American fundamentalism (12)
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A few comments about fundamentalism before the discussion
closes. My view is that it is a complex issue and it very much
relates to global as well as African health care issues on vari-
ous levels:
1) impact of American evangelical missionaries in Africa as well
as the older residual forms of colonial and post colonial Chris-
tianity (the forms that discourage indigenous practices and
valuation of local cultural religious and spiritual identities);
2) impact of Christian fundamentalism on American international
public policies through their influence on Bush Administration;
3) impact of Moslem fundamentalism in Sudan and also in places
like northern Nigeria (note these are also places where con-
flicts between Christianity and Islam are particularly distress-
ing).
Indeed we might see that there are many forms of fundamentalism
in how we think and relate to each other - religious and other-
wise. Many of us while not necessary taking the same position as
the The Netzkraft Movement, do have real concerns about the im-
pact of fundamentalist views in the development of public poli-
cies in our emerging global society.
I want to specifically point out the debate about condoms and
abstinence in relation to AIDS and other STDs. In the US, we now
have a political battle brewing between fundamentalists and lib-
erals in relation to the role of abstinence in education. My
view is that in Africa this must be approached carefully. I re-
call the view of one Christian (not sure if she was fundamental-
ist or not) in pointing out that much of the problem of AIDS in
Africa resulted from sexual promiscuity and of course this was
not the first time I heard this in the US. Thus given such a
view it is understandable that many Christian fundamentalist ar-
gue for abstinence in education given that many of them are un-
comfortable considering sexuality as something that should be a
freedom for each individual to explore. Instead fundamentalists
tend to see sex as a dangerous thing to be controlled by the
moral taskmasters of society. Most Christian fundamentalists
view any sex before marriage as sinful and this view has a
spillover effect when politicians cater to these groups, who are
often quite aggressive in trying to impose their views upon oth-
ers who do not think as they do.
The point though is that our political and religious views -
correct or not - have an impact on public policy. The trend of
increasingly power and influence of the Christian fundamentalist
Right in the US needs to be looked at with concern in terms of
its obvious impact in the development of US international health
care policies and more precisely their impact if any in the
field in Africa and other developing regions.
Similarly, the rising tide of religious fundamentalism in many
Moslem societies is also of concern. It is noted in Iraq in par-
ticular that while women now have significant representation in
parliament that the practical reality is that in Iraq (which was
once ironically enough considered a progressive country in terms
of women's rights) has now basically turned the clock back a
hundred years thanks to religious fundamentalism.
I see an obvious health impact here in terms of the correlation
between women's rights and more precisely a women's right to
make decisions in relation to family planning and birth control.
In Pakistan, women often are not properly treated when they are
sexually abused and so not only are rapists unaccountable to the
law but indeed are rewarded.
Going back to the US, President Jimmy Carter notes that his for-
mer religion the southern Baptists now has rules saying that
women is not equal to the man in marriage. Similarly, in many
places in Africa similar fundamentalist patriarchal societies
(Christian, Moslem or indigenous religious) still impose coer-
cive social norms and values on their women.
In conclusion, I would say it is safe to say that there is a
strong connection between religious fundamentalism and health,
given that such tendencies of fundamentalism discourage women
from thinking that they have equal rights to men. In fundamen-
talist societies women are discouraged from being able to make
their own decisions in relation to sex and family planning.
Therefore I think this is a relevant topic for discussion here
so long as it is done in the correct manner. We need to take a
strong stand against the subjugation of women, in all its forms
and manifestations.
Jeff Buderer
oneVillage Initiative - Trust, Unity, Prosperity
Holistic ICT Development for Eco Living
Tel.: +1-408-813-5135
San Jose, California
mailto:jeff@onevillage.biz
http://www.onevillagefoundation.org