The five Warning Signs

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Five warning signs that show when religion becomes evil
Introduction
For many centuries, religion has been arguably considered as the most powerful influence of nearly every aspect of human existence. Religious principles and theories are deeply rooted in the historical, political, social, and economic aspect of human beings. The commitment of individuals and groups to religious faiths transcends naïve personal beliefs that people acquire in pursuit of the deep truth concerning various aspects of human existence.
1. Absolute Truth Claims
Inquiries into the absolution of any religion in the world today starts with the level of truth found in the teachings of that particular religion. Imperatively, all religions are founded on structural rests that are made up of elements of rigidity and exposure of the risks associated with holding on specific beliefs without allowing for the adoption of better alternatives. As a result, every religion is deeply anchored on a set of authentic truth claims that are usually not as inflexible as the fanatical believers purport (Kimball 2009). Most contradicting truth claims revolve around the existence of God and life after death. For example, Christian believe that how someone lives on earth determines their final resting place after death.
2. Blind Obedience
Blind obedience is the central point at which religion turns evil by engaging the believers in a contradictory war with the mystic beliefs and the existential challenges facing them in the real world.

This is a critical sign of a corrupt religion as it limits moral and intellectual autonomy and the personal integrity of believers. The rise of fake prophets proclaiming the gospel of prosperity is an example of cases of blind obedience by their followers who believe everything they are taught.
3. Establishing the “ideal” time
Adherents of every religion have beliefs regarding their hope for a better future as taught in various religions. World religions believe in an illusionary end-time that has corrupted the religions due to the variations in the predicted end-times. As a result, religions end up drawing narrow illustrations of how God is using them to impart dangerous theocracy to the unsuspecting masses. For example, some religions such as Islam have established the ideal times to carry out certain religious rituals and events without any solid backing.
4. The end justifies any means
Many world religions teach that there exists a final resting place where the holy shall be promoted to glory while the evil shall be condemned to hell damnation. This has left religious adherents striving to attain illusionary sanctification while disregarding critical life values that form the basis of the human morality (Kimball 2009). Some religions go to the extent of believing in some rituals as the path towards a good end irrespective of whether these acts are good or bad. In this regard, the religion gets evil. For example, every Christian believer hopes that they will reap the fruits of their faith during the second coming of Christ.
5. Declaring holy war
Muslims believe in the “holy war” as one of their ways of pleasing Allah. This belief results in actions that are considered evil in other religions thus blurring the boundaries between evil and good in the religious spectrum. The pacifism of war and crusades are among the critical aspects of the holy war that spark controversy over the morality of the resultant outcomes of the war. Imperatively, Muslims regard this as the religion of peace fought by the purported “warriors of God” driven by absolute powers of belief. This is a clear indication that religion is becoming evil. For example, holy war beliefs have been responsible for the fighting in the Islamic countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq for many decades now.
Conclusion
Most world religions are characterized by fanatical beliefs regarding human morality and the existence of supernatural beings in connection with life after death and mystical prospects. As a result, human beings may fail to notice when religion gets evil unless with full knowledge of the absolute truth free of blind obedience and ideal time. This helps to understand the basis of beliefs regarding holy war and end times.
Works Cited
Kimball, Charles. When religion becomes evil: Five warning signs. Harper Collins, 2009.