Is there a difference between being passionate about your beliefs vs being an extremist?

Answer 1

Extremists are people who will do an extreme act just to prove a point(Ex. blowing up something) PAssionate about beliefs is believing them with your whole heart but you won't kill people who disagree.

Answer 2

Yes. I'm passionate about my beliefs, but I don't try to force them onto other people. I don't threaten with images of hell or torture for eternity. I don't really care if one believes as I do or not. My beliefs have filled my life with many things and these are the things I share with other people.

An Extremists takes this same passionate feeling and tries to convince other people that THAT is the only way in order to feel these things. In other words, it would be like me telling you that the only way you can find peace is if you followed my Religion. And when you didn't follow my religion, proceed to tell you that wild animals will drag you thru the forest and tear you apart for eternity.

Answer 3

There is a huge difference between being passionate about your beliefs and being an extremist and bending those beliefs to mold into "your" beliefs and not the true teachings.

Answer 4

Passion is not changing who you are simply because someone demands it. Passion is standing true to your beliefs while still considering other viewpoints.

Extremism is forcing your beliefs on others or condemning them because they don't agree with you. Extremism is completely unaccepting of any ideas other than their own. Extremism asks "Why are there atheists in the Religion & Spirityality section?" on a daily basis because the extremist cannot accept differences in others.

Answer 5

Extremist - the word, by its very nature, means to be at the extreme end of something. In a religious sense, this could mean to be extremely positive, or extremely negative. In our times, it's the negative connotation that is more prevalent - as with the extreme practice of Radical Islam.

Passionate - means that you are "dominated" by or "easily moved" by strong emotion. Again. This can be taken positively or negatively depending on the situation.

In the religious sense, I can see why you have called into question just what the difference is between the words. Both can raise emotion to such a high degree that murder can result. On the opposite end, both can be the source of great compassion, love, and the acting upon those positive emotions. So...

I believe that to define these words correctly, you must look at the result of the action they have supported and created.

Answer 6

Passionate about ones beliefs means that one will do everything one can to live life as laid out in that religion.

An extremist will do everything they can to cajole, bully and scare others into doing things the way the believe they should be. Extremist are not satisfied until EVERYONE marches lockstep with their belief/cause or is purged.

Answer 7

Yes. Extremists hurt people.

Answer 8

I'm passionate about Christ, I'm not going to shove him down anyone's throat like so many try to do. If a person asks me about my beliefs or wants to know the living Christ, I get into it with them. We know when to talk to someone if we are lead to do so and we also know when to shut up.

An extremist does what they want when they want. They don't care what people feel or think and they feel it's their way or the highway. They do not quite "get" the fact, we are free to choose who we want to serve and feel we need to bow down to them, in a sense.

Answer 9

To believe passionately to me implies living with immediacy and joy. Following your beliefs and living your life to the fullest.

Extremism to me means trying to force your way of life on others. Intolerance and separatism.

Answer 10

I guess it would depend on your definition of extremist.....some people think that anyone who speaks of Jesus Christ in terms other than derogatory, MUST be a fanatic in the very least.....