Global Identity: Extreme Religious Identities – Preserving Fundamentals
Global Identity: Extreme Religious Identities – Preserving Fundamentals
Rises in the “highly conservative, traditional, and literal expression of faith” are a reaction mechanism to defend the core values of their religion against a globalizing world. These groups are resorting to extremist methods of preserving what they believe are necessary fundamental, not only to their religion, but also to a society or a nation as a whole. While the media has been abuzz with Islam extremist groups and nations, mostly due to terrorist action, religious fundamentalism is not unique to Islam.
Some religions often receive a skewed view of the basis of their belief by member of other societies, due to extremist groups within. Although they may only represent a very small portion of all those who identify with a religion, their actions have a high level of impact on perceptions towards that religion. Strong feelings of identity of Christian Fundamentalists are becoming evident in this time of rapid globalization, where ideas are being spread faster and acceptance of new ideas, cultures, and backgrounds is becoming commonplace. There strong attachment to a Christian identity is rejecting these changes.
Such extremist groups believe they must be at the forefront of turning America towards conservative Christian values, which they believe is necessary. This is becoming an imminent issue to these groups due to the process of world globalization. Christians who hold fast to their identity are reacting against modern movements, advancements for women, education on diversity, globalization, and social acceptance back to the traditional values that once defined them. They often involve themselves in politics because they see the state as failing to preserve their values against modernization. I believe this feeling of entitlement to the identity of a nation, based on their religion, is erroneous. While it is clear that some nations represent core value of their prominent religion, the state and religion are separate identities, representing different factors.
Christians who hold fast to their identity are reacting against modern movements, advancements for women, education on diversity, globalization, and social acceptance back to the traditional values that once defined them. They often involve themselves in politics because they see the state as failing to preserve their values against modernization. I believe this feeling of entitlement to the identity of a nation, based on their religion, is erroneous. While it is clear that some nations represent core value of their prominent religion, the state and religion are separate identities, representing different factors. Mix of religion and politics can cause conflicts with the constitutional ideals of state.
Christian Fundamentalists, argue a connect with nationalism; fundamentalists who identify strongly with both their religion and nation, feel it is necessary to preserve the US’s Christian values, and often use this as a motivation for voting in conservative leaders. Religion has a huge power to influence political actions. It also has a huge power to influence those who stongly associate themselves with an identity based on religion. I myself identify as Christian, but my beliefs and values are very different than those of any fundamentalist group. It is interesting how when one word “Christian” is used as an identifier – the range of conflicting value, actions, beliefs, and pereceptions- can be so different. In a similar way, it is by this using these single word identities that individuals and groups- namely polical- may create an association to many people and leverage this connection for unrelated power.
People entitled to own beliefs, but when involves the lives and being of others, it is no longer right. Fundamentalist Christians pose cultural threats rather than violent ones. While their practices are questionable, and camps exist that aim to influence children – the future of their religion, there exist no violent terrorizing way of achieving their objectives.
Globalization is an unstoppable force. While drawing ties between identities of religion and politics is a strategy, the inevitable social changes are difficult to stop. While few stand in the way of these fundamentalists from believing what they want, it is possible that with an ever globalizing future, their extremist views and actions will only become that – more extreme .
