The Impact of Religious Imposition on Human Progress and Conflict

The Renaissance: A Shift from Theocracy to Humanism

Luckily, in 1453, with the Byzantine Empire's fall, the Dark Ages came to an end, and a beautiful new era arose. This was the moment humanity became human-centric, setting aside the dominance of the Church and religion. That moment, known as the Renaissance era, saw rapid development in:

• Physics
• Arts
• General Sciences
• Mathematics
• Many other disciplines

This post-Dark Ages era was one of the greatest periods of human development ever registered. However, humanity had still lost about a thousand years under the Dark Ages, primarily because the Church, through its Inquisition and rigid rules, stifled progress. Yet, the Dark Ages inadvertently helped humanity realize that we could not confine ourselves to just one issue and leave the rest behind, recognizing that the world is composed of opposites—the true essence of life. Unfortunately, this realization did not stop the world from classifying humans based on their religious beliefs.

Religion as a Public Matter: Modern Extremism

Another stark example of why religion should remain a private and optional matter is the existence of current extremist groups, such as ISIS or other extremist Arabic organizations. These groups are driven by their religious beliefs and seek to force people into their religion through Jihad, or in more Western terms, a “holy war.”

The Pursuit of the Caliphate

These groups are in search of what was promised in their religion: the Caliphate. This is a land that, according to their doctrine, belongs to them, and everyone must adhere to what they believe. If not, those individuals are deemed enemies. ISIS has been shaking the world ever since their attack in Paris, spreading fear and panic alerts throughout Europe and Asia. Not only has this brought the attention of the old continents, but Latin America itself has also felt threatened by this organization and wants to take protective measures in case of an incident.

Tactics of Extremist Organizations

These organizations have led several mass murders and attempted attacks on cities. People often ask the real reason behind their actions: they are suicidal bombers, they are armed people, but fundamentally, they are trying to force what they believe is right. That is because their religion was forced upon them as a public matter in their respective cities, and since it is an extremist organization, they believe it should be forced upon everyone in order to achieve their goals.

Historical Precedent: The Holocaust Comparison

This forced imposition of belief systems and the resulting violence have been tragically compared to Hitler's persecution of Jews—the result of the greatest mass murder in world history.

The Scale of Persecution

During the six years of the Holocaust, Europe and the world witnessed the near destruction of the Jewish people. This resulted in countless Jews immigrating to countries in America in search of shelter. All this, it is believed, stemmed in part from Hitler's upbringing, specifically the idea instilled by his mother that “Jews are here to change the”