When religious zealotry fuses with the state machinery

A tantalising story appeared in Colombian media five days ago. It was about a government official and a renowned British physicist. The official wants the Briton declared persona non grata.

Professor Stephen Hawking’s “malicious distortion of the Divine Faith” provoked Inspector General Alejandro Mr Ordonez.

In a book, The Great Design, due this week, the scientist says, “God didn’t create the universe, it was actually a result of the inevitable laws of physics.”

Mr Ordonez argues that’s “an insult to the virtue and faith of the Colombian people.” He purportedly claims that Colombians “have endured” injustices “only because of their solid faith that once in heaven everything will be alright.”

The physicist’s assertion threatens that order. Without the loyalty to God and his representative on earth, the Church, Colombians may lose the endurance and demand change.

The story turned out to be satire. Apparently, Mr Ordonez’s zeal in pursuit of wayward officials is legendary. He’s a staunch defender of the status quo.

Nonetheless, the satire illustrates how messy things can unnecessarily become when religious zealotry fuses with state machinery. This isn’t new.

At different periods in the history of the human race, the top dog always strived for the aura of a deity. In the era of Christendom, kings and queens headed religious factions, sometimes with horrendous consequences. Remember the Spanish Inquisition!

The concept of a “Christian ruler” though has fallen on the wayside over centuries, often screaming and kicking. Nonetheless, human beings have incorporated, over centuries, religious ideas in governing systems.

Unsatisfied, religious people continue trying to sneak their faith-based ideas into laws that govern people of other faiths or of none at all. They also demand, not always successfully, that rulers, actually politicians, subscribe to a certain faith. To each faith, its own is ideal. Otherwise, banishment a la Colombian satire fits.

A good current example is the United States. “America is a Christian nation,” said presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, among others least known. Or, coming from the woodworks, “American was founded on Jedaeo-Christian principles,” presumably including slavery and “A good Injun is a dead one.”

Mr Ali A. Rizvi—“He has to be a Muslim!”—shouts emerge from the woodworks”—writes agnostics, atheists, and those with no religious affiliation constitute 16 per cent of the US population. That’s more than the population of Hispanics, African-Americans and Jews.

Nevertheless, President Barak Obama seemingly needs to shout himself hoarse with, “Hallelujah!” and grind knees to the bone genuflecting to discard a Muslim baggage he never carried.

Mr Obama and others in his position aren’t getting as much bashing as Mr Hawking faces. Every Christian preacher, Christianity being most gang-ho on “In the beginning God…”— will attack him. Charlatans will mint millions from “Praise the Lord!”

Mr Graham Farmelo of Science Museum in London knows about great physicists. Writing in The Telegraph newspaper last week, he observed scientists routinely discard improvable theories. With religions, “I believe” remains immortal.