Are religious fanatics the by product of religion or society?

Answer 1

Religion for sure

Answer 2

Fanatacism of any kind probably comes from people who have obsessions. There are many things that individuals can be obsessed over, and religion is just one of them. Put an obsessive, fanatical person together with a controlling religion, and you have a real religious nut! So, altho it's both the by product of religion, ( it makes the fanantic more self righteous) it's the person's personality too. Some individuals just take things too far, and can't keep themselves balanced.

Answer 3

If there were no religion they would probably be fanatical about something else, like politics. A lot of them MAY have obsessive-compulsive disorder, or maybe they are just extremely passionate about what they believe. As to are they the product of religion or society, religion is a part of our society, so I guess the answer is "both".

Answer 4

Fanatics of ANY kind are the product of their own mental health. Take a peek at some of the Michael Jackson "fanatics" who actually have plastic surgery to look like him or follow him around like God....or various stalkers for other celebrities. John Hinkley? Definitely a fanatic as was the man who murdered John Lennon. There are political fanatics from every political point of view. The political assassin just takes it to the extreme. I could go on and on. Fanatics are unstable and use some sort of "crusade" to feed their mental condition. That's all. You can't blame their mental illness on religion OR society. Religion is just the crutch that these particular fanatics choose.

Answer 5

The ethics and morality of society are to the most part the evolutionary construct of their associated religions.

That is to say that our laws and ethics have been heavily influenced through history by religious doctrine.

Religion is clearly the tyrannical peversion of mans fanatical fear of mortality. The fact that people rise to power is basically a natural process in any tribal species therefore you would have to blame nature as the cause.

If you blame nature as the cause and believe in a creator then you are blaming god hence religion again is the culprit.

So logically however you look at it fundamentally the root cause is Religion or in the very least certainly not society.

Answer 6

I would say a little of both, but more of fear. Society and Religion (I'm assuming that you mean Christianity) cause the fear, and the fear causes people to go fanatical. I say this because not everyone involved in religion or society become fanatical, just a very VERY fringe group, and their fanaticism is based on fear, but a fear that their religion and their society caused.

Answer 7

Religious fanatics are the PURPOSE of religion, not a by-product.

Answer 8

Both, for they cannot be separated. Culture has much to do with what we see religious people do. Religious people are no less enculturated than anyone else. Many of the insane behaviors we see in what we think is Islam are actually part of the violent culture over which Islam came to bear. Islam was a blessing to them and tamed them down. Culture-, economic-, power-elites are not above manipulating the ignorant for their personal agendas, determined either through conscientious stupidity or something more sinister. History bears testimony to this process/pattern again and again throughout the ages, not just in Islam.

Desperation breeds from having one's voice ignored, dismissed, ridiculed, marginalized, or suppressed. Violence to reclaim some control over what is perceived as a life not worth living is often not far behind. Desperation breeds fanaticism.

Answer 9

Religious Fanatics are the product of manipulating powermongers. Religion is their cloak and society their scapegoat.

Answer 10

It's religion AND society - the two are inextricably intertwined - but mainly lust for power.
Fanatics arise from a dissatisfaction with society and a belief that organised religion has lost control of that society. God will be pleased if that religion regains control so wants people to kill other people to bring this about. However, this all powerful, all seeing, all merciful God can't do it alone - He needs someone more capable than Himself to bring it all about, to teach people that it is glorious to kill and to die while killing. At the top of every fanatical religious gang there's a gang leader who increases his temporal power with every atrocity actually done in his name. He's already got power over God - his followers listen to his teachings not their own consciences - and now he wants power over the world.
I believe that God has to be able to communicate directly with me and you. I believe that differences of opinion about God arise when we listen to what another says about Him and abandon our own opinion in favour of the other. I can only truly hear my own conscience - some would call that 'God within me'. I know my conscience never, ever told me to do anything dishonest or harmful to myself or to another. Anyone who can willingly and 'religiously' do such acts is acting under the influence of another man not God.

Answer 11

Society, they would be fanatics about some other thing if it wasn't religion. There are fanatics in everything.