When Belief Becomes Blind: The Unspoken Danger of Religious Fanaticism
When Belief Becomes Blind: The
Unspoken Danger of Religious Fanaticism
Religion has shaped
civilizations, inspired great works of art, and brought comfort to billions.
But when it turns into fanaticism, it ceases to be a personal path to meaning
and becomes a public threat to reason, freedom, and even human life.
Throughout history, we’ve seen
what happens when religious ideology overrides human empathy and intellectual
honesty. The centuries-long wars between Christians and Muslims weren’t just
battles over territory they were clashes fueled by rigid belief systems, often
at times when science, reason, and inquiry were beginning to emerge. Instead of
evolving alongside new knowledge, religious leaders doubled down, often
responding to curiosity and skepticism with suppression and violence.
And that pattern continues.
Today, science has reached
unprecedented heights. We’ve mapped the human genome, decoded the universe’s
oldest light, and developed technologies that could have been called miracles
in any previous age. And yet, many of the same religious institutions that
fought progress centuries ago still wield enormous power not through
persuasion, but through indoctrination, fear, and wealth.
Recently, I had a disheartening
encounter that made this clear in a deeply personal way. Among a group of
Hindus who hold tightly to Sanatan traditions, I witnessed how even the most
educated minds including a retired economics professor with a Ph.D. and decades
of teaching could defend indefensible actions simply because they aligned with
religious sentiment. In this case, some defended a lawyer who publicly attacked
the Chief Justice of India not on legal grounds, but because he was seen as
insulting their faith.
What I saw wasn’t devotion. It
was mental capture the kind that leads people to value symbols over lives, to
protect myths more fiercely than truth, and to justify violence in the name of
the divine.
Religious fanaticism often begins
by asking people to accept the unknown without question. But the danger lies
not in mystery itself it lies in institutionalizing that mystery as untouchable
truth. Over time, belief is no longer a choice. It becomes a mandate, enforced
by social pressure, political influence, and, when challenged, open aggression.
When spiritual centers become
wealthy, powerful institutions immune to critique, fueled by donations,
protected by mobs they begin to act more like corporations than sanctuaries.
Their growing financial and political clout is often used not for upliftment,
but for silencing dissent and crushing reason. Those who ask questions are
painted as enemies. Those who point out contradictions are branded as heretics.
And those who refuse to bow to the ritual, the relic, or the narrative are cast
out or worse.
This is how stones become more
valuable than living beings. This is how logic-trained individuals, taught for
years to think critically, suddenly become hostile to reason when it threatens
their beliefs. It’s not just sad it’s terrifying.
Because if even educated minds
can abandon critical thinking in the name of unproven claims, what hope is
there for a society already struggling under disinformation, identity politics,
and rising authoritarianism?
We have seen this form of control
before the control of the few over the masses. Some rule through the fear of
guns; others through the fear of God. Both are built on submission and
obedience. Science and logic have spent centuries trying to liberate humanity
from the prison of fear exposing myths, questioning dogma, and inviting people
to think. But just as science shines light on truth, there are always those who
profit from darkness.
Today, a new kind of thug has
emerged not with weapons, but with words and divine claims. They are pushing
society backward, convincing people to reject evidence and reason in favor of
blind faith that can be easily manipulated. What we are witnessing now especially
in nations like India is the sudden explosion of dogmatic, god-centric entities
asserting dominance over thought, education, and even governance. If this trend
is not checked, the world could once again descend into the kind of darkness
that history has already warned us about an age where questioning is
punishable, and faith is compulsory.
The young “gurus” rising in India
today don’t speak the language of spiritual depth. They speak the language of
certainty. They offer quick answers, mythological authority, and performative
pride. When they quote ancient texts, they do so not to invite reflection, but
to shut down discussion. They claim moral superiority while denying basic
humanity to those who think differently. And they are followed not because they
lead people toward truth, but because they promise belonging without question.
What’s more dangerous than a
fanatic who believes he’s right? A fanatic with money, followers, and a
justification for violence.
This isn’t unique to one
religion. In countries like India and Pakistan, perceived insults to religious
symbols or the national flag can be met with deadly force. In contrast,
countries like the U.S. tolerate even protect expressions of dissent. Burning a
flag in America is not considered treason. It’s seen as protest. In fact, the
U.S. flag is proudly used on apparel, artwork, and even shoes, not as
desecration but as a symbol of freedom of expression and pride in American-made
quality.
And that difference matters.
Because when religion becomes state-protected dogma, it no longer just shapes
belief it controls behavior, punishes thought, and destroys freedom.
The real tragedy is that true
spirituality whether in Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, or any other tradition was
never meant to shut down inquiry. It was meant to guide it. To elevate the
human spirit, not shackle it. But today, belief has become a cover for control,
and faith has become fuel for fanaticism.
We should be deeply concerned.
Not because people believe in the divine but because they’ve stopped believing
in reason, in dialogue, and in humanity itself.
The danger isn’t religion. The
danger is the refusal to think.
And if we let that continue, the
darkness that once belonged to the past will once again define our future.
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