What is the difference between healthy spirituality and religious fundamentalism?

Corruption within religious institutions is a well-known fact, but religious abuse is often linked to victim-blaming tactics of narcissistic abuse, the collective psychology of cults, racialized myths that constitute eugenics rhetoric, and/or ( suppression of mass media (often militarized), secular higher education, Enlightenment values, and democratic political opposition by authoritarian regimes.

This particular convergence is the very essence of religious fundamentalism, a political and religious doctrine associated with adultism, child abuse, misogyny, right-wing authoritarianism, and xenophobic neo-fascism. Research also shows that religious fundamentalism, of all faiths, is associated with brain damage, poor cognitive flexibility, susceptibility to conspiracies and propaganda, both low self-esteem and narcissism, paranoia, and unhealthy perfectionism. is associated with.

In the United States, religious fundamentalists oppose movements for reproductive justice, racial justice, disability justice (related to the pandemic), LGBTQ+ rights, gun control, climate justice, and other social justice issues. , the single largest and most organized voting body. Disturbingly, their ideological aggressiveness mirrors religious fundamentalists around the world. new york times As depicted in activist-designer-rapper MIA’s documentary, Hindu extremists rally against India’s Sinhala Buddhists and Muslims to call for the extermination of Muslims and terrorize Sri Lanka’s Tamils. There are reports that it is falling into.

As mental health advocates who recognize the interconnectedness of all systemic injustices, it is essential that we understand how religious fundamentalism threatens democracy. This public scholarship is a condensed book that deconstructs ideology and explains 1) how and why ideology extends to all religious doctrines, and 2) how ideology differs from healthy spirituality. It is intended to be used as an introductory book. This allows valid critiques of fundamentalism to avoid being confused with fundamentalism. Anti-theism. (Note: “Gd” is spelled that way out of respect for Jewish tradition regarding the utterance of God’s name.)

Fundamentals: Fundamentalist Doctrine

Religious fundamentalism is a meta-belief that issues strict edicts and is often associated with the sinfulness of all actions. Often the first priority is thought to be survival to Judgment Day or its equivalent, rather than the welfare of people in the here and now.

Therefore, in many cases, the degree of humanism or relationality has little to do with the rulebook. However, research shows that some people derive a sense of control and self-regulation from ideological normativity.

My conceptual framework for religious fundamentalism includes (currently) seven pillars:

1. the belief that religious pluralism is corrupting and that only one religion is or can be valid
2. Blaming society’s problems on secular modernization and the younger generation
3. Ironclad intra-group favoritism and strict distinctions between “us” and “them”
4. Apocalyptic anxiety and/or fantasies of accelerated jubilation (e.g., excitement about climate destruction)
5. Forced evangelization with or without the consent of others
6. A constant “spiritual battle” with the “enemy”
7. Authoritarian expectations of leaders (unquestioned control) and followers (complete subordination)

Some argue that religious fundamentalism is not focused on G-d as much as it exerts power and control intrapsychically, interpersonally, organizationally, and politically.

The Difference: Fundamentalism vs. Sound Spirituality

Perhaps the most obvious differences between healthy spirituality and religious practice and religious fundamentalism emerge around authority, leadership, organizational power, and censorship of knowledge.

beginning, fundamentalist leaders often instill self-doubt through doctrines of total depravity. This position frames humanity as inherently corrupt, evil, and contrary to G-d’s will. Not only that, but prayer and faith conflict with self-help, initiative, and positivity. Salvation and continued obedience to Her G-d’s will (often qualified by leaders) is the only way to transcend the Fall.

Ignoring the innate human potential for altruism and ignoring viable faith only leads to a false religion-activism dichotomy at the societal level. Additionally, many faith leaders such as CT Vivian, James Lawson, James Cone, Joseph Lowery, Ralph Abernathy, activist Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, and the father of liberation theology, Gustavo Gutierrez, to name a few. historical influence exposes the fallacy of this religion. The binary of activism.

The effects of this fundamentalist doctrine are both personal and political. While healthy spirituality can foster introspection and intuition, especially through mind-body awareness, fundamentalism inculcates emotional detachment by separating mind and body. And, both personally and politically, fundamentalism enables learned helplessness and psychological avoidance. As a result, fundamentalist activism often defends negative rather than positive rights.

Number 2, Fundamentalist leaders often support authoritarianism. Marlene Winnell conceptualized Religious Trauma Syndrome (RTS) to describe how autocratic leadership styles and narcissistic abusive tactics converge in fundamentalist clergy. Victims are often pathologized and scapegoated, but clergy have successfully protected their image by playing the victim. RTS overlaps with “Abusive Churches,” “25 Signs of Spiritual Abuse,” and other models of religious abuse.

Whereas healthy spirituality promotes a consensual and individualized spiritual journey, religious fundamentalism mandates that authorities unilaterally direct and examine the spiritual consciousness of all members. .

The authoritarian dynamics of fundamentalism, combined with the easily aroused guilt and gullibility of members, allow leaders to use shame and fear-mongering as weapons against autonomy and independent thinking. It becomes possible to obstruct.

Authoritarian logic can also justify inflicting painful and humiliating punishments that authorities would never agree to. The result is an unflinching respect for leaders who hide evidence of abuse and protect their reputations with the people.

lastlyFundamentalist leaders often promote Biblical literalism, a method of Biblical interpretation that ignores figurative language and follows the strictest meaning of word choices. Underlying this approach is a strong bias against secular historiography (such as archaeology) and the notion that sacred texts were not handwritten on scrolls by scribes for some 1,500 years, but instead appeared supernaturally. It is. This position fuels both ahistoricism and superstition, since false history can plant the seeds of conspiracy.

For example, the movie 1946: The Mistranslation That Changed a Culture describes how the Revised Standard Version Publishers Committee replaced the Greek words for pervert, malakoi and arsenokoitai, with “homosexual.” is exposed. And in 1983, Biblica, the copyright holder of the NIV Bible, mistranslated the German Bible. “Knabenschander,” meaning rampant pedophilia by Catholic clergy, was replaced by “homosexual,” just as the media characterized AIDS as a “gay plague.”

So it came as no surprise to many when former President Trump’s Bible teacher attributed the origins of COVID-19 to a gay man who allegedly angered the “wrath of G-d.” Also, television evangelist Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network and host of The 700 Club for 55 years, revealed that gay men wear sharp rings to intentionally spread HIV. There was no big shock when he said on the air that they were shaking hands.

While healthy spirituality aims to balance faith and reason, religious fundamentalism promotes anti-intellectualism, the over-spiritualization of oppression and tragedy, and the unquestioning acceptance of pseudo-history and pseudo-science. Masu. Given this group’s high gullibility to misinformation, political mobility, and strong moral motivation to reorganize secular governments into theocratic regimes, it is difficult to imagine how much democracy we currently have. The impact it will have on the struggle to protect the country is immeasurable.