Why Religions Willfully Commit Crimes in the Name of God: Religious Law versus Universal Ethics
Do All Religions Share Common Ethical Principles?
It has been argued that all the major
religions of the world share a common sense of ethics. They all teach us
not to kill, not to steal, not to lie, to treat others well, to help
the poor, and various other virtues acceptable to any sensitive human
being. Such rules of respectful behavior form universal ethical
principles and are found in many secular law codes as well. Even atheist
humanists will honor them.
However, monotheistic belief-based
religions teach another set of laws and principles that are purely
theological in nature and can override these humanistic ethical
principles, at times justifying violence and oppression. Such “religious
law” or what could also be called “theological morality” teaches that if you don’t accept our particular belief in God, God will punish you, and in God’s name we true believers have the right to convert, punish or harm you as well.
These biased religious codes tell their
followers that they are religiously justified in violating the human
rights of those who follow other beliefs; in fact, they will be honored
by God for doing so. For the true believers, religious law abrogates all
other laws and principles of acceptable behavior.
Not Accepting Religious Beliefs made into Unforgiveable Crimes
The problem is that several prominent sects of Islam and Christianity have not questioned their theological beliefs even when these promote deception, conflict and violence.
Islamic law or Sharia stands above all human law codes as something
Divine. Christian missionaries similarly feel justified to deceive or
intimidate others into conversion as part of spreading the Word of God.
According to many sects of Christianity,
a murderer who repents on his deathbed will go to Heaven, while a
saintly person who is not a Christian will go to hell in spite of his or
her exemplary life. In other words, God will forgive you of heinous
crimes if you believe in him, but will not forgive you of the ultimate
sin of disbelief, whatever else good you may do. This means that not
following certain Church dogmas is equated with great evils – as if
violations of theology were worse than crimes against humanity.
In Islam, criticizing Mohammed or the
Koran is a crime that can be punishable by death, as stated in
anti-apostasy and anti-blasphemy laws. It has been said in Islam that
the worst Muslim, be he/she a criminal, is better than the best
non-Muslim, be he/she a saint. In other words, belief in Islam outweighs
being a good person. Such unethical laws are part of the Sharia law
code followed in Islamic states today.
For fundamentalists in Christianity or Islam, theological morality outweighs any universal ethics.
It makes deception, theft and killing in the Name of God into virtuous
acts, however much destruction and sorrow caused along the way. History
is replete with examples of Crusades and Jihads, with genocide,
witch-burning, and wanton destruction of entire countries and cultures.
Islamic State, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan
The Islamic State today is a good
example of a religious group that follows a cruel theological morality
that violates all universal ethics, extending to public beheadings of
non-believers. Such true believers feel justified in promoting a wave of
terror against all who do not accept their particular view of Islam,
which may include those who follow other types of Islamic teachings like
the Shias.
Yet Saudi based Wahhabi Islam follows the same law codes as the Islamic State,
which it teaches in numerous Madrasas throughout the world. As long as
Saudi Arabia upholds these cruel religious laws, the rest of the Islamic
world will likely continue to do the same, regardless of any covenants
of human rights they may politically claim to endorse for the United
Nations.
Pakistan is another prime Islamic State
in which Islamic law is regularly invoked to justify brutality and to
promote state support of terrorist Jihad, now threatening the entire
world. Bharat has historically had the imposition of Islamic law that
brought about a genocide of Hindus and massive destruction of Hindu
temples during the long period of Islamic rule.
An End to Religious Law and Theological Morality
Though religions may appear to share
certain universal ethics – it counts for little if they have overriding
religious laws that consider it acceptable to harm non-believers. There
can be no real interfaith dialogue until such dehumanizing religious
laws and principles are totally rejected.
There can be no peace between religions
until all theological morality is given up in favor of a universal
ethics that does not depend upon any belief. It is wrong to kill, steal
or deceive any human beings, not just believers. There is no exception
for true believers that allows them to perform criminal acts as a form
of religious virtue. That the other person is in your eyes a heathen, kafir or idolater is no excuse for their degradation.
Until such theological morality is
rejected, and any religious law that promotes it, speaking of the unity
or harmony of religions, and their promotion of love and human values,
cannot be taken seriously. This extends to the Catholic Church, which
while trying to bring an end to certain political conflicts in the
world, continues to promote religious divisions and antagonisms as if it
were the only true faith.
All religious leaders should sign a document of universal ethics rejecting any exceptions to it in the name of theology. No human being is condemned or damned, evil or wrong by belief alone.
It is our thoughts and behavior that determines our nature and our
karma regardless of the religion we may claim to follow. If our behavior
is that of criminals, how can any religious law justify it?
If Islam is a religion of peace why does
Islamic law promote and justify war, which may excuse terrorism? If
Christianity is a religion of love, why does its God of love hatefully
condemn the majority of humanity to eternal damnation? If a religion
sanctions violating common courtesy and respect between people, how can
it lead us to any higher truth or immortality?
Sabhar from HinduPost.
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