Are You A Faithist?

Okay, so what is a faithist?  Hint:  It's similar to a racist.  And, just as we have, regrettably, racism, we also are plagued by faithism.

Still not clear about faithism and faithists?  Most of us are pretty clear as to what race and racism is.  Nevertheless, most would be hard pressed to actually define "race."  Well isn't it true that the world is divided into the following races: black, white, yellow and red?  Hey, wait, that's not right.  If you have a black father and a white mother, what does that make you.  Well, it depends.  In the U.S. you'd be black, although the expression "mixed race" is beginning to gain acceptance.  In Cuba, you'd be a mulatto, a term in extreme disfavor in the U.S.

At one time Jews were considered to be a separate race; namely, the Semitic race.  Indeed, that's how we arrived at the terms "anti-Semite" and "anti-Semitism."  The word "Semite" came from linguistic jargon and referred to the language spoken by people in the middle east.  It must of necessity have also included Arabs.  But, at the time, when "Semite" was coined, no one had an over-favorable view of the Arab, and the objection was conveniently ignored.  The term served its purpose; namely, as a way of labeling Jews.

But words do have a way of slipping into, and out of disfavor.  People who came from China, Japan, or Korea, were once referred to as "orientals."  Any French major can tell you that "orient" means "east."  For Europeans, people from China, Japan, and Korea from the far east; hence, orientals. We now refer to these people as "Asians."  The Arabs occupy the middle east, and, while I'm not exactly sure who the near easterners are, my guess would be Bulgarians.

But, I've digressed.  Faith is a belief system.  Such systems include Judaism, Protestantism, Roman Catholicism, Bahaiism, Islam and so on and so forth.  And, there's nothing wrong with faith.  Indeed,  atheism, communism and capitalism can all be viewed as kinds of faith, although there is more in the way of "fact" behind communism and capitalism than there is supporting the other faiths.  But using race or faith as a way of denigrating other races or faiths is wrong.  It is an outrage for White Supremists  to spew their poison regarding people of another race or faith.  This makes them both racists and faithists.  Faithism is simply a form of racism that focuses exclusively on faith.  And, it is wrong.

It is wrong for Egyptians who are Muslims to oppress Copts.  It is wrong for Sunni Muslims to oppress Shiite Muslims.  It is wrong for Catholics to defy the edicts of their Church and continue to argue that Jews murdered Christ.  This sort of behavior is not racist.  It is faithist.  And, no group or faith can lay claim to respectability if it does not deal with the faithists in it's ranks.