Religions and terrorism 26/01/2015 The main conflict of the late twentieth century and the beginning of the new millennium have a religious transfundo. Thus Ireland, Kosovo, Kachemira, Afghanistan, Iraq and the new Islamic State, extremely violent. It became clear in Paris with the murder of the cartoonists and others by Islamic fundamentalists. As it comes to religion? Not without reason wrote Samiuel P. Huntington in his famous book The Clash of Civilizations : In the modern world, religion is a central force, perhaps the central force that motivates and mobilizes people ... .What ultimately account for people is not political ideology or economic interest; but what with which people identify are religious beliefs, family and creeds. It is for these things that they fight and are even willing to give his life (1997, p.79). He criticizes the US foreign policy for never having given due weight to the religious factor, with something past and exceeded. The concept is wrong. It is the substrate of the most serious conflicts we are living. Whether we like it or not, despite the process of secularization and the eclipse of the sacred, much of humanity is guided by religious worldview, Jewish, Christian, Islamic, Shinto, Buddhist and others. As I stated Christopher Dawson (1889-1970), the great English historian of cultures, the great religions are the foundations on which rest the civilizations ( Dynamics of World History, 1957, p.128) . Religions are the point dhonneur of a culture, because through it designs its big dreams, prepares its ethical principles, gives meaning to history and have a say about the ultimate ends of life and the universe. Only modern culture did not produce infirm religion. Found subtituivos with idolatrous functions such as Reason, endless progress, unlimited consumption without limits accumulation and others. The result has been denounced by Nietzsche proclaimed the death of God. Not that God has died, it would not be God. It is the fact that men killed God. With that meant that God is no longer a reference point for fundamental values, for cohesion over among humans. The effects are living in the planetary level: a humanity adrift, an atrocious loneliness and the feeling of alienation, not knowing where the story takes us. If we want peace in this world need to rescue the sense of the sacred, the spiritual dimension of life that are the origins of religions. In fact, more important than religion, is the spirituality that is presented as the size of the deep human. But spirituality is externalized in the form of religions, whose meaning is to feed, support and impregnate the spirituality of life. Not always realize it because almost all religions, when institutionalize, enter the power game, the hierarchies and can take pathological forms. All that is healthy can get sick. But is the sound that measured religions, as well as people and not by the pathological. And then we see that they fulfill a unique role: the attempt to give meaning to life last and offer a hopeful picture of history. It so happens that today fundamentalism and terrorism that are religious pathologies, gained relevance. In large part due to the devastating globalization process (actually westernization of the world) that passes over the differences, destroys identities and imposes strange habits to them. Usually when this happens, people cling to those instances that are the guardians of their identity. It is in religions that keep your memories and your best symbols. They feel invaded as in Iraq and Afghanistan, with thousands of victims, take refuge in their religion as a form of resistance. So the question is not so much religious. Shes policy before using religion for self-defense. The invasion generates anger and desire for revenge. Fundamentalism and terrorism are complex issues in your niche of origin. Hence the terror attacks. How to overcome this impasse civilization? Key is to live the ethics of hospitality, be willing to discuss and learn from the different live active tolerance, feeling human. Religions need to recognize each other, engage in dialogue and seek minimum convergence that allow them to live peacefully. First of all important to recognize religious pluralism, in fact and law. The plurality is derived from a correct comprehension of God. No religion can claim to frame the Mystery, the original source of all being or whatever name you want to give to the Supreme Reality, in the meshes of his speech and its rites. If so off, God would be a piece of the world, in fact, an idol. He is always further and always higher. So there is room for other expressions and other forms of celebrate it than exclusively through this specific religion. The first eleven chapters of Genesis contain a great lesson. Them do not talk about Israel as the chosen people. Refers to the peoples of the world, as all people of God. Above them hangs a rainbow of divine covenant. This message reminds us today that all people, with their religions and traditions, are people of God, all live on earth, the garden of God and form the only Mankind made up of many families with their traditions, cultures and religions. Leonardo Boff is a columnist for JBonline, philosopher and theologian
Posted on: Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:43:05 +0000
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