Stop using religion to justify hate
I’ve heard it said, “People who hate can always find a religious justification for that hate.” This seems to be true. Americans usually think of Islamic extremists who use religion to justify the 9/11 attacks and killing women who don’t ‘obey’ their rules.
But unfortunately it seems no religion is exempt. Christians used the Bible to justify slavery, the Inquisition, the Crusades and many other persecutions and killings. I’d always thought of Hinduism as peaceful. My impression is that many followers are vegetarians because they don’t believe in killing animals. However, it seems that killing and persecuting Muslims is OK for some Hindus.
There are hatreds within religions: Shiites and Sunnis, both Muslim, have been in the news lately. And let’s not forget the Christian Catholics and Protestants in Ireland or the (Protestant) Church of England persecuting the Puritans (also Protestant).
Geez, such a lot of hate. There’s probably lots of religious hatreds that I’ve missed. Like my minister says, “Some people are so sure they’re right, they do wrong to prove they’re right.”
As an example, I remember discussing Islam with a fundamentalist Christian. She stated unequivocally that, “They’re wrong.”
I pointed out, “But they think we’re wrong.”
Her reply? “Well, they’re wrong.”
As a computer programmer, I’d call that an ‘eternal loop’ — and that’s considered a programming glitch!
Why is it that religion is linked to such hate? I know that in my religion, Christianity, people cherry-pick the Bible to find justifications for hatred. The Old Testament is full of violence against others. And even Jesus said, “Do you think that I have come to give peace on earth? No, I tell you, but rather division.” Luke 12:51. Cherry-pick that and people filled with hate (Westboro Baptist Church comes to mind) can justify anything. But in doing so they seem to ignore the Good Samaritan, the Golden Rule and most of the rest of Christ’s message of love.
I believe there are multiple religions in the world because people have different approaches to God. And, I intentionally use the word “approaches.” I think most people want closer contact with God, however they perceive God. According to some neurologists, we have a spiritual center in our brains. We’re designed to try to find God. To say that only one method is correct limits God.
Seems to me there’s lots more in common between religions than differences. There’s a variation of Christianity’s Golden Rule — “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — in every major religion. “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.” — Confucius. “Hurt not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.” — Buddha. “One should never do that to another which one regards as injurious to one’s own self.” — Hinduism. “As you would have people do to you, do to them; and what you dislike to be done to you, don’t do to them.” — Islam. These are just a few of the ways the same idea is expressed: be nice to others.
Golden Rule comparisons are not the only religious commonality. Several religions have winter celebrations: Hanukkah – Jewish; Christmas – Christianity; Kwanzaa – African-American (not a religion, I know); Solstice — Wiccan; Diwali — Hindu; Bodhi Day — Buddhist; Eid-al-Adha — Muslim. There are probably others that I’m not aware of.
In this holiday season, I challenge all religions and all people to stop using religion to justify hating. I notice that in most religions, the preponderance of the teachings are about love. So, I’m going to reverse my opening statement: people who love can always find a religious justification for that love. I now challenge all religions and all people to justify love.
Suzanne Conaway, of Kansas City, is retired from information technology. To reach her, send email to oped@kcstar.com or write to Midwest Voices, c/o Editorial Page, The Kansas City Star, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108.
Mark Hastert
5 months, 4 weeks agoHere’s a solution. Believe whatever you wish. Practice your religion as you wish. Keep your holy book to yourself and out of other’s lives.
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 4 weeks agoCan you tell us Suzanne, which religion led in 2012 with the killings of people????
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 4 weeks agoI wonder which religion led in 2012 with stoning people to death? I wonder which religion led in 2012 with beheading people? I wonder which religion led in 2012 with killing people who left the religion? I wonder which religion led in 2012 with the cowardly bombings of innocent civilians?
Maybe Suzanne can give us some answers….
Johnathon Busby
5 months, 4 weeks agoHey George, maybe mind the beam in your own eye and worry less about the splinter in your neighbors’. Religious hate is always wrong, whether its the Muslims in the middle east or the Christians who blew Tiller away and claimed it was justifiable here in the US.
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 4 weeks agoI was just contrasting the HATE exemplified by Muslims Johnathon to practically the rest of the civilized religious world.
I don’t know of another religion that preaches killing nonbelievers—do you?????
Rachel Elaine Hines
5 months, 4 weeks agoGeorge, you’re making the assumption that harming people spiritually or emotionally but not killing them is an insignificant sin. Like Johnathon says, mind the beam in your own eye. Most Muslims will tell you that the kind of “believers” who would kill non-Muslims are not representative of the faith, anymore than Fred Phelps is representative of Christianity.
Suzanne Conaway
5 months, 4 weeks agoGeorge,I know that Muslims kill a lot of people who don’t agree with them. However, most of those killings are based on tradition — not the Quran. I also know many peaceable, well-educated Muslims as well.
I saw a show where a Muslim said of the 9/11 hijackers, “They hijacked my religion, too.”
Rachel, my husband is pretty much a fundamentalist (he wasn’t when I married him), but even he has issues with the Westboro gang. I described them as ‘boils on the butt of Christianity’ and he didn’t even say I was blaspheming.
Mark Hastert
5 months, 4 weeks ago“I don’t know of another religion that preaches killing nonbelievers”—
Don’t be silly GH. You’re an educated man whether you choose to use it or not. I know of a powerful man who tortured and burned “heretics” for having the temerity to want to read the bible in their native language and who was then sainted for defending the faith. Look at Christianity in the middle ages through the 17th century. Islam is 800 years younger than Christianity so I suppose you could say that they’re having the same growing pains. Look at Christians now with the way white supremacists have perverted it. Your recollection if selective.
Mark Hastert
5 months, 4 weeks agowhich religion led in 2012 with the killings of people????
Well GH I’m willing to wager that in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan over the past ten years Christians killed as many if not more Muslims.
Suzanne Conaway
5 months, 4 weeks agoMark, Good point.
Suzanne Conaway
5 months, 4 weeks agoAnd to all of you, the point of my article was not to incite arguments as to which religion kills the most.
My idea was to point ALL of us toward loving and accepting others. I didn’t think that would cause such arguments.
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 3 weeks agoSuzanne, you cannot be serious in saying that Christian have killed more people in the last ten 10 BASED ON THEIR RELIGION, which was the thrust of my comments?
Do you really believe that?
Suzanne Conaway
5 months, 3 weeks agoGeorge, no I don’t. However, as I said before, the point of the article was not to argue what religion (or lack thereof — consider Stalin) kills the most people.
The point is to STOP ARGUING.
George, I think if a liberal said water is wet, you’d argue that point, too.
Steven Fetter
66223
5 months, 3 weeks agoCall me a pessimist, but human beings seem wired to take sides in an “us against them” mentality.
One always uses the extremists on the other side to define who they are.
You can find no shortage of religious people on the fringe to define your point. I can offer soup kitchens, halfway houses, women’s shelters, home rebuilding projects, and daily kindness from the majority of those of faith to support my position
It is the Nurse Rachette-like people of the secular state that scare me the most. Logical, good intentions, methodically going about their plan as the plan expands into a bureaucratic soulless, program that crushes all opposition.
But hey, that is just me, jusifying my side and beginning to label others as the problem.
Suzanne Conaway
5 months, 3 weeks agoSteve, I agree about your ‘hard wiring’ and it’s a shame.
I spent my formative years in Ft. Knox and had friends from lots of ethnic groups, etc. I was amazed and appalled when we moved to the ‘real world’ when I was nine and ran into people who hated others because of their skin color, etnicity, etc.
I’ve found that reaching out with a smile seems to go a long way towards defusing hatreds and I’ve made tons of friends from everywhere. I’ve always been a ‘vive la difference’ type of person.
But I also agree that religions and religious people do a lot of good when they focus on the caring aspects of their religion rather than the negatives.
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 3 weeks agoNot if it is soft water Suzanne… :-)
We agreed on abortion timing, so I am not altogether an ogre….
Merry Christmas…..
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 3 weeks agoyep, this is just like those intolerant Christians….
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/12/22/mob-in-pakistan-kills-man-accused-burning-koran/?test=latestnews
JR Beillenhouser
5 months, 3 weeks agoHow about extending this to “Stop using non-religion to justify hate”. You only list half of the problem. The non-religious do the exact same thing.
Suzanne Conaway
5 months, 3 weeks agoYep, JR. I mentioned Stalin.
George, What’s soft water got to do with it? I’d still take a bath in it.
However, I do agree with Merry Christmas and Hanukkah and all the others!
Happy, holy holidays, everone — no matter what you’re celebrating!
George Hunsucker
Northland
5 months, 3 weeks agoSuzanne,
You brought up the water, I merely said what kind of water……
Suzanne Conaway
5 months, 3 weeks agoMerry Christmas, George.
And to all a “Good night.”