There was a common term used in the 18th and 19th century called “enthusiasm”. This term points more or less into the same things “fanaticism” does. We can find fanatics in all walks of life. They can be rich or poor, vulgar or sophisticated, it doesn’t matter the culture of his cradle or the race wherewith his soul abides. But there are places more prone than others to find fanatics. There are no individualist and self-reliant fanatics. Fanatics are always found in organised groups, i.e. a collection of individuals under continuous relations based on shared purposes (or goals). When these purposes concern dominance and control (power over others) one can observe a certain frenzy in every member of the group. They’re always on edge, stones in their hands. Their thinking is not based on unpersonal principles, but on sectarian comes and goes, on whatever is favouring or harming the group in a given moment. Fanatics, then, are the manifestation of a very low condition of our fallen nature, where people behave like packs of animals.
This sad and lamentable condition, expectably, is mostly found in politics, religion, business firms, families, street gangs and organised crime. Unfortunately, all these tend to mix a lot and they are ubiquitous across human societies. We cannot escape this social malady. We have to deal with it. However, God told us what is at the root of this disease: “love of money is the root of all evil” (1Tim. 6:10) and covetousness in general (Ex. 20:17). Where there is much to gain, fanaticism will creep its head out. There are two things to gain much from: money and people. These two are the primary means to obtain power. Money just gives us access to whatever is buyable – which is almost everything worldly. And since one cannot do everything by oneself, the more intellects, affections and bodily energy one can collect under common goals and interests, the surer these goals will be. This to say, the fewer people and money in a given human settlement, community, or general social organisation, the harder will be for fanaticism to manifest itself.
All that said, truth is, a Christian cannot control humanity, and hence he has no way to avoid, or at least mitigate, the effects of fanaticism in a large scale. But maybe he can do that in a smaller one. He can start with himself. He can sit still before the Lord (Psa. 37:7) and ask Him to search his soul and reform his sinful life (Psa. 139:23-24). To live humbly and meekly with others, with his brothers and sisters in faith (Col. 3:12). The Christian then can occupy his mind and external efforts with his family (Eph. 6:1-4; 1 Tim 5:8) and other close friends (Prov. 18:24), especially those who truly are under the works of the Holy Ghost (Gal. 6:10). And maybe later, if his influence really reaches outside of these close circles, he might try to work his Christian community (his visible church). He and his brothers and sisters in faith ought to live in tight relations of Christian affection, not giving too much mind to outsiders, i.e. to unregenerate business. They should worry about their own problems. Live by their own means and not by unregenerate alms. All this while being honest in word and deed with outsiders, but especially with his church, in love, charity, kindness and oneness of mind (1 Cor. 5:9-13; 1 Te. 4:9-12; Rom. 12:16).
What if the country we live in makes this too much of a hard task? Well, if that is the case, and the Christian already tried all non-fanatical means of assuring his civil liberties, then he can grab his things and sojourn somewhere else. Our promised land of milk and honey, of green pastures and tranquil waters, is not of this world. Christians have no earthly nation of their own. They live for God, and their saintly pilgrimage might take them to many places while on this earth. God will provide, if the Christian is prudent (Prov. 22:3). Get away from the fanatic. Do not try to reason with him. Seal your lips in his presence, and make plans to never see him again.
