(Episode 511): So Glad You Asked! Is Religion Dangerous?

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On today’s episode of So Glad You Asked, our killjoys take on a very common question, “Is religion dangerous". How do we reckon with the facts that so much war, abuse, and violence have been historically linked to religious spaces. Profs IRMF and Goodwin are here to remind you though that people abuse power, but that religion itself cannot do violence. However, we are not here to invalidate the violences that are done in the name of religion. And today we are unpacking the honest truth that religious institutions and leaders have money, power, and influence and this can create a space that is rife with violence. Finally, we have to locate the ways that abusers can become protected by the idea of the divine.

“ But it's also this idea that you can create a socialization through which an abuser cannot definitionally be located as an abuser, because what they do is beyond reproach.”
-Professor Morgenstein Fuerst

The 101: Where we did the professor work…

So, you wanted to know if religion is dangerous? Well nerds, we have some thoughts…

Why has there been such a history of abuse in religious institutions?

Firstly, abuse happens everywhere….
Our killjoys used the examples of sports and the military as other large, institutional spaces where abuse has been intrinsic to its history. This is ultimately because of imbalances of power, the powerful defending one another, and how money protects violent institutions.
Second, people can be socialized in ways that protect abusers…
When considering examples like the Roman Catholic Church and FLDS, there are years of history, money and power, that have created foundations upon which abuse is allowed and accountability can be avoided.

So, what is unique about abuse in religious spaces?

Although abuse can and does happen in all times and spaces, there is still something unique and worth recognizing about the type of violence that takes place under the guise of religion. When focusing on the divine, community, and commitment to a certain religion, there are often leaders who can successfully decide how and what people do as part of that religion. And if this person(s) are abusive, this can lead to such confusing, damaging, and toxic bullshit, specifically for people in the community who are particularly vulnerable.

What are the stakes here?

When we talk about violence or abuse and religion, there is a different sort of tone to it when we involve belief, or God, or the divine in comparison to talking about abuse in say, sports or the military. And the ways that religious leaders and institutions create situations for vulnerable people who want to be a part of them IS dangerous, but that does not mean that religion itself is doing the damage. As Megan reminds us, abuse happens because we let it happen.

“A way of policing the boundaries of the category of religion, of deciding which beliefs and practices are legitimate and which are not. We call groups ‘cults’ if they seem to be too controlling — as if real religions are defined by individual autonomy and free agency. We call groups “cults” if they strike us as especially dangerous — as if real religions do not engage in violent or threatening behavior. We call groups ‘cults’ if their teachings seem outlandish — as if real religions are true.”

- Richard Kent Evans

Professors Morgenstein Fuerst and Goodwin are pretty sure that religion is what people do, and unfortunately, people can be really dangerous. So, it’s tricky to decide how we should talk and think about some of the ways that abuse and trauma happens in religious spaces. Megan leads this conversation by reminding us that abuse happens because we let it happen, but also that religious spaces have unique power dynamics that allow abusive practices and leaders to become….acceptable, and this inherently silences survivors.