Fourth Evil of xenophobia (Religionism)

by sydshahid

I got inspired by one of the blog (forgiveness our greatest healer) on this site written by Viola. It made me think and wonder why people don’t forgive and let go? Why they hate and why they keep on hating?

Hatred is the negative emotion that paralyzes rational thinking that leads to severe emotional, physical and spiritual harm.

Another form of hatred that has surfaced lately and has created tremendous outcry all over the world is the unjust fear of anyone who differs from one’s belief, religion, race, nationality and ethnicity (xenophobia).

Most people don't know what xenophobia is and how this mental illness destroys an individual’s capacity to behave rationally. At national and international level its effects are even more disastrous.

Let me give again first a brief definition of xenophobia and the root I causes of this evil.


FOUR EVILS THAT ARE ROOT CAUSE OF XENOPHOBIA


Xenophobia generally applies to people who look different or believe differently. Therefore, we shall confine ourselves to the four most important elements (EVILS) that contribute to xenophobia. These four elements (Nationalism, Racism, Ethnocentrism and Religionism) are a form of four institutions or disciplines (evils) that have been plaguing humanity for thousands of years.

Xenophobic emotions have always played a major part in the outlook of groups and communities. These emotions have created wars and blood shed at mass scale through out the history of human civilization. Recently, however, these emotions have become so intense that WW I and WW II have been direct result of these negative emotion (hatred). Never before loss of life had been as enormous as we saw during WW I and WW II. Well over 100 million people lost their life in these Two World Wars. If there ever going to be a Third World War (which is quite possible if xenophobia continues at its present alarming scale), it is predicted that the loss of life will be unimaginable. Some even predict extinction of human race due to Nuclear Holocaust.

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Causes of xenophobia: 1. Nationalism 2. Racism 3. Ethnocentrism and 4. Religionism.

We have already discussed nationalism and racism and Ethnocentrism. let us talk a little about religionism.




4. Religionism



The term religionism has been used here in the context of xenophobia only. Even though religionism signifies different meanings, in this context it simply means a phenomenon that manifests itself when the follower of a particular religion believes in the superiority of his/her religious doctrine. In its worst form the follower degrades all the other religions.

Even though this phenomenon (religionism) has existed through out the religious history, it has become much more transparent and pronounced in recent time.

Psychological aspects of religionism

Psychological aspects of religionism are not much different than the psychological aspects of racism, nationalism and ethnocentrism.

Religionism is assigning to various religions higher or lower status or value by a religionist who then assumes that their religion is of higher status or value and is intrinsically better than other religions. The religionist, when assigning the status or value to various religions, will automatically assign to their own religion the highest status or value and will degrade all the rest of the traditional religions.

Religionism is a natural result of the observation that most people are more comfortable with and prefer the company of people who are like themselves, sharing similar values and behaving in similar ways, (just like in nationalism, racism and ethnocentrism). It is not unusual for a person to consider that whatever they believe is the most appropriate system of belief or that however they behave is the most appropriate and natural behavior according to their religion's dictatorial scripture.

A person who is born into a particular religion and grows up absorbing the values and behaviors of that religion will develop patterns of thought reflecting that (their) particular religion as normal. If the person then experiences other religions that have different values and behaviors, the person finds that the thought patterns appropriate to their birth religion and the meanings their birth religion attaches to behaviors are not in accordance with other religions. However, since a person is accustomed to their birth religion it can be difficult for the person to see the behaviors of people from a different religion, from the viewpoint of that religion rather than from their own.

The religionist will see those religions other than their birth religion as being not only different but also wrong to a great degree. The religionist will resist or refuse the new meanings and new thought patterns of other religions since they are seen as being less desirable than those of the birth religion.

Religionism can occur even between different denominations of the same religion. For example, Catholics and Protestants among Christians; and Shiites and Sunnis among Muslims, are typically portrayed as arch enemies all through the inception of the branching off of these denominations from their parental roots.

There is no scientific evidence that any one religion is superior or inferior compared to any other religion. Anthropologists have proven the fact that all religions have a common denominating factor.The commonality of this factor is so profound that in essence all religions appear to be identical.

By definition all religions have set of tenets and practices, often centered upon specific supernatural and moral claims about reality, the cosmos, and human nature, and often codified as prayer, ritual, or religious law. Religion also encompasses ancestral or cultural traditions, writings, history, and mythology, as well as personal faith and religious experience. The term "religion", therefore, refers to both the personal practices related to communal faith and to group rituals and communication stemming from shared conviction.

The similarities of all the religions are so close to eachother that the differences among them seem (not surprisingly) insignificant. If common denominator of all the religions is the same and the similarities among all the religions are so parallel, then one wonders what is all the fuss about. Still in the mind of almost all the believers the supremacy of their belief is paramount. If one believes in the superiority of ones own belief it essentially undermines and demeans all the other religions, at least at a subconscious level.

In short, religionism is a paradoxical phenomenon. It contradicts the tenets and practices of its own belief system by giving it a superior value. In the long run it negates and ultimately destroys all the basic principles of humanity.

In conclusion, the four root causes of xenophobia (nationalism, racism, ethnocentrism and religionism) are outlined in detailed for only one specific reason i.e. the survival of human race. If humans continue to disgrace humanity by adhering to any of the four above mentioned disciplines (or rather indisciplines), it is doubtful that humanity will survive very long.


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Next we will outline in detail the solution to xenophobia.

For comment and questions please write to:

syedshahidmd@yahoo.com.au

P.S. I must thank all of those readers who send me comments and questions. I must tell them that their inspiring comments and questions are highly appreciated. Please continue to write, preferably via email.

Thanks

Sydshahid

Posted 10/5/2009 1:47:49 AM
About the Author



Syed Shahid MD
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Perth,  WA

Interests: Dr Sydney Shahid has many interests. He ejoys reading scietific magazines. He likes to keep himself busy with latest medical researches. He has special interest in Alzheimer’s illness. he has strong evidence that this tragedy can be delayed (if not prevented) for as long as 25 - 30 years and even longer, if one follows Dr Shahid’d six principles of health faithfully. He likes to make friends with those who have similar interests as his. He has few friends and they all appreciate what he is doing for humanity. He believes in positive thinking. In his opinion one must pursue those interests which make one believe in oneself. He loves to play tennis, table tennis and cricket if he can find time. Travelling is his other interest. He has travelled all over the world. He enjoys different cultures and their varied way of life. Lately world politics has become his passion. He wishes to see peace in the world but he doesn’t think it is possible because of the greed in the mind of most of the industrialised nations who are exploiting third world countries. He is also interested in writing a book about his Six Principle of Health (EUREKA). He is already in the process of making it happen. He wants the whole world to know his secret of healthy long life.

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