Dangers of fundamentalism in today’s world

HISTORIAN, NIGEL SCOTLAND IN THE FIRST OF A TWO-PART SERIES

One of the most concerning features of contemporary world religions is the growing impact of fundamentalism. This can be defined as “a system, movement, or religious institution that holds to a rigid and literal interpretation of sacred texts believing them to be divinely inspired truth which aims to answer the ultimate meaning of life”. Within this compass there are various degrees of opinion ranging from a total intolerance of all other views to acceptance of some of the liberal social ideas current within the contemporary world.

Dominant leaders

Fundamentalist religion with its literal readings is driven forward by dominant leaders imbued with what the sociologist Max Weber termed ‘charisma’. By this he meant natural gifts of personality, persuasive powers and leadership ability.

Such men and women, he observed, often emerge as visionaries with an inbuilt tendency to ideologies which cause them to dream of transforming the world in which they live into an improved, better or even perfect place. Those fundamentalist leaders who experienced religious faith often appear to be drawn to versions of the future hopes expressed in their sacred Scriptures.

These texts frequently contain end-time visions of an eternal age of blissful pleasure, prosperity, happiness and peace. Despite their being couched in apocalyptic, metaphorical, pictorial and allegorical, language, fundamentalists take them as meaning literal, physical destinies with beautiful landscapes houses, rivers, gardens and trees.

The goal and energy of many religious fundamentalist leaders then becomes the establishment of a foretaste of this future bliss in the here and now of what they maintain, will culminate for their followers in an eternal perfect paradise or golden age.

Interpretation of sacred texts

The basic nature of fundamentalism is immediately apparent in the stated ways in which sacred texts are read and interpreted. Thus, for example the Christian fundamentalist Stephen Tyng, speaking at a conference in New York, declared that “a literal rendering is always to be given in the reading of Scripture, unless the context makes it absurd”.

Equally, a Muslim funda- mentalist group website states that the Qu’ran should be interpreted “literally and without rational argument” and that Sharia law is to implemented “uncompromisingly exact and without modifications”. Buddhist fundamentalists are also very similar in their attachment to the Tripitaka, a collection of Buddhist Scriptures that contain the teachings of Gautama the Buddha. One website states “they read their sacred texts…with a strong emphasis on literal interpretation, memorisation and deep contemplation”.

While it is the case that most Hindus do not interpret their Scriptures with same literalism as other fundamentalists there is nonetheless a sectarian drivenness emerging within their faith. Known as Hindutva (meaning Hindu-ness) it promotes Hindu lifestyle in a forceful and vigorous way with a common ancestry, Indian culture and civil code.

This includes the caste system; getting up for an early bath followed by prayers to Hindu gods; arranged marriage; traditional joint family life; eating vegetarian food; the refusal to wear Western dress and speaking and reading Sanskrit. In India where it is being forcibly driven forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his BJP Hindutva has come to be regarded as “a menace to liberty, fraternity and equality that is incompatible with democracy”.

There are also Sikh fundamentalists in India who seek to establish a separate Sikh state called Khalistan. A small group within them advocate the use of violent means to establish it.

Devoted to the book

Fundamentalists contend that there are absolutes such as goodness, perfection and truth. This leads them to have an increasing reverence for their sacred texts which come to be regarded by their followers as holy and divinely inspired truth.

This is a growing process in which fundamentalists come to assert that their holy books are, or contain unique and absolute truth and are wholly reliable and accurate. Thus a hundred years means exactly ten centuries and six days means six periods of twenty-fourhours.

Some Christian funda- mentalists have, and in some cases even do, take the view that God dictated the Authorised Version of the Bible to the biblical writers who then wrote them down without any need for reflection, planning or input on their part.

James Brookes, an American Christian fundamentalist of earlier times, spoke during the course of one of his lectures of “the Holy Spirit in the last letter that he dictated to Paul …”. In fundamentalism sacred Scriptures not only contain the word of God, they are the word of God and without error. Early twentieth century Christian fundamentalists used the term ‘inerrancy’ to assert that biblical statements would not deviate from the ‘exact truth’.

Two Christian fundamentalists Alexander Hodge and Benjamin Warfield published the Inerrancy of Scripture stating, ‘the Scriptures not only contain the word of God but are the word of God’. At the time Princeton Seminary, where both men lectured, had an article of faith which stated that Scripture is ‘without error, even in historical detail’.

Dangers of fundamentalism

An obvious danger of fundamentalist movements is that they become intolerant of those who are unable to embrace their views. More serious is the fact that this can then turn into militancy and attempts to pursue their vision with violence, force and warfare. In this process the agenda then comes to override the well-being and lives of the people they are trying to influence.

A number of Buddhist fundamentalist communities justify violence as a necessary defence of their religion. In some places they wear masks which embody wrathful protective deities which are believed to inspire fear and terror into the hearts of evil forces.

The Buddhist Upaya- kaushalya Sutra allows “wrathful forceful action including physical violence if it is motivated by compassion”.

The Islamist group Hamas, backed by Iran, “violently rejects the existence of Israel”. Hezbollah, whose stated aim is “the elimination of the state of Israel” is also supported by Iran to the tune of millions of dollars.

The overarching concern of many religious fundamentalist groups is the establishment of a theocracy in which nations are ruled and dominated by their doctrines and laws.

For Muslims this means the establishment of a Caliphate (see Quran 55 Al Maida). Referred to as the vice-regents of Allah their task is to ensure the state is ruled by Shariah law. They therefore reject democracy and elected Parliaments regarding God as the sole lawgiver. They are exhorted to work for

this objective in religious duty known as Jihad. According to the Quran and the Hadith this can be fulfilled in four ways; by the heart, the tongue, the hand or the sword (warfare). Although the Quran states that “God does not love the aggressor” (Sura 2:190) most Islamist fundamentalist groups are of the view that war against non-

Muslims is to be commended. Isis Jihadis justify their attacks because they believe the rest of the world is made up of unbelievers who seek to destroy Islam. Quran 98:1 is clear “the unbelievers among the People of the Book [the Christians] and the pagans shall burn in the fire of Hell. They are the vilest of creatures”.

Quran 47:5 states “When you meet the unbelievers in the battle field strike off their heads, when you have laid them low, bind your captives firmly”.

A Hindu text Rig Veda 9.13.9 speaks in similar hostile terms about those outside their faith, “May you (O love divine), the beholder of the path of enlightenment, purifying our mind and destroying the infidels who refuse to offer worship, come and stay in the prime position of the eternal sacrifice”.

In recent times there has been a growing rise in Hindu terrorism against non-Hindutva Hindus, Muslims and Christians. In parts of India many ordinary people have been intimidated or suffered physical persecution at the hands of marauding bands. Indian Muslims have been stripped of their citizenship while at the same time Hindu refugees from Bangladesh have been given full rights.

Jewish fundamentalism is at its most visible in the Gush Eunim movement (Hebrew meaning ‘Bloc of the Faithful’). Founded in 1974 by Zvi Yehuda Kook it maintains that democracy is in direct contradiction to the teaching of Torah. It aims to drive out Palestinians from the West Bank and is committed to establishing Jewish Settlements there and in the Gaza Strip and the Golan Heights. It engages in acts of terrorism including torching mosques and damaging houses, trees and vehicles.

Nigel Scotland is a church historian and honorary research fellow at the University of Gloucestershire