It is easy to think that religion has very little to do with our economy. Religion, after all, concerns itself mostly with our reverence for our creator and our system of morals. Our religions wish to serve all the population in this manner, offering guidance and solace to all, regardless of economic status, business or nation. As a matter of fact, our churches are very careful to not side with any certain business or politician. All of them are welcome through their doors. The religious faithful may express their religious beliefs in some degree as they vote, but otherwise avoid political decisions. They even extend their withdrawal from the mundane world to the point that they usually vapidly stand by, without moral judgment, while nations declare war. They make very few value judgments as to who should be killing whom, concentrating instead on whether those who are left behind accept a certain set of myths or not. These religions offer an eternity of pleasure for any who profess belief in that set of myths, not casting any blame on whoever has been ruthless in business or military conflict. It almost seems as if our religions have made a point of distancing themselves from economic decisions, in order that they may carry out their own, different, mission.
Much of what is said above is true, to the best of our knowledge. It does not tell the whole story, however, by a long shot. It avoids, as we often do, the fact that our religions are highly bipolar, and carry much more with them than those sentiments expressed above. While they are, in good part, highly concerned with saving souls, providing comfort and sustenance for those in need, and establishing sustaining systems of faith, they also have a very dark side. . Opposite the pole of compassion, there is a pole of intolerance and bigotry, This pole of intolerance provides a convenient excuse and false justification for expressions of jealousy, greed and anger. Each of these religions has true believers, who demand acceptance of their certain myths in order to obtain an eternity of pleasure. Those who believe otherwise, according to these religions, are going to burn in Hell forever. Sometimes other people who egregiously challenge their religion need to be, in their opinion, hastened to that demise. The result is that much of the world’s present conflagration has been justified, in the mind of those committing these evil acts, by the beliefs of their religions. These violent conflicts of the religiously faithful are tightly bound to our economic decisions.
In l953, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, later to be known as BP, was firmly established in the Iranian oil fields. Iran no longer wished to be controlled by foreign powers, and under the leadership of its popularly elected prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, nationalized the oil industry. The British were kicked out, and retaliated with an economic blockade. The United States was as that time beginning its cold war with Russia, and was afraid that an independent Iran might align with Russian interests, threatening our oil supplies. A coup was formed and directed by the CIA, with the assistance of H. Norman Schwarzkopf, the father of the General who was later the commander in the Persian Gulf War. The democratically elected Iranian regime was deposed, and the shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, was placed in power, in a puppet government. Mohammad Mossadegh was placed in prison until he died in l967. The oil fields were placed back into the hands of British and American companies. This coup was indeed the height of hypocrisy, for countries which prided themselves upon being democratic, and champions of democratic causes around the world.
Iranians were keenly aware of this hypocrisy, and were revolted by the rapid westernization of their country. There was continuing unrest in the country, fomented further by the brutal tactics of the shah, whose secret police murdered, tortured and imprisoned protestors. When the Ayatollah Khomeini offered freedom from this persecution, the people welcomed a return to an Islamic state. They were, however, unprepared for the strict religious life that followed. They were told how to dress, go to the bathroom, and have sex. Those who did not comply faced stoning, hanging and the amputation of fingers or hands. It was an oppressive and fearful time, during which hatred for the West became intermingled with religious fervor. The initial target for their hatred was the U S embassy in Tehran, from which the coup overthrowing their democratic government had been directed in 1953. This embassy was considered a nest of spies. There was ample reason for Iranians who were patriots of their country to participate in an occupation of this embassy, taking 52 hostages, in l979.
Although Americans considered that this attack on the American Iranian embassy was unprovoked, they did not take into account the vile actions of their own government 26 years previously. In fact, Americans have never been told the full extent of its government meddling, covertly or overtly, in the affairs of Islamic states. Islamists have in particular been incensed at the American support of Israel in every way, at the expense of all those Islamist states that surround it. Although prompted by the economic greed of the United States, religion has become the justification for this expression of their hatred for the United States. There is a reason why an American flight is flown into the ocean by a Muslim copilot, after the pilot has left the cockpit. The last words this co-pilot utters, in this coerced mass suicide, are “May Allah be praised.” There is a reason why Muslims pull a boat up to an American naval ship, and explode it. There is a reason why an American embassy is bombed. There is a reason why a truck was blown up in the parking garage of the world trade center. There is a reason why two airplanes were flown into the world trade center towers. There is a reason why religious suicide bombers kill hundreds. They are Muslims, doing so in defense of their country, their way of life, and their religion. And on the other side, George W. Bush, committing one of the most colossal blunders of any president in the history of the United States, sends American soldiers to invade Iraq, because his God told him to do so.
It is religion against religion, fomented by human greed. Let us not ask further if our religions affect our economies. These religious conflicts are destroying our societies. This economic destruction will continue until we realize that our religious beliefs are not facts, but myths – and that none of our religious beliefs can justify invasion, murder, torture, imprisonment, dispossession, suppression, bombings and beheadings.