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Religious Zealots

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Religious zealotry has been one of the most significant causes of violence in history. Obviously, religious zealotry in the contemporary age includes extremist Islamic terrorism, but other religions have suffered from extremist zealots as well. Christianity persecuted non-Christians for hundreds of years during the Inquisition. Even within a religion, zealots fight over their different ideologies. In the Muslim world, zealots among the Sunnis and Shiites use violence to express their differences. Similarly, Protestants and Catholics have a bloody history of violence in Christianity. Since both of these religions espouse peace toward others in their texts, why do religious zealots believe they can use violence against others who do not believe …show more content…

Unlike most practitioners of a religion, zealots believe that their interpretation of the religion is the only legitimate one. In addition, zealots are willing to go to extreme measures to impose their interpretation on others, whether within the faith or among believers in other religions. Zealots are even willing to use violence to enforce their beliefs and practices against those who resist. Zealots believe that others in their community, nation, and even the world must adhere to their beliefs and practices. The second line of inquiry that is necessary to answer this question must examine whether there are specific issues shared by zealots among the religions. If there are issues shared in common by zealots of different religions, an answer might be deduced about the cause of zealotry. Such a cause will be enlightening about the cause of zealotry assuming the religion itself is not the primary cause. Indeed, this issue now brings the inquirer to perhaps the most important question: Are there unique factors within the religion that cause zealotry? The answer to this question could be troubling given the fact that many people today in the secular, industrial world believe that religious tolerance is necessary. If one religion is singled out as inherently conducive to zealotry, it might actually face

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