Religious Dogmatism, a Challenge to Democracy

By Anonymous / Fall 2019

In 1925, citizens of the United States witnessed a groundbreaking trial that would be one of the first to pit science against religion in public education. Garnering massive attention from the nation, Tennessee v. Scopes (1925), otherwise known as the Scopes Monkey Trial, considered the constitutionality of the state’s Butler Act, a law prohibiting the teaching of evolution in public schools as it contradicted most of the residents’ beliefs (”Scopes Trial”). Consequently, this trial became a battleground between fundamentalists, those who strictly interpreted the Bible and, thus, rejected the theory of evolution, and modernists, those who advocated for the modifying of the Bible’s teachings to parallel new scientific advancements, therefore, welcoming Darwin’s ideas. Subsequently, the case would not only result in Scopes’ loss, but also in modernism’s failure to triumph over the fundamentalists’ narrowed principles, inevitably contributing to the removal of the theory of evolution across several school curricula in America. While the ruling would later be overturned in Epperson v. Arkansas (1968), this monkey trial continues to demonstrate the ramifications of religious dogmatism on both education and society.

As exhibited by the Scopes trial, the church’s excessive influence over its believers controls and directs their actions and way of life, effectively exploiting them as tools for gaining more power in society. Correspondingly, religious schools have become the next forefront in the battle between the dogmatic teachings of the church and the progression of social movements on issues such as gay rights, assisted suicide, and abortion. As such, both children and young adults are finding themselves stuck in the middle of this struggle of principles and ideas, especially those attending (or have attended) church school. Being a teacher’s assistant at my childhood catholic school myself, I cannot help but attest to this as my own students are constantly bombarded with Bible teachings as well as continuing social changes and advancements occurring during their time. Because of this, church schools have resorted to inducing fear and guilt into the children in order to better instill their dogmatic beliefs and raise “good” Christians. However, by doing so, they not only produce narrow-minded, intolerant individuals, but also foster a culture of hate and animosity instead of love and compassion.

While many Americans believe that they are impervious to the church’s reach and control, they fail to acknowledge that it may not be the same for others. As demonstrated by the Scopes Monkey Trial, it was the Tennesseans’ deep-rooted faith in their religion’s beliefs that led them to create a law banning the teaching of evolution for all public schools in the state. It is precisely because of situations like these that Americans must realize that although not all of them practice Christianity, a majority of the citizens do, and that their actions, as well as that of their children, can affect them directly and indirectly. As Martin Luther King Jr. summarized in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” we, Americans, are “caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny” (King Jr.). Instead of viewing each other as separate individuals whose fates are independent of and unrelated to one another, we must think of ourselves as part of one fabric of life where the misaligning or deformation of a single thread has the power to upset the balance and beauty of the entire cloth. Only by being accountable for the actions of our fellow brothers and sisters, in addition to ourselves, may we truly unite as a whole. Consequently, the first step we must take as a nation is to change the educating of our children. As the future successors to this garment of destiny, they must be taught and guided using an open-minded and unprejudiced approach in both public and religious schools so as to prevent the formation of an intolerant, theocratic society. This will not only allow them to interact and be exposed to the variety of ideas from other beliefs and religions, but also contribute to the creation of the “microcosm of the mankind of the future” (King Jr.). The development of such microcosm would then allow for the formation of a brotherhood where believers of differing faiths can associate with and support each other. Thus, it is through educating children in an accepting, open-minded environment may Americans avoid the repercussions of others’ religious dogmatism.

Nevertheless, though this may seem simple in theory, there remain obstacles brought about by existing practices and mechanisms in society that prevent us from uniting and escaping the shackles of religious dogmatism. One such obstacle includes religious private schools. The existence of these institutions contribute to the issue of religious dogmatism through their control of the academic curricula, which lets them decide what to teach their students. This not only affects how the students are educated, but also the type of environment in which they are raised as such institutions tend to limit most thoughts and ideas that oppose their beliefs. And because the schools are privately-funded instead of government-funded, they are not bound to the same rules and laws as public institutions are, such as being unable to promote prayer among students or post religious writings in their classrooms. Adding on to that, another obstacle to this problem includes the social isolation of those the church deems radical or heretical. This is a major obstacle to solving the church’s dogmatic ways precisely because it efficiently separates and quells all voices of dissidence. It accomplishes this by conveying to other believers of the same religion that anything that opposes their faith opposes their God and, therefore, is a sin. As a result, people have transformed into modern-day Pharisees who isolate and criticize the “sinners” in fear of angering God and losing their path to heaven. This religious hysteria, coupled with the lack of association among the various religions due to differing beliefs crushes all hopes of uniting as a brotherhood. Together these obstacles make it difficult to stop the ever-growing reach of religious dogmatism in society as they provide the church with both a method for producing exploitable Christians and a means of silencing and separating their dissenters.

Though, while it may seem difficult to completely end religious dogmatism in America, it is not impossible. One solution to this continuing problem is the unification of all believers (regardless of faith) and non-believers under the principle of agape. Just as how Jesus Christ associated and dined with a myriad of people out of his love for them— from widows and lepers to prostitutes and tax collectors— we, too, must follow in his footsteps in order to tighten the bond and connection between each other as fellow brothers and sisters of the same family. It is as Dr. King Jr. states in “The World House,” we must become a family “who, because we can never again live apart, must learn somehow to live with each other in peace” (King Jr.). Regardless of whether we follow the same God or not, it is undeniable that before we are a believer (or a non-believer), we are, first, humans— inhabitants of the very same blue planet we all call home. It is only due to our fear of associating with each other and opposing our own faiths that we have substituted love and compassion for each other with hate and animosity, ultimately keeping us divided and separated. However, if we could move past our differences in beliefs and open our minds just as how Jesus Christ looked beyond the statuses and classes of the people he mingled with, we will be able to act as a pillar of support for each other rather than sources of hate and sin.

In order to achieve this level of brotherhood, I believe that people must be willing to become not only more tolerant and accepting of each other, but also of differing religions and beliefs. While it may seem extreme to some, this is a crucial step because doing so will help ensure the development of an unprejudiced, open-minded environment. Should we strive to create this sort of setting, both children and adults will be able to freely explore differing ideas and principles and connect with members of other religions without feeling the guilt of “sinning” or fear about turning against their own faith and fellow believers. Adding on to that, should all schools— both religious and public— provide an equal, unprejudiced education, children will be able to free themselves from the shackles of religious dogmatism that bind and manipulate them into following a single set of precepts. Consequently, children in these schools will be able to both think for themselves and make their own conclusions on what they want to believe rather listening to what their religion tells them. Tolerant environments such as these will also allow people to be open to learning and accepting values and ideas from other beliefs such as self-determination and mindfulness. This will contribute to and facilitate the fraternizing and uniting of believers of all religions as they are acting under the shared morals and values of agape, compassion, and understanding rather than hate and dogmatism.

As unimportant as this issue seems to a majority of people in America, there is no doubt in my mind that religious dogmatism, if left unattended, will result in the establishment of a theocracy whose citizens and laws are only mobilized in order to protect and preserve their autocratic institution. Just as the Scopes Trial has already demonstrated, prolonged exposure to religious dogmatism has the power to deploy and manipulate people to its advantages and own personal agenda. Had the Tennesseans’ religious piety been used to create laws that help and elevate those around them rather than ones that deprive and limit people of the freedoms and voices, there would be no issue as it was done for the sake of agape for one another. Like Dr. King Jr. says in his “Letter from a Birmingham Jail,” “Any law that uplifts human personality is just. Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King Jr.). To allow this kind of social manipulation to continue is to admit the religion’s lack of morality and credibility towards the values they preach. Only by being accountable for the actions and guidance of our fellow believers may we correct and preserve the principles and values that we stand for lest we permit such dogmatism to continue dividing and turning us against each other. Unless it is practiced for the sake of uplifting our fellow brothers and sisters, religious dogmatism must end in order to establish a religious brotherhood across America.

Works Cited

King Jr., Martin Luther. Letter from a Birmingham Jail. Penguin Classics, 2018.

King Jr., Martin Luther. “The World House.” Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Beacon Press, 2010.

King Jr., Martin Luther. “Where Are We?” Where Do We Go from Here: Chaos or Community? Beacon Press, 2010, pp. 1–22.

“Scopes Trial.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 10 June 2019.