Randall Twede
The Threat of Fanaticism
With the birth of civilization came the afterbirth of fanaticism. Throughout history fanatics have sought to destroy freedom of choice: to force their ideas, beliefs, or way of life on others. The term fanatic has two basic meanings. It can refer to enthusiasm: an enthusiast, a zealot, or a monomaniac. Or it can refer to extremeness: an extremist, a radical, or an ultraist. This definition, however, fails to convey the threat that fanaticism poses. From the Inquisition to McCarthyism, from skinheads to terrorists, fanatics have wreaked incalculable suffering on innocent human beings.
Religion has been a hotbed of fanaticism throughout history. The Catholics weren't the only Christians in the early Middle Ages, there was a rival group known as the Cathars. One of the ways in which the Cathars differed from the Catholics is that they believed in the equality of men and women. They even allowed women to be priests. Well, of course, the chauvinistic institution of Catholicism didn’t like that. They probably didn't like having a rival in the first place. With accusations of heresy, they slaughtered hundreds of thousands of their fellow Christians in the name of Christ. My guess is that very few people realize this. We are ashamed of it: so ashamed, that this word processor I am using doesn’t even recognize the proper nouns "Cathars" or "Cathari". "Although the Inquisition was created to combat the heretical Cathari and Waldenses, the Inquisition later extended its activity to include witches, diviners, blasphemers, and other sacrilegious persons."
To be fair, I must mention that Catholics have also been persecuted, at least in England, beginning during the reign of Henry VIII. Nor is fanaticism limited to Christians, as the events of September 11, 2001 demonstrated so horrifically.
Another hotbed of fanaticism is politics. Communist fanaticism in the Soviet Union and the Peoples Republic resulted in millions of dead citizens. McCarthyism in the United States resulted in thousands of destroyed lives.
Racism can also fuel fanaticism. Hitler's fantasy of an "Aryan master race" resulted in the slaughter of millions in his attempt to exterminate all who failed to meet his criteria. Or consider the popularity of lynching and cross-burning in the United States that goes on to this very day.
Many people think of fanatics as living outside the mainstream of society. As this essay has shown, this is not necessarily the case. In the New England witch-hunts of a few centuries ago, the fanatics were respected members of mainstream society, as were many of their victims. Indeed, fanaticism is perhaps most frightening when the fanatics are in positions of power.
Civilization has brought many benefits for mankind. However, if these benefits come at the cost of people's life or liberty, they are no bargain. We must learn to accept human diversity and take seriously the words of the Declaration of Independence when it says:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…"
