Religious

Published by The National Herald, July 7, 2005

Religion Has Its Place, But Religious Leaders Have Responsibility

There was a time not long ago – just 15-20 years ago, in fact – when the clash of strongly held beliefs centered on the conflict between Marxism-Leninism and Liberal Democracy. For decades, countries belonged to the one or the other camp. Those who wanted to remain outside had formed a loosely connected group known as the "non-aligned."

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the center of the one camp, the ideological conflict subsided. Before long, religion became the new focus of conflict. It is now Islam on one side and Christianity on the other.

Religion differs from political/social ideology on a very critical point. A secular ideology can not, and does not, claim its beliefs are of divine origin, or that whoever opposes them fights against God himself. Even the most fanatic Marxist-Leninist ideologue was never ready to strap a belt filled with explosives around his waist and walk up to the enemies and detonate himself or herself. Marxism-Leninism did not promise eternal life in Heaven to those who would commit suicide in order to take a few more "infidels" along for the last journey. Islam does make this promise, or at least the fanatic Jihadists believe it does.

A promise of eternal life is nothing to trifle with. And if one can secure such eternal bliss by killing "infidels," then suicide becomes an attractive tradeoff.

To any sane person, suicide is not an easy decision, and it is usually reached in a moment of supreme desperation. The young Jihadists are not born with a special chip planted in their brains, which tells them to become suicide bombers. They are taught by others who speak with an authority they respect. They are those who, as in any religion, claim to represent God and to speak in His Name.

So young Jihadists will continue blowing themselves up, killing innocent people in the process, until the religious leaders of Islam openly declare that committing suicide and killing "infidels" does not buy you a ticket to Paradise.

It is not only the governments in the Christian world, but also the governments in the Islamic world, who would have to come together and agree that it is up to the Muslim Imams to debunk the Jihadist-held belief that suicide opens the way to eternal life. But this calls for a broad, worldwide strategy against Jihadist terrorists. Unfortunately, such a strategy, which might have been developed soon after 9/11, never materialized.

It is not only in the Islamic world where religion has been seized by fanatics, however. We see disturbing signs right here in the United States, as well.

It was recently reported that, at the Air Force Academy, cadets were pressured to join the "Team of Jesus Christ." Lt. Gen. John W. Ross Jr., commander of the Academy, acknowledged that "the problem is very insidious." He added that it would "probably (take) six years" to solve it, if only because the Academy itself didn’t realize it had a problem. In other words, a culture of militant Christian cadets had grown slowly like a poisonous weed, using intimidation to bring the cadets on the "team."

Some blame the Academy’s troubles on its location. Colorado Springs is a city where many fundamentalist Christian groups have their churches and headquarters. Cadets are exposed to vigorous proselytising by fanatical preachers.

The Air Force Academy is not a religious institution, however. It is a military school. But with so many leaders using religion for political gains, it’s hard, even for a General, to take a hard stand against those cadets who press their religious beliefs on others.

The situation in the Air Force Academy is only a symptom. Two or three decades ago, Evangelical preachers were a fringe segment of Christianity in the United States. They toured the flat plains of the Midwest, raised their tents and called for a revival meeting. Their audiences were mostly people from small rural towns. They were not a political force. But in the last 15 years or so, these formerly minor, isolated groups began to grow in numbers. Tents were replaced with lavish churches decorated with Hollywood-like splendor. Their message was now broadcast on national, regional or local television, and the contributions of the faithful amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars.

According to an Encyclopaedia Britannica update, there are now more than 41 million Evangelicals in America. One of their leaders, Rev. Jerry Falwell, claimed on television that they number 80 million. In the last two Presidential, and the last three or four Congressional, elections, their political clout became a force to reckon with.

There was a time when the political leaders in the U.S. were concerned with the potential influence of the Catholic Church – e.g., could a Roman Catholic become President? The answer was no, until Jack Kennedy broke the mold.

Our Christian fundamentalists may not encourage violence in the same manner, or with the same exact ideology, as the Jihadists, but they try to impose their views as much as they can, taking full advantage of their political clout.

Religion, whether Christian or Muslim, can be exploited, distorted and corrupted for political ends. And because of religion’s revered status, speaking out against religious excesses becomes extremely difficult.

The Greek Orthodox Church in the United States should be a model. In our Church, faith is primarily a personal and intimate matter. Religious beliefs have not been exploited for political aims, for the most part. The teachings of the Church are limited to their ethical message, and this is as it should be.

In both Christian and Islamic lands, religion must be confined to those ethical messages. Beyond those boundaries, religion can become a most destructive force.

Dr. Kousoulas is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Howard University in Washington, DC. He is the author of several books, notably "The Life and Times of Constantine the Great (1999)," and numerous scholarly articles.



Volume 7 Number 28 - Tuesday, July 12th, 2005	A Publication of the ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN LAITY