Evil, speak thy name..."theocratism".

Since the shootings at Fort Hood in Texas, I have been hearing hearing some of the same rank rhetoric that I heard after the 9/11 attacks on America. Like those on Fox Noise Channel talking about a more intense screening process for Muslims in the armed services. Just like back in 2001 there was a heightened awareness of those of Islamic faith or for that matter, anyone who appear to be middle eastern. The latter was easy to find a name for, racism. As if everyone in the middle east was a prospective enemy of the United States. However, the former, the scrutiny of those of Islam, this seemed to have no name.
As a sociologist, I have seen this type of bigotry all over the United States and just like racism, it permeates all parts of our society. There is no age, rank or social class that this type of bigotry does not touch. Ironically, even as it has been going on for thousands of years, there seems to be no name for this type of bigotry. A type of bigotry that can be compared to racism. Something that went beyond just a dislike for a person because of their religion, but a presumption of an entire religion. So I began my search for the terminology.
I felt the Jews had been experiencing this type of bigotry for thousands of years and as scholarly as the Jewish religion is known for being, I presumed there would have already been a name for this bigotry. If nothing in the sociological sciences, at least a word for it in Hebrew. So I went to a devoted Jewish friend of mine whom I admire for his scholarship on matters of all things Jewish.I was surprised to find he had no idea of any name other then "bigotry". Even as I explained the specificity of what I meant, it did not bring to mind any terminology that would identify this type of bigotry. So I continued my search.
I felt the Pagans too had experienced this kind of bigotry for thousands of years as well, so maybe they had some name for it. I went to a Pagan friend of mine whom is very knowledgeable about Paganism and its history. I explained to him my quest for the terminology to define a disdain for a religion that was like that of racism. Again, I was disappointed when no answer was to be had.
I spoke to many people in various denominations and scholarly positions. Time and time again, I hit a brick wall. In my mind it seems impossible that there is no terminology outside of "bigotry" that would define that which I wanted to express. If there is, I humbly ask anyone with that answer to please leave a comment on this blog and tell me that terminology and citation(s) as where I would find the terminology.
Being I could find no terminology and being a wordsmith, I set out to put a face on that which I wanted to express. While it would seem fairly simply, development of a word, especially one that could be commonly accepted, is not an easy task. So I prayed for many nights in order to be given the wisdom to know what would form his new word.
I finally hit upon it. It is "theocratism".  It is theocratic bigotry. It is the act of presumption that an individual of a religion fits into a stereotypical model of that religion based on nothing but that practice of that religion or an appearance that is commonly attributed to individuals whom practice a particular religion. Like every brown skinned person from the middle east must be Muslim and therefore wishes to preform Jihad against Americans. That every Jewish person is a stingy miser. That every Christian will proselytize to try and convert another. However, the part that makes it like racism is the feeling of superiority. The belief that the persons religion is far superior then that of the other persons religion and they have a greater right to life on this earth then the other religion. Some religions believe only they will be going to a heavenly existence after death and some believe there are levels to the heavenly plane of existence. That, while others can get to heaven, they will reach a greater level of heaven over the others.
I have had the great honor and pleasure in meeting and practiced fellowship with members of the greater majority of religions in this world. As I wrote in my book, there are wonderful, loving compassionate believers of all faiths as well as non-believers. However, I have also met these theocratists as well. While the theocratism of Muslims is increasing again because of the shooter at Fort Hood, I would cite the number of murderers and rapists in our prison system in America that identify themselves as Christians. Should we have more scrutiny of Christians because of these individuals?
The problem I have found is not within the religions themselves, but the fundamentalists within the religions. While one need not be a fundamentalist to be a theocratist, it is the fundamentalist the fuels the passions of the theocratists to compel discrimination, oppression or murder of those of a different faith. It is the constant presumption that the most holy one sees them as the best in his creation and all others are expendable. Next to nuclear proliferation, fundamentalism runs a close second to being the most danger to our species.
While many will tell you that America is a "Christian Country", from what I have seen and experienced in my travels around the country, a greater majority of Americans are "poly-theocrats." (Another new word.)  I have found many Christians who believe in Karma. An eastern teaching found no where in the Christian bible. Therefore, while claiming a foundation in one religion or another, there is an infusion of other religious elements.
Fundamentalism was once the ruler of the world. However, with the infusion of poly-theocrats, fundamentalism has lost much of its power and influence. This is why many fundamentalist turned to acts of violence. Fundamentalists hate rejection of their ideology and will become violent to the point that one will either agree with their theocratic pronouncements or be eradicated. When this happens, the entire religion that the fundamentalists claims, can become the object of theocratism. The very thing happening right now to Muslims in this country and the very thing that gets Christians killed in other parts of the world. It is not the common Muslim that performs these acts of terror anymore then Timothy McVeigh was a common Christian. These acts of terror are committed by fundamentalists and it is fundamentalism that we need to pay more scrutiny to then everyone in a particular religion or from a particular region of the world.
As a sociologist I realize that there is a certain amount of superiority must exist in order for a person to decide one religion over another religion. It is after all one's very soul that is being fulfilled and it is difficult to have faith if one is not extremely secure in their own belief system. However, when that superiority crosses over the line into theocratism it is a problem. It is just as repulsive as racism and in many ways darker then racism. For it does not differentiate as simply. It's borders of hate are far more expansive and encompass a greater amount of people. However, just like racism, theocratism can be just as deadly, if not more so. The shooter at Fort Hood was not simply a Muslim. He was a man who was so consumed by the bigotry of theocratism put upon him by others, that he himself was poisoned by the same brew of hate. This is not an excuse for him to have done what he did by any means. It is merely a hypothesis as to why those like him do as they do. Fundamentalists feed on hate and then regurgitate it upon others in subtle ways and many times, in violent ways.
So next time you tell someone else of the superiority of your religion and inferiority of theirs, think about what you are doing. For you are giving birth  to a creature of hate and one day, if Karma so desires, will return upon you or your family or even more grievous, an innocent simply caught in the line of fire of theocratism.

May the light and love of God shine upon you and through you, now and forever.