how to respond to a religious fanatic

That shit will get under anyones skin. You dont have to convert to their religion or share their beliefs, but you will certainly learn something new. [10] The driving force of the Inquisition was the Inquisitors, who were responsible for spreading the truth of Christianity. According to Ellens, the al-Qaeda members who took part in the terrorist attacks did so out of their belief that, by doing it, they would "enact a devastating blow against the evil of secularized and non-Muslim America. People like that owe you nothing. The majority of religious people are not fundamentalist; the majority of fundamentalists are not fanatics; the majority of fanatics are not terrorists. Laugh at them them you aren't into their fandom? Make eye contact and focus on what the person is saying. I rest my case. 7. Just be sure you think it through first, and that youve tried your best to make things work. If you are resentful towards religion, consider that much of your resentment probably stems from people attempting to force their beliefs on you. We admitted we were powerless over fanaticismthat our lives had become unmanageable. 10 pick. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. But religious people arent concerned about that. "From the beginning men used God to justify the unjustifiable.". You need to understand why they have chosen to radicalize their parishioners. This will help you better understand where the other person is coming from, and will help you to generate questions about their faith. Do you honestly think your relatives religious views are going to succeed in indoctrinating your child. The virtue of the fanatic as an agitator is largely due to the emotional response which his appeal finds in the Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. Before we start, why dont you tell me what you know about it., If they dont know anything about atheism, or assume that it means you believe in nothing or are satanic in some way, dont criticize them for it. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. Dont ask questions that are purposely leading and antagonistic. Fanaticism is a drug. Either the dogma and rhetoric is too thick to see through, or the religious belief has becomes intertwined with out-and-out bigotry. [17] When he was executed by the Egyptian government under the regime of Gamal Abdel Nasser, Ayman al-Zawahiri formed the organization Egyptian Islamic Jihad to replace the government with an Islamic state that would reflect Qutb's ideas for the Islamic revival that he yearned for. Nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free, evidence-based mental health and wellness resources. He is the author ofWhy Evolution is TrueandFaith vs. "A fanatic is one who can't change his mind and won't change the subject.". If they experienced a contact with God, they would not need Holy Books or any teacher to know the difference between right and wrong. This is the root cause of religious fanaticism. Grace was said at the start of some, "Praying in public. Most of all, they blame the United States of America. www.subud.org - Official website of the World Subud Association. Get our Question of the Week delivered right to your inbox! Now I never thought of it like that, he said. I am glad to know its okay to just deal with, "Has helped in many ways to avoid the judgemental verbal opinions of others, and not take any personal offense. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. Before you begin the conversation, ask if the person understands what an atheist is. but I'm allowed to give the answer I want to give." "I'm all for . "Thanks for your concern, but I'm good.". CWOTUS ( 26102) "Great Answer" ( 3 ) Flag as . If people were free to blow themselves up all over the place, society just would not be able to function. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. Legendary Christian hip-hop artist Brady "Phanatik" Goodwin, one of the founders of the trailblazing rap group The Cross Movement, announced last week that he is no longer a Christian and no longer believes the Bible. Fact: Why Science and Religion are Incompatible. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Religious_fanaticism&oldid=1135853911, Short description is different from Wikidata, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from January 2023, Articles with unsourced statements from August 2021, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. More to follow. In a situation like that I sometimes say that I am a Pantheist. Sooner or later, they will all burnout from the strain, or else get bored, give up and find a hobby. You don't 'handle it'; You walk away. If the person is a friend let them know you value their friendship, but feel uncomfortable by them trying to convert you. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Confront their bullshit by saying how rude their behavior is and if they don't stop, walk away. If the UN can't define a terrorist, then I will not even try. Although fanatic jihadists have committed many terroristic acts throughout the world, perhaps the best known is the September 11 attacks. Good point. Tell them its okay to believe in God or not believe in God, and that people have lots of different ideas about how the universe was made and what happens after we die. At first sight, such a fanatic performance seems light years removed from the (only tentatively known) early forms of religion which first appeared as part of the behavioral modernization of Homo sapiens.Neither the late-modern medium of communication used, nor the individualism and dogmatism revealed by the post, seem to have anything to do with the religious system of a hunter-gatherer . Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. For example, refrain from saying something like, What makes you think your religion is so much better than others? Instead, try asking, What aspects of your religion set it apart from others? This is a nicer way of asking the same question. Some of us are facing relatives who are heartbroken about our lack of faith incredulous, fearful, maybe even angry. Social media plane spotters suggested it may have been a fighter jet responding to an emergency call by a Air Ambulance calling for a medical evacuation. ), By my shamelessly crude guesstimate, assuming no more than half the world is religious to start with, we only have to deal with, at most, three-hundred-and-twenty-five-million hardcore psychopaths prone to bomb-planting and plane hijacking, spread across the whole world. If they keep trying to convert you, you may need to reconsider the friendship. Encourage your children to listen and be respectful and that they have plenty of time to make up their own minds. Like good debaters, they aim to put us on the defensive, insisting that we deal with this or that Deep Theological Book (the latest must-read is David Bentley Harts The Experience of God: Being, Consciousness, Bliss), or we answer this or that argument, or we read every sophisticated theologian in the history of Christianity. They fear their thoughts, their doubts, and above all they fear they have been rejected by both society and God. Religionists often float God-of-the-gaps arguments, saying that evidence for God lies in the intersticesof our scientific understanding. Dont blame the person for all the evils you believe have been done in the name of that religion. what everybody else said, and if that doesn't work you can use my line next. Everything2 is brought to you by Everything2 Media, LLC. From her parents Maria Theresa inherited not only their noble blood, but also a heart sensitive for the needy. The Reformation set off a chain of sectarian wars between the Catholics and the sectarian Protestants, culminating in the wars of religion. This post originally appeared in February 2012. How should a Christian respond to persecution? That was dispositive evidence for the supernaturaluntil Darwin explained it away in 1859 as the result of the purely naturalistic processes of evolution and natural selection. [9] Contrary to what Shafer alleges, however, no eyewitness source refers to Crusaders killing native Christians in Jerusalem, and early Eastern Christian sources (Matthew of Edessa, Anna Comnena, Michael the Syrian, etc.) Let them know youre ending the conversation. Atheists Could Learn a Lot from Religious People About How to Win Debates Youtube Religious people and "faitheists"my term for nonbelievers who feel that religion is good for society as a. Send an email or ask if you can discuss the topic with the person at a later time. 1. But these are all long-term strategies. Ive suggested this tactic before. Often, we see religious exposure and treat it as religious invasion, or we hear words of faith and interpret them as acts of war.. Religious fanaticism definition: Fanaticism is fanatical behaviour or the quality of being fanatical. Another prominent form of fanaticism according to some came a few centuries later with the Spanish Inquisition. A less immediate danger might be anarchists with weird apocalyptic beliefs building up stores of weapons and ammunition in the Southern United States or in South Africa. Here are a few religiousgaps: Now its no use for believers to respond, God is mysterious. Theres nothing wrong with sitting quietly sometimes, and it never hurts to listen to others talk about what they believe. Okay, so youve been disrespected, condescended to, verbally attacked or even threatened. The harsh truth about evangelical fanatics is that they are far "fanatical" than they will ever be "Christian.". For example, refrain from asking, Why are Christians so crazy? Youre not only generalizing, but youre backing the person into a corner, as they couldnt possibly begin to answer your question. Let loose on society it's like crack cocaine or alcohol only worse. Don't blame yourself. Remember, everyone, regardless of their beliefs, assumes they are right. Josh, you need to get some experience in bed, said John, a 72-year-old ladies man who worked with me at the clinic where we were both couriers. "What part of Fuck You! If you're asked about your religious beliefs, be honest. If someone else starts talking about religion, change the subject. "I am an atheist for a long time now, as I was exposed more and more to scientific works, the more I was getting. For parents, this is an area that weighs especially heavily. Thats why its called faith. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. See that big chip on your shoulder? Then set the X number kind of high. PostedNovember 4, 2014 Over time, I grew to love Uncle John so much that I found it easy to see how God could love him, and I made a point to try to get that across to him. By fanatic, I refer to those fundamentalists who cast aside the moral constraints of their own doctrines for the betterment of their cause. The minimum score of the scale is 14 points and the maximum score is 56 points. Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? Reason is a much harder master than god. Historically, the term was applied in Christian antiquity to denigrate non-Christian religions, and subsequently acquired its current usage with the Age of Enlightenment.[1]. Sprinkle a couple of ammunition belts hanging from both shoulders. More probably, you will make them more suspicious that you are in league with the Great Satan. They were cleansing this world, God's temple". Rather, they fear God, and not in a "good" way. The Inquisition was the monarchy's way of making sure their people stayed within Catholic Christianity. If someone happens to complain that you arent bowing your head during the prayer or showing the proper reverence in some other setting, calmly offer to discuss the topic privately later. Of course not. "Sacred Fury: Understanding Religious Violence. The greater the numerical magnitude, the greater the level of religious fanaticism of the person. Do you believe Hes strong enough to carry you into the end zone? I asked. Try finding support online. At age 19, I was a proud, Bible-thumping holy-roller who was on a one-man mission to save the world from sin. This is my go-to response when people ask me incredibly invasive and personal questions. Its message is, "Yes, youre a wreck and have done real damage. I have a love-hate relationship with Thanksgiving Day. And if people can fault us for not reading Aquinas, Augustine, Origen, Tertullian, and modern theologians like Hart and Alvin Plantinga, well, then, why not ask something similar of them? If you think of another point youd like to make, dont put yourself back into a bad situation. If the person shows up at your door, dont just slam it in their face. Ill tell you what Ill get a couple of girls to meet up with you at my apartment, and they can really show you a thing or two., Before he could describe the thing or two they were going to show me, I launched into a fiery sermon, setting him straight and letting him know where I stood in my quest for purity. Give them an opportunity to speak. Its not what they believe that makes them fanatics but how they believe it that they have the final word, no need to consider further evidence, and no need to ever wonder or doubt themselves again. Why didnt Jesus return during his followers lifetime, as he promised? Think about how touched your mom would be if you invited her to tell your children about her faith. But in the midst of all that stress and condemnation, Uncle John offered a respite, a shelter from the angry, condemning god I had fashioned in my own judgmental image. But I never felt like I made much progress until one memorable phone conversation towards the end of his life. During the Reformation Christian fanaticism increased between Catholics and the recently formed Protestants. (As if they would anyway!) [11] From their essentially political position, the Kharijites developed extreme doctrines that set them apart from both mainstream Sunn and Sha Muslims. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/8d\/Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-6-Version-3.jpg\/aid84557-v4-728px-Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-6-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"