Modern Religious Extremism

The work is to be 7 pages with three to five sources, with in-text citations and a reference page. The innocent people who often suffer the atrocities orchestrated by these barbaric groups have nothing to do with their ideologies. This paper seeks to scrutinize religious extremism including investigating whether faith-motivated activism is a constructive force for change. Moreover, if faith-based natural law justifies acts of violence when a character of faith motivated activism to become extremism or terrorism.History shows an intriguing trend when it comes to activism based on religious beliefs where some individuals have positively transformed society. For instance, Martin Luther King Jr was a Christian activist who used Christian beliefs to bring about change in society. Worth noting about this case is that despite exhibiting unfathomable tenacity in the extremism, Luther never resorted to violent approaches to bring change as Miller (2013) reveals. Unlike the case today where some religious groups are seeking coerce people into agreeing with their ideologies, Luther’s approach was instrumental yet nonviolence. For this reason, faith-based activism could be a constructive force for change so long as the activists involved are embraced nonviolence means.Additionally, Mahatma Gandhi was another individual who offers a scenario where change can emanate from a religious person or a group without necessarily turning violent. When the British and the French sought to colonize India, they encountered some violent opposition from the locals. However, upon return from South Africa, Mahatma Gandhi successfully persuaded the Indians to change tactics. Instead of fighting the colonizers, the Indians boycotted the British products including salt and clothes where substitution of local materials was on the rise. Since the British were encountering opposition elsewhere, their resources were stretched and could not compel the Indians to buy their products.