how to respond to a religious fanatic
Think about how touched your mom would be if you invited her to tell your children about her faith. You must understand the cause, and expose the effect.". RTS symptoms can negatively affect cognitive ability, emotional development, socialization, and culture. Of course not. Last Updated: January 12, 2023 Being a know-it-all provides such powerful pain relief. However, you also don't need to be a walking advertisement for atheism at all times either. But bad things arent going to keep us out of Heaven, and good things wont get us in. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. His peers in Christian rap are responding . But I also realized that we can turn the tables on these people. If they insist on continuing, tell them you didn't realize that they were going to insist on talking about religion, excuse yourself, and walk out. Ive suggested this tactic before. Deeper Division of the classes. Luckily for me this is only a "once on a great while" occurrence. Avoid debate (especially when liquor is involved). At age 19, I was a proud, Bible-thumping holy-roller who was on a one-man mission to save the world from sin. Thats unconscionable. Reviewed by Ekua Hagan. How can we protect ourselves from these lost souls? Religious people and faitheistsmy term for nonbelievers who feel that religion is good for society as a wholehave been using a new strategy against atheists. Well, youre that football, Uncle John, and Hes the quarterback. Genocide or Jesus: A God of Conquest or Pacifism? Lutheran, Baptist), and . The harsh truth about evangelical fanatics is that they are far "fanatical" than they will ever be "Christian.". If you are an atheist, youll come across your share of religious people who are genuinely curious about and respectful of your perspective, even if they completely disagree with it. However, stating this perspective bluntly is bound to cause hurt and discord. This will help to diffuse a potentially bad situation. The greater the numerical magnitude, the greater the level of religious fanaticism of the person. I tell him I'm an atheist. Since Osama bin Laden's fatwa in 1998, jihad has increasingly become an internationally recognized term. Why are Christians guilty of hate speech? Synonyms include extremist, radical, chauvinist, militant, bigot, sectarian, diehard, and dogmatist. For parents, this is an area that weighs especially heavily. ", How to Deal with Religious People if You Are an Atheist, https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/02/jesus-is-ruining-my-love-life-is-religion-a-deal-breaker/252268/, http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/11/05/7-facts-about-atheists/, http://americanhumanist.org/What_We_Do/Local_Groups, http://www.helpguide.org/articles/relationships/effective-communication.htm, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/cui-bono/201211/are-i-statements-better-you-statements, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/between-you-and-me/201406/5-tips-avoiding-conflict-in-your-relationship, https://relevantmagazine.com/faith/how-talk-about-your-religious-beliefs-without-being-jerk/, https://newrepublic.com/article/117474/arguing-religious-people-turn-their-techniques-around, https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/mr-personality/201312/why-are-religious-people-generally-less-intelligent, Confrontarsi con Persone Religiose da Ateo. References. The look is shared by all sorts of murderous but non-fanatical rebels, mercenaries, and government-sponsored militias across Latin America, Asia and Africa. Dont blame the person for all the evils you believe have been done in the name of that religion. Join us. Since you know what to expect, you should prepare a short list of rules that YOU must follow. [11][12][13], Sayyid Qutb, an Egyptian Islamist ideologue and prominent figurehead of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, was influential in promoting the Pan-Islamist ideology in the 1960s. (As if they would anyway!) Its message is, "Yes, youre a wreck and have done real damage. The Haynals write: "The dictionary defines a fanatic as someone with excessive and single minded zeal. 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. Its kind of like were a football were just an old, dead pigskin thats useless without a quarterback. ", Paul Berman, "The Philosopher of Islamic Terror", Out of the Shadows: Getting ahead of prisoner radicalization, "The Evolution of Al-Qaeda: Osama bin Laden and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi", "BBC - History - British History in depth: The Hidden Story of Partition and its Legacies", "How Hindu supremacists are tearing India apart". Confront their bullshit by saying how rude their behavior is and if they don't stop, walk away. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. According to Steffen, there are portions of the Quran where military jihad is used. This article helped me. Oh me too, Uncle John, I said. Most of all, they blame the United States of America. At the end of the day, we all look at the same moon. Why are we non-theists so outraged, indignant and disgusted when we learn new things about religion? Second, offer to have a conversation about your beliefs in an attempt to improve mutual understanding. [7] If I resolved not to get stressed until she had three meltdowns, for instance, I didnt exhaust myself trying so damn hard to prevent just one. You can ask, however, how their religion reconciles evil acts done under the guise of the faith. If they did maybe they would be a bit smarter than they actually are. Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors. More probably, you will make them more suspicious that you are in league with the Great Satan. The Reformation set off a chain of sectarian wars between the Catholics and the sectarian Protestants, culminating in the wars of religion. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. This is a pioneer research whose main goal is to explore the levels of religious fanaticism with an adult sample of five different religious denominations in Puerto Rico using a pioneer scale entitled Religious Fanaticism Scale (RFS). Ive been trying to find some new activities to do. This is likely to shift the conversation to jet-skiing, stamp collecting, volunteering at an animal shelter, etc. This is where the reality of what they seek comes in, and the unconventional means of tackling the worlds problems. CWOTUS ( 26102) "Great Answer" ( 3 ) Flag as . Rather, they fear God, and not in a "good" way. If you no longer feel you get anything good or positive from a certain relationship, then you are within your right to limit visits or stop them altogether. For example, I am feeling attacked right now. See that big chip on your shoulder? All rights reserved. Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! So what can be done? If the person invites you to a religious service, agree to go as a respectful observer. The investigators had to invent all sorts of techniques, including torture, to ascertain whether new converts' beliefs were genuine.[10]. But I never felt like I made much progress until one memorable phone conversation towards the end of his life. 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. Counsel Together. And our own tacticis far superior to God-of-the-gaps arguments, since the gaps in science grow smaller as we learn more (neuroscience is one example). Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? If youre in a room full of believers, think carefully before steering the conversation towards your lack of belief. Presumably this would have been done by the Fatimid governor to prevent their possible collusion with the Crusaders. Byrne, worried . You must expose them to those they influence. Reason is natures gift to humankind and to the humanitarian impulse. Only Jesus can do that. If someone else starts talking about religion, change the subject. Charles Selengut, in his book Sacred Fury: Understanding Religious Violence, said: The Crusades were very much holy wars waged to maintain Christianity's theological and social control. If 3 or 4 nice ways of saying no don't work, then pull out all the stops. That happens a lot with me too. I did end up pretty much leaving in the middle of his preaching just to end it. [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. Far more dysfunctional families than your own have been saved simply by identifying a common enemy. [26] The word jihad in Arabic means 'struggle'. Perhaps some day well know the answers. For that is precisely the answer they wont accept about the scientific puzzles, like the oft-touted mystery of consciousness that they use as evidence for God. Make jokes. The start of Christian fanatic rule came with the Roman Emperor Constantine I. Ellens says, "When Christianity came to power in the empire of Constantine, it proceeded to almost viciously repress all non-Christians and all Christians who did not line up with official Orthodox ideology, policy, and practice". Adopt a loving posture, instead of a defensive one. 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. Its not your fault, but it is your responsibility to kick it. But if youre going to end up feeling frustrated or angry or thinking less of the person youre debating, then leave it. Christian rappers responded to Brady Goodwin renouncing his faith in January 2022. In fact, its not the beard that drives people to kill at all (ignoring any link to testosterone). Often, we see religious exposure and treat it as religious invasion, or we hear words of faith and interpret them as acts of war. Approaching religious loved ones adversarially is that part. Give a measured, calm response, or none at all if you so choose. (For semantic precision by "fundamentalist" I mean a person favouring strict observance of their own religious doctrine to the exclusion of all other sources of moral guidance. Please have your Passports Ready. No wonder so many of us fall off the wagon. Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered. Use I statements. Approaching religious loved ones adversarially is that part. If you are resentful towards religion, consider that much of your resentment probably stems from people attempting to force their beliefs on you. I rest my case. If scientists were to respond likewise by saying, The brain works in mysterious ways, or Evolution works in mysterious ways, theists would simply sneer, for they cant see the beam in their own eye. It may seem trite to discuss sports or the weather at Thanksgiving dinner, but its probably preferable to a knock-down, drag-out fight over deeply-held religious beliefs. What should I do if something like this happens to me again? Something happened to me the other day that made me feel pretty uncomfortable and I felt like I had no idea how to respond. (Freedom 24), According to certain observers this disregard for others and rampant use of violence is markedly different from the peaceful message that jihad is meant to employ. 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. But these are all long-term strategies. Do you honestly think your relatives religious views are going to succeed in indoctrinating your child. 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. What is the best way to evangelize someone who is in a cult or false religion. According to Dr. Winell, RTS is a combination of 'toxic theology' and . Tell them to go suck a bag of dicks but, you know, more nicely. Listen when they respond. We either watched college football or just made conversation. Many Christians were killed for having rival viewpoints. If, on the other hand, we wish to tackle the causes of terrorism, the only conventional means to do this would be to reduce the fear and insecurity resulting from the process of modernity. Remember, you dont have to defend your point of view to anyone. His tangent has taken away his joy of walking with Jesus, as well as the joy of fellowship with others in the body of Christ. First, let the person know that his/her words or actions are hurtful, and that your beliefs are very personal and important to you. That shit will get under anyones skin. But before you start stacking up emergency supplies in your bio-shelters, realise that terrorists, the hated enemies of the world, are driven by the same instinct as those who hide from them, namely fear. We use cookies to make wikiHow great. If you find it fun to discuss or debate religious beliefs, and can do so respectfully, then have at it. Dont Panic! Left Eye Twitching for Females: What Astrology Says About Eye Twitching, How to Use Angel Numbers for Manifestation. Fanatics drive through life like alcoholics driving under the influence. Fanatics are driven by perpetual fear and emotional suppression. Selengut, Charles. If that doesn't help, I just leave them talking to themselves. Because religion is often irrational, arguing about religion is usually pretty pointless. Giving family members a chance to right their wrongs and correct their offensive behavior is a must if you are to feel good about your decision down the road. The most obvious might be the feared Al-Qaida terrorists and Taliban militiamen tramping around Central Asia. It's 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. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of Reason. Try to open your mind, without judgment, to the variability of human perception. In other words, fanaticism is not religious but a psychological category. Religious fanatics make frequent judgments on other people who are better off than they are spiritually. If he/she started an argument about that, just pull yourself out and say you won't argue about faith choices. "Thanks for your concern, but I'm good.". But thats not always the case. Thats why its called faith. Try shedding your armor before you walk in the door. Its also called rationality, which comes from the same root as ratio, to compare, discern, evaluate, judging carefully and humbly in our efforts to find the better bets on how to live. Dont ask questions that are purposely leading and antagonistic. My relaxed attitude made all the difference, and the trips always exceeded by expectations. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. You know that God loves you no matter what youve done, right? I asked. In contrast, the gaps in theism never narrow. You in turn can invite them to a gathering of others like you.
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