“Those who will not reason, are bigots, those who cannot, are fools, and those who dare not, are slaves.” ―
At some point or another we’ve all been exposed to ideas that have divided us into opposing camps. Some ideas are more strident than others, some more malicious, but all are biases and all make up the habitat of sectarianism.
Sectarianism, simply put, is the unquestioned (dumb) allegiance to a religious, political, ethnic, racial or sexual bias where one’s identity becomes indistinguishable from that of the group.
On this very day wars are being waged in their defense, even at the family dinner table.
One way sectarianism becomes especially malicious — even deadly — is when it is enshrined in the language of sacred texts and then passed on as unquestionable truth from one generation to the next.
How often have passages from the Bible been recited to justify the subjugation of Black people, women and nonbelievers? Those who choose to believe otherwise are cast off and branded as fallen.
It’s especially heartbreaking when such teachings are used to poison the minds of little ones. One need not go to a madrasa in Afghanistan for proof. Just visit some of our local churches and you’ll see how children might rightfully ask:
As a child I was immersed in the Roman Catholic orthodoxy found in the Baltimore Catechism. It was there I was taught, “outside the Catholic church there is no salvation.” And “The Catholic Church is the one true Church established by Christ because it alone has the marks of the true.”
“In fact, there is only one true and holy religion. She is called Catholic, Apostolic, and Roman.” ~ Pope Pius IX
I was taught not to question what I didn’t understand, and what I didn’t understand frightened me. So when my faith was challenged I reacted in anger, and then my challenger became my enemy — someone to hate.
And there’s the rub: fear is what undergirds anger and hate.
So when I was taught to fear, I learned to hate — all because I couldn’t question what I didn’t understand.
My mother was a devout Catholic but not a (dumb) Catholic. She was a thoughtful believer who kept an open mind and taught her children to do the same. During the time of Vatican II when the winds of ecumenism blew through the Catholic church, she naturally became a leader of the ecumenical movement in our parish.
On many Monday nights Mom hosted people of all faiths for “Living Room Dialogues” where attendees shared their deeply held beliefs. We kids joined in, and because we did — our lives were changed forever.
Mom’s personal witness softened my sectarian religious bias.
To be sure, Catholic teaching has been greatly tempered since Vatican II. Today, Pope Francis teaches:
”No one should be afraid that God has allowed there to be different religions in the world…but we should be frightened if we are not doing the work of fraternity, of walking together in life as brothers and sisters of one human family.”
As a child, I also witnessed my grandfather’s bigotry. He despised the British. He couldn’t/wouldn’t forgive them for how they subjugated the Irish for a thousand years and he was dead set on passing his bias on to his family.
But my Grandmother tempered him. She harbored no such biases and refused to allow his to infect us. She understood the times were different, that life had moved on and such bitterness would only prolong our misery.
My own tempering experience came at a rest stop while driving through northern Idaho. I passed a man seated on a park bench — cradling a rifle. As I walked by I asked him, “What are you hunting?” He shot back, “n*****s,” then pointed to his Aryan tattoo.
I immediately took my leave, called the police and reported my encounter. Soon they arrived and arrested the guy. I later learned that a man wanted for the murder of a Black man in Missouri had been picked up. I wondered if that was the guy I encountered at the rest stop. Whatever, I tempered the sectarian intentions of that man — on that day.
“Become the destroyer of sects – become the breaker of privileges – become the messenger of equality – become the prophet of goodness.” ~ Abhijit Naskar
Amen.
Just a thought…
Pat
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