how to respond to a religious fanatic

Over time, I grew to love Uncle John so much that I found it easy to see how God could love him, and I made a point to try to get that across to him. Where fanatics say I reasoned once, came to the absolute truth and dont have to reason again, science, a practical practice we can learn to apply well beyond the lab, admits that theres no last word, just todays best guesses, to be improved upon through ongoing inquiry. At first sight, such a fanatic performance seems light years removed from the (only tentatively known) early forms of religion which first appeared as part of the behavioral modernization of Homo sapiens.Neither the late-modern medium of communication used, nor the individualism and dogmatism revealed by the post, seem to have anything to do with the religious system of a hunter-gatherer . How to Handle a Religious Fanatic At age 19, I was a proud, Bible-thumping holy-roller who was on a one-man mission to save the world from sin. Steffen[who?] Consequently, I had trouble making friends outside the most sympathetic circle of gracious believers at my church. If You're Devoted to Religion, Are You a Religious Fanatic? Thanks for respecting that." But these are all long-term strategies. 7 Ticking Time Bombs That Destroy Loving Relationships, The Single Best (and Hardest) Thing to Give Up, 3 Ways to Reclaim Your Hope and Happiness. All content copyright original author unless stated otherwise. But I never felt like I made much progress until one memorable phone conversation towards the end of his life. Its kind of like were a football were just an old, dead pigskin thats useless without a quarterback. 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. You can say I am feeling disrespected right now and am going to take myself out of this situation.. Two hundred adults from both genders between the ages of 21-86 years old from five religious denominations: Catholics, Protestants (i.e. Naw, Josh-ah. After all, theyre the ones making unevidenced claims about reality, not us. Be self-effacing. Being a know-it-all provides such powerful pain relief. Religious fanaticism, or religious extremism, is a pejorative designation used to indicate uncritical zeal or obsessive enthusiasm which is related to one's own, or one's group's, devotion to a religion - a form of human fanaticism which could otherwise be expressed in one's other involvements and participation, including employment, role, and partisan affinities. The best single way I can think of would be to end injustice. Faith and Foolishness: When Religious Beliefs Become Dangerous What should I do if I feel like my beliefs are limiting my pay and promotion at work? Youre not going to convince someone otherwise in one conversation. Religious fanaticism, or religious extremism, is a pejorative designation used to indicate uncritical zeal or obsessive enthusiasm which is related to one's own, or one's group's, devotion to a religion a form of human fanaticism which could otherwise be expressed in one's other involvements and participation, including employment, role, and partisan affinities. First of all, dont panic! And all the while, Uncle John, as I came to call him, took my preaching in stride. Join us. Inform the Police, Home Office, and Secret Services that a bearded weirdo is preaching hatred and intolerance at the local Mosque/Church/Synagogue/Temple/Cultist Coven! 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. How do any believers know for sure that their faith is the right one, especially given the presumed penalty for guessing wrong. The kind of response that one Sunday led to our entire congregation lining up, and, at the touch of a remarkably dynamic worship leader, falling to the floor like dominoes slain, as we were, in the spirit. For example, I am feeling attacked right now. If you're asked about your religious beliefs, be honest. No wonder fanaticism is so intoxicating. This is one area where keeping your trap shut will reward you in spades. What I do is, I tell them that people believe different things, and that I wouldn't try to force my believes on them, and ask them to respect me as I respect them. Humbly invoked reason to remove our shortcomings. By signing up you are agreeing to receive emails according to our privacy policy. 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. And as I listened, I gradually learned that Uncle John was a man of many sorrows, one with a broken life history, a man who was afraid God could never forgive him for all the ways he had failed. About Mother Foundress. How can we protect ourselves from these lost souls? You don't 'handle it'; You walk away. And when they cant (or shouldnt be) avoided, a thoughtful and respectful approach can help prevent a contentious situation. If the person invites you to a religious service, agree to go as a respectful observer. was it you did not understand asshole?" But thats not always the case. NFL DRAFT. Its 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 again. How Religion Affects Everyday Life | Pew Research Center [18] The Qutbist ideology has been influential on jihadist movements and Islamic terrorists that seek to overthrow secular governments, most notably Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri of al-Qaeda,[14][15][16] as well as the Salafi-jihadi terrorist group ISIL/ISIS/IS/Daesh. In my opinion, the best way to deal with religious fanatics is to give them enough rope and let them hang themselves. According to them, true Muslims will pursue it by any means necessary, including dissimulation, civil coercion, and the killing of innocents". Why is God in the Old Testament such a narcissistic bully, toying with people for his amusement, ordering genocides in which innocent women and children are killed. Bin Laden may not have looked like an anti-globalisation campaigner, but he shared with them a concern about the effects of unbridled capitalism. Allow others the opportunity to speak. Last Updated: January 12, 2023 ". Tell him that reading the bible turned you an atheist - too much bullshit. {"smallUrl":"https:\/\/www.wikihow.com\/images\/thumb\/8\/88\/Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/v4-460px-Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","bigUrl":"\/images\/thumb\/8\/88\/Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-1-Version-3.jpg\/aid84557-v4-728px-Deal-with-Religious-People-if-You-Are-an-Atheist-Step-1-Version-3.jpg","smallWidth":460,"smallHeight":345,"bigWidth":728,"bigHeight":546,"licensing":"