Not in God's Name

1. Altruistic Evil: Religion's Darkest Paradox

Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it from religious conviction.

The Paradox of Sacred Violence. Religion, intended to foster love and compassion, can tragically motivate acts of extreme violence. This "altruistic evil" occurs when individuals believe they are serving a sacred cause, leading to the cold-blooded murder of innocents in the name of high ideals.

Examples of Altruistic Evil:

• Suicide bombers who believe they are doing God's work
• Jihadists who calmly kill fellow Muslims
• Historical events like the Crusades and the Inquisition

The Need for Theological Re-examination. To combat religiously motivated violence, a critical re-examination of theology is necessary. This involves questioning whether the God of Abraham desires his followers to kill for his sake, demands human sacrifice, or rejoices in holy war.

2. Identity: The Double-Edged Sword of Group Belonging

What a chimera, then, is man! What a novelty, what a monster, what a chaos, what a contradiction, what a prodigy! Judge of all things, feeble earthworm, repository of truth, sewer of uncertainty and error, the glory and the scum of the universe.

The Inherent Tension of Human Nature. Humans are both altruistic and aggressive, capable of great good and great evil. This duality stems from our social nature and the formation of groups, which unite individuals but also create divisions and competition.

The Evolutionary Basis of Groupishness. Groups enhance survival by enabling cooperation and resource sharing. However, this also leads to conflict with rival groups competing for the same resources.

The Challenge of Expanding Moral Concern. While religions often preach love and compassion, these sentiments are frequently confined to fellow believers. Overcoming this in-group bias and extending moral concern to those outside our immediate group is a crucial challenge.

3. Dualism: The Perilous Division of Good and Evil

Exaggerate each feature until man is Metamorphosized into beast, vermin, insect. When your icon of the enemy is complete You will be able to kill without guilt, Slaughter without shame.

The Allure of Simplification. Dualism, the belief in two opposing forces of good and evil, offers a simplified worldview that can be particularly appealing during times of cognitive dissonance. However, pathological dualism, which divides humanity into the unimpeachably good and the irredeemably bad, is a dangerous mindset.

The Threefold Defeat of Morality:

• Dehumanization: Robbing enemies of their humanity
• Establishing Victimhood: Relinquishing responsibility for evil acts
• Altruistic Evil: Committing violence in a sacred cause

The Importance of Monotheism. Monotheism, with its belief in one God encompassing both justice and compassion, offers a counter to dualism by internalizing the struggle between good and evil within each individual.

4. The Scapegoat: Projecting Internal Conflicts

We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

Deflecting Violence Through Blame. Societies often deflect internal violence by projecting it onto an external victim, the scapegoat. This mechanism requires believing that the scapegoat is both all-powerful and powerless, a contradiction that signals its presence.

The Three Stages of Scapegoating:

• Dehumanization: Defining the scapegoat as subhuman
• Establishing Victimhood: Portraying oneself as the innocent victim
• Committing Altruistic Evil: Justifying violence as self-defense

The Case of Antisemitism. Antisemitism serves as a prime example of scapegoating, with Jews historically and currently being blamed for a wide range of societal problems. This phenomenon is obsessive, irrational, and often self-contradictory.

5. Sibling Rivalry: The Genesis of Abrahamic Strife

A little more than kin, and less than kind.

The Primal Act of Violence. Sibling rivalry, the competition between brothers, is a primal source of violence. This theme is prevalent in Genesis, with stories like Cain and Abel, Isaac and Ishmael, and Jacob and Esau.

The Abrahamic Faiths and Sibling Rivalry. Judaism, Christianity, and Islam each define themselves through narratives of sibling rivalry, assigning a secondary or subordinate role to the others. This creates tension and the potential for conflict.

The Need for Reinterpretation. To overcome this cycle of strife, a radical re-reading of these narratives is necessary, one that recognizes the value and dignity of each faith tradition.

6. Re-Reading Genesis: A Counter-Narrative of Grace

Though my father and mother might forsake me, The Lord will hold me close.

Beyond the Surface Narrative. The stories of Genesis, while seemingly about choice and rejection, also contain a counter-narrative that subverts these themes. This counter-narrative emphasizes God's blessing and care for those who are not chosen.

Examples of the Counter-Narrative:

• God's repeated promises to bless Ishmael
• The sympathetic portrayal of Hagar's plight
• The reconciliation of Jacob and Esau

The Importance of Empathy. By recognizing the humanity and worth of those outside the covenant, we can move beyond the cycle of sibling rivalry and embrace a more inclusive vision of faith.

7. The Universality of Justice, the Particularity of Love: A Framework for Coexistence

We have just enough religion to make us hate, but not enough to make us love one another.

The Limits of Universalism and Tribalism. Attempts to impose a single, universal identity or to retreat into narrow tribalism both lead to violence and oppression. A more balanced approach is needed.

The Two Covenants of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew Bible offers a framework for coexistence through its two covenants: the Noahide covenant, which establishes universal principles of justice, and the Abrahamic covenant, which celebrates the particularity of love and faith.

The Importance of Both Justice and Love. Justice ensures that all individuals are treated fairly, while love fosters a sense of community and belonging. By upholding both principles, we can create a society that is both just and compassionate.

8. Hard Texts: Interpreting Scripture with Wisdom and Compassion

Both read the Bible day and night, But thou read’st black where I read white.

The Danger of Literal Interpretation. Sacred texts often contain passages that, if interpreted literally, can lead to violence and hate. Therefore, it is crucial to approach scripture with wisdom and compassion.

The Importance of Tradition and Interpretation. Every text-based religion develops traditions of interpretation to guide believers in understanding and applying scripture. These traditions provide context and prevent the misuse of sacred texts.

The Rejection of Fundamentalism. Fundamentalism, which rejects interpretation and seeks to apply scripture directly, is a dangerous and untraditional approach that can lead to harmful consequences.

9. Relinquishing Power: The Spiritual Strength of Humility

Power buries those who wield it.

The Corrupting Influence of Power. Religion and power are two distinct enterprises that should not be confused. When religion seeks to wield political power, it often becomes corrupted and loses its spiritual focus.

The Importance of Humility and Self-Restraint. True religious influence comes not from wielding power but from serving others and upholding moral principles. By relinquishing power, religion can become a force for good in society.

The Example of Judaism and Christianity. Both Judaism and Christianity have experienced periods of powerlessness and persecution, which ultimately led to a rediscovery of their core values and a renewed commitment to serving humanity.

10. Letting Go of Hate: The Path to True Freedom

Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness.

The Captivity of Hate. Hate is a destructive force that binds us to the past and prevents us from moving forward. To be truly free, we must let go of hate and resentment.

The Power of Forgiveness and Reconciliation. Forgiveness is not about condoning past wrongs but about releasing ourselves from their grip. Reconciliation involves building bridges and creating a future of peace and understanding.

The Example of Holocaust Survivors. Holocaust survivors, despite their unimaginable suffering, often choose to live without resentment and to dedicate their lives to promoting tolerance and understanding.

11. The Will to Power or the Will to Life: Choosing Creation over Destruction

Here in this transport I am Eve with Abel my son If you see my older son Cain son of Man tell him that I

The Fundamental Choice. The story of Cain and Abel represents a fundamental choice between the will to power, which leads to violence and destruction, and the will to life, which embraces compassion and creation.

The Rejection of Human Sacrifice. The God of Abraham rejects human sacrifice and the pursuit of power through violence. Instead, he calls us to honor the sanctity of life and to build a world of justice and peace.

The Path Forward. By choosing the will to life, we can create a future where the children of Abraham – Jews, Christians, and Muslims – live together in peace, honoring God's name by honoring his image in humankind.

Last updated: March 28, 2025