Faith, Civilization and Eurocentric Racism

Faith, Civilization and Eurocentric Racism:
by George Thundiparambil

This essay examines the concepts 'faith' and 'civilization' and traces Eurocentric 'white' racism to the 'faith' named Christianity. When one investigates 'faith', it is impossible to avoid the age-old controversy -- the 'faith vs. rationality' problem. Just as in post-renaissance Europe, it makes headlines in the world media even in the 21st Century, e.g., the BBC that runs programs on 'science and religion'. The 'faith vs. rationality' dilemma is peculiar to the Western civilization, though religious imperialism has done its best to spread it like a virus all over the world. The rationale for the problem offered in this essay clears up the mess surrounding the tower of Babel -- why human cultures fail to bridge gaps between themselves leading to the clash of civilizations despite the fact that the element of reason in thought and behavior unite the whole of humanity -- the singular mark of civilization. The article contends that the Western confrontationist equation of 'science vs. faith' gives 'faith' an undue recognition in cultures and becomes the root cause for differences and conflicts between them.

The essay points to the faith-based ideology and approach that have become a dominant force in the contemporary world, despite its opposition to rationality, the benchmark of human civilization. It examines the 'faith' ideology as reflected in Christian and Islamic cultures, and how this ideology threatens global peace by creating meaningless challenges that arise uniquely from their faiths.

The purpose is to show that in real terms the 'faith' has no rational basis and exists only in the form of a prejudice manifesting as racism and stands as a hindrance to the progress of civilization. The faith element gains enormous validity