonry among other things was a constant feature of this dark period.Even more ironic was the fact that these documented crimes against humanity provide chilling details of the cruel nature of those, who at the same time of being angels/instruments of death claimed to be exercising the attributes of a loving god. Incidentally the practices used in their fight, though previously evident in the Old Testament,had been repudiated in the New Testament form which they claimed to have derived their authority.
Unfortunately,persecution on non Christians was also evident during the 'crusades' conducted, which interestingly foreshadowed current Boko Haram and Islamic state practices. The Crusades,were military drives sanctioned by the Catholic Church during the Middle Ages. In 1095 Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade with the stated goal of restoring Christian access to holy places in and near Jerusalem. Afraid that Muslims would overrun Jerusalem the pope and his advisors devised this plan in the name of Christianity.According to the plan, it would not be a sin to kill non-Christians.Thus in accordance with Catholic system of indulgences, persons who went to fight in the Holy land and killed non Christians would have their sins forgiven no matter how many sins they had committed.Crusading therefore attracted men and women of all classes. Several hundred thousand Roman Catholic Christians became crusaders by taking a public vow and receiving plenary indulgences from the church.Whoever joined the ranks of the crusaders gained spiritual immunity,Pope Urban II promised forgiveness of all sins to whosoever took up the cross and joined in the war. Additionally, while crusading as a “soldier for Christ” persons would benefit not only from expressing total devotion to God, but receive additional motivations for taking up the cross by the opportunities for economic or political gain. Historian Mike Lodes also notes that according to the crusaders mandate, a knight could sin as much as he liked but just go and fight and he would get a passport to heaven and access to the treasures he could secure for himself from the Near East.( Today, it is said, that radical islamist are given assurances of chaste virgins and a prominent place in the afterlife in exchange for self-martyrdom, or the carrying out suicide missions- rewards which in some ways mirror the promises of the indulgences.) Many other historians give equally damming commentary of the crusades as sinister military campaigns for a variety of religious, economic, and political reasons. Some see the crusades as as part of long-running conflict at the frontiers of Europe; and others see them as confident, aggressive, papal-led expansion attempts by Western Christendom. However, rather than bring healing to the suffering peoples of the world, the crusades reinforced the connection between Western Christendom, feudalism, and militarism. The crusaders often pillaged the countries through which they travelled in the typical medieval manner of supplying an army on the move. History clearly shows that the crusades failed as they only served to embolden those who were persecuted. Roger Bacon OFM,English philosopher and Franciscan friar felt the Crusades were ineffective since "those who survive, together with their children, are more and more embittered against the Christian faith."Similarly The efforts of Boko Haram and the Islamic stage who believe that mercenary expeditions are the way to go, will also fail.
Conclusion:
We cannot defend God. A god that needs defending with guns and spears and swords and shields is no use to us, as he/she destroys our faith and is not a god after all. Secondly may we never forget, that religious conflict does not endear us to people nor people to us, but ensures that the cycle of violence, hate and mistrust remains and is perpetuated .Therefore though we need to be passionate about our religious beliefs, we need to be even more passionate about the spirit in which we share those beliefs, because, as Scripture and history have concluded, though religion makes men zealous, it does not always make them wise.