- By: Mahnoor Abdul Salam
Continuing existence of sects within a religion may be undermining of peace in society. It leads to balkanization of communities which is detrimental towards peaceful coexistence across sects within the community. Such balkanization can lead to ghettoization in which a person adheres completely to their group and avoids others who have different beliefs.
Such categorization is bound to worsen bias as people will assume that they are experts in other denominations because of their limited exposure to them. In addition, denominationalism increases the difficulties one has in achieving collective goals with the surrounding society. Denominationalism makes it difficult for communities that are sick and cant perform together. Such a situation could breed an internal decay within the society making it difficult or impossible to find and implement solutions for pertinent challenges facing the society.
Further, denominationalism may contribute to persistence of violence as there may exist a struggle or sentiment to balance the scales of injustice without forgiveness. In an era where globalization has made it easier to forge interactions inter and intra faiths and cultures, denominationalism remains a barrier that makes it hard to encourage mutual respect and understanding.
Addressing these divisions entails focusing on what is common and on the humanness of human beings which calls for inter-denominational dialogue and cooperation. In this way, society will be able to advance toward deeper inclusivity and peace, where the basic fact of diversity and religious plurality is a pillar of strength instead of disunity.