The reports from areas under the dominion of the Islamic State have been shocking, to say the least, especially for any of the religious minorities facing persecution. Iraq’s largest Christian city, Qaraqosh, recently fell to ISIS militants, and if their occupation of the city of Mosul tells us anything it’s that the entire situation is going to get a lot worse before it gets better. The group has driven all practicing Christians out of the city. That kind of religious persecution is foreign to the consciousness of many in the West, and it can be difficult to fully grasp the situation.
I can’t imagine living in a place dominated by those who actively hate my religion. As a Catholic, I have the benefit of being in one of the largest religious groups in the country. Catholicism has had a social stigma at various points in American history, but it did not come close to forcing people to leave their homes, pay a fine or face martyrdom. I follow Catholic news very closely, listening in awe to the horror stories out of the Middle East, knowing all I can really do is pray.
But I have the blessing of living in a religiously diverse nation. I don’t pick friends based on religion, as my own social circle possess such a wild array of worldviews that it’s almost comical.
This is not true in many parts of the world, needless to say. Religions in the past were not nearly as cooperative as they are today. Each religion, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, believed that it was true and all others were wrong. Generally, whatever government was in place actively promoted that religion and suppressed all others. This made individual believers strong in their idea that their religion was correct.
That has never been true in America, with no religion ever being particularly militant or actively promoted by the government. Over the centuries, it has created a sort of indifference among people of different faiths, which has influenced my own Catholic church since the 1960s.
Now we have people saying things like, “I’ve believe what I believe, you believe what you believe, and we’ll get along,” or “I’m a Catholic, but it doesn’t define me.” In this society of pluralism it’s not surprising why religion is declining and the people who still believe are less dogmatic.
Americans and Europeans haven’t seen intense, sustained religious conflict in recent years. Subsequently, we in the West often forget that religious differences still drive a lot of unrest elsewhere. In other places, you essentially are your religion. It defines you as a person and it informs every part of what you do. To be allowed choices is a blessing.
The next time you end up at your place of worship, understand that to be free to practice any religion you want is a rare privilege.
Cameron Macko is a State News reporter. Reach him at cmacko@statenews.com.
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