Zeal vs Fanaticism; Ignorance vs Lack of Information

By: SP Tony Harris, 32°

How do we distinguish between fanaticism and zeal? Ignorance and lack of information? The answer: free will. Fanaticism begets zeal much like ignorance begets lack of information. Respectively, one is a degree of the other. We can not let our free will go unchecked or our desires will be out of bounds. When describing the energies in its dualistic nature, masculine and feminine, we need both sides of our nature in harmony for us to be One with our creator. Feminine energy offsets logic whilst masculine energy offsets compassion to generate a balance of both planes.

Zeal is an eagerness or ardent interest in the pursuit of a specific cause or objective while fanaticism is an excessive unquestioning enthusiasm in its own right. Zeal is an ingredient to fanaticism but its expression comes through in excess, not in moderation. We see many religious groups display fanaticism as they fearlessly follow their leader without question and with such zeal that it strikes disinterestedness in the people who hear their message because only they feel the zeal of their own message.

Defined, a lack of information refers to a person who is uninstructed, untrained, uninformed and uneducated. It does not imply that one knew anything previously. Likewise, it does not compromise Will because nothing was known prior to the lack of information. Ignorance, on the other hand, is a lack of knowledge (application of information), education or awareness. Ignorance doesn’t quite fall in the category of lack of information because ignorance assumes that information has been given but due to our access to free will, we make choices based on what we know to be true. Ignorance invites us to search for the truth and become better versions of ourselves; this is not the plight of a lack of information.

The idea here is free will because it is our inalienable right. Man’s law has no rightful place to take this right away from any other human because he is not greater than our Creator.

As fanaticism has the propensity for moderation, ignorance has the propensity for growth. We distinguish these concepts by looking at the underlying goal that they seek to achieve. In harmony we shall flourish, not in excess. This concludes this lecture.■