If he had not succeeded, the church would have become a sect, inward looking and lifeless. Axiom 6: Following Christ's example, approach other cultures and also fundamentalists with patience, respect and a willingness to listen and engage in dialogue. Prejudice in all its forms is potentially highly emotional, because people's identity or security can be so dependent on maintaining their prejudices.
Therefore, it is recommended not to confront large groups of people directly with what you know, or feel to be, their prejudices. There may well be emotional and hostile reactions, thus further reinforcing their prejudices. Work instead in small groups, where people feel less threatened and more open to listening and dialogue.
The advice Pope Francis offers is highly relevant in relating to any religion and culture, fundamentalist or not. He writes: "In order to sustain dialogue with Islam, suitable training is essential for all involved, not only so that they can be solidly and joyfully grounded in their own identity, but so that they also can acknowledge the values of others, appreciate the concerns underlying their demands and shed light on shared beliefs.
Axiom 7: Remember, violence in all its forms — for example, terrorism and bullying — is contrary to the Gospel. The universal guideline in relating to others is: "Do to others whatever you would have them do to you" Matthew Love must be the motivating force: "But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you … For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have?
Matthew , Love for one's persecutors, not the "eye for an eye" directive of some terrorists, is to be the principle of action: "You have heard that it was said: 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.
Axiom 9: Critically assess the biases against Islam projected by politicians and the mass media. The fact is that Muslim terrorists represent only a tiny fraction of 1 percent of the world's 1. Axiom Be mindful of the complex causes of Islamic terrorism. Two theories commonly given for the radicalization of young Muslims provide governments with foundations for policies in their "war on terror.
The second theory focuses not on Islamic cultures, but on the fact that dangerous people such as Osama bin Laden have distorted the tenets of Islam. Poverty of Muslim migrants in Western countries is another important factor, as is the prejudice of Islamophobia that creates a dangerous mix, especially for young Muslims. Axiom Understand that the vast majority of Muslims in the West are model citizens, often in the face of racism. Millions of Muslims live in the West — close to 2 million in Britain, 4 million in Germany, 5 million in France.
And Islam is the fastest growing religion in the United States. The great majority of Muslims live peacefully beside their neighbors and do not threaten democratic values. Governments must be proactive in assisting immigrants to integrate, but do so in ways that respect, as far as possible, the immigrants' cultures. Axiom Remember: A simple greeting to a stranger can change hearts. For example, it is the personal views and behavior of non-Muslim citizens, in countless small, everyday interactions, that will decide whether or not their Muslim fellow citizens begin to feel at home in the United States, Europe or elsewhere.
Of course individual preferences of individual Muslims and the leadership they receive from their spiritual and political leaders is equally important.
The story of Bartimaeus, a blind man who "sat by the roadside begging" Mark , is a wonderful example of the power of a simple greeting.
The description connotes that, because of his blindness and economic condition, Bartimaeus has become a social outcast. Hearing Jesus approaching, Bartimaeus cries out, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me," but many in the crowd rebuke the blind beggar. The crowd has followed Jesus and listened to his words on compassion and justice, but they remain blinded by their prejudice against people like Bartimaeus.
Jesus will have none of this fundamentalist nonsense. He calls Bartimaeus to his side. Bartimaeus detaches himself from his past identity as a beggar by throwing off his cloak and running to Jesus, an act that signifies the risk Bartimaeus took. The cloak is his only symbol of official identity; it is the equivalent of a license to beg.
Without it, he is bereft of any identity that could give him some minimum of protection: "He threw aside his cloak, sprang up and came to Jesus. Jesus, the ritual leader, asks what Bartimaeus needs: "Master, I want to see.
His social exclusion has ceased. All because someone listened and greeted him. Enraged fundamentalists try to escape the turmoil by nostalgically seeking to return to an unreal utopian past. Because they shun the real world and intolerantly condemn those who refuse to follow them, they become humanly stunted as persons.
For this reason they can no longer contribute to the welfare of others, that is, the common good. Sadly, the institutions they work for lose touch with the realities of a changing world. Health care leaders, trustees and boards must be aware of how they unwittingly can develop fundamentalist attitudes.
Adherents of these ideas hold that reading the Bible literally — particularly the Book of Revelation — reveals that history will end soon with a ghastly apocalypse. All those who are not true Christians will be slaughtered.
A series of Bible and prophecy conferences spread these ideas to thousands of Protestants across the United States in the late 19th century. But there was not yet a fundamentalist movement. This five-day May meeting attracted over 6, people and an all-star lineup of conservative Protestant speakers. In summer and fall of Riley sent teams of speakers to spread the fundamentalist word across the U. In addition to promoting biblical inerrancy and apocalyptic premillennialism, they attacked socialism and Darwinism.
Soon, Riley and his newly minted fundamentalists began trying to capture control of major Protestant denominations and eliminate the teaching of Darwinian evolution from American public schools. The anti-evolution crusade had some success in the South. Five states passed laws banning the theory of evolution from classrooms. Though the Scopes Trial brought ridicule by the national media, fundamentalism did not wither away. Instead, it continued to advance during the 20th century.
And it remained remarkably consistent in its central commitments of biblical inerrancy, apocalyptic premillennialism, creationism and patriarchy — the idea that women are to submit to male authority in church and home. Fundamentalists also embraced political conservatism. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Skip to content. Fundamentalism seems to be stronger in Christianity and Islam, not so strong in Hinduism and Buddhism.
When there is a common enemy to unite against — Bruce notes that Islamic Fundamentalism is often united against the USA. Lack of centralised control ironically — It might be that Catholicism has not developed fundamentalist strains because the Pope and the Vatican tightly control dissenters. The existence of marginalised individuals facing oppression — Fundamentalism needs recruits, and if a Fundamentalist group emerges with claims that it can provide a better life for people if they just adhere to the faith, it is more likely to grow Bruce further argues that the nature of Fundamentalism is shaped by how the political institutions deal with Fundamentalist movements: where they are blocked access to political representation, movements are more likely to turn to violence.
Further Analysis Bruce argues that both the external factors above and religious beliefs themselves are important in explaining the rise of Fundamentalism. Leave a Reply Cancel reply. Previous Previous post: What is Religious Fundamentalism? Next Next post: How to Bag a Billionaire: tips for young women feeling held back by their average joe boyfriends.
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