Locate in the southern deserts of Utah are fantastic shapes carved in sandstone by wind, rain, and gravity. They consist of billions grains of sand cemented together in glowing shades of iron oxide. Their beauty teach us of the power of unity in a world trying to tear societies and families apart.
Brotherhood – By Al Vester
Each soul like a grain of sand
A fragment of a boundless land
Distinct, unique is every one
An each is God’s own precious son.
As each grain is bound by those above
So we are bound by those we love
For we are bathed in love that springs
From other souls by whom we are ringed
Extremism is now the forefront of many commentaries today and is often connected with one religion or another. But the extremist is not truly a religious person. The goal of the so-called extremist leader is political power. Using the whip of pseudo-religious fervor, they foment hatred against perceived opponents. Power becomes the extremist’s god and violence is their doctrine and their solution to all problems. However, the doctrine of violence draws ever smaller circles of who are acceptable and worthy to live, who are not acceptable and need to be eliminated. The ultimate destination of such doctrine can be found in the story of one old extremist talking to his only friend saying, “All the people of the world are wicked apostates except you and me, and I am having some doubts about you.”
Whereas goal of a truly religious person is the worship and emulation of a superior being normally referred to as God. In the scriptures that I am familiar with, God is merciful, wise, loving, and forgiving. The truly religious individual strives to become like the being that he or she worships, therefore they will strive to be merciful, wise, loving, and forgiving according to the teachings in their scriptures.
Here are a few examples:
- (Old Testament) Psalms 5:14 “Depart from evil, and do good, seek peace and pursue it.”
- (New Testament) Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”
- (Book of Mormon) Moroni 7:13 “But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.”
- (Quran) Sura 42.40 “…But if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah. Verily He (Allah) does not love those who do wrong.”
Extremists by definition are not peace-makers, forgiving, or merciful, thus they are not truly religious in that they do not try to emulate the characteristics of the supreme being they claim to worship. In fact, they are more closely aligned with the definition of an atheist.
An atheist is one who believes that there is no supreme being. Thereby, he sets himself up as the most supreme being in his universe, having no one higher in wisdom, knowledge, or understanding than himself. The extremist, like the atheist, considers himself as the supreme possessor of truth. Due to this perceived superiority, he feels justified in being the judge, jury, and executioner over his fellow beings. Thus, he sets his own standards by which he judges all other beings.
Oblivious to the fact that every individual has a unique set of experiences, culture, and customs, the extremist condemns every person that is not exactly like himself, a standard that is both physically and emotionally impossible to met. Meanwhile, the truly religious person sees every other person as a creation of God, a brother or sister who is worthy of respect both for their similarities as well as for their unique differences in a world filled with infinite possibilities.
May we recognize extremism as a power play, by extremist leaders who use those who are violent, hateful, and discontented to extend their domains of influence at the expense of all that is good, kind, and fair. The truly religious people of this world are the real hope for our future as each individual strives to live the golden rule, wherein you treat others in the same kindly manner that you would like to be treated yourself.
