ABOUT RELIGIOUS DIVERSITY

A friend recently asked me about the status of Reform in the Jewish religion. The essay, RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE DEADLY, " [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/5154540] points out that in any religion, despite efforts to remain "orthodox", diversity arises. It can't be helped. No force will deter it.

Remember that no matter how hard Israelite leaders tried to eliminate idol worship, they failed. Even in the Second Temple time, diverse sects arose. Only when the Romans put an end to the government and the Temple of Judea did Jews wind up with two alternatives: Rabbinism and Nazarenism.

The rabbis attempted to do away with Nazrenism, but they failed. In took almost four and a half centuries for Nazarenism to die out on its own. But then what happened?

In the 9th century, Karaitism emerged, a forerunner of Reform. Orthodoxy was never able to get rid of it. In time. Judaism developed Reform, Conservatism, and Reconstructionism. I venture to predict that other denominations will spring up.

No matter how much force the Roman Catholic Church tried to eliminate heresy and witchcraft, it failed. It turned its back on the Greek Orthodox variety of Christianity, but Greek Orthodoxy remains as strong as ever.

No matter how many Protestants were hanged or burned, Protestantism grew ever stronger and spread out over Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Who can count how many denominations of Protestantism exist? And Pentecostalism is overshadowing Catholicism in the global south, Africa, and South America.

And remember that Islam split into two and produced the Baha'i religion.

No religious orthodoxy will ever prevent religious diversity. That's what human nature is all about. An excellent example of this is the attempt by the opponents of the new chasidic movement to suppress that movement ended in failure.

"Misnagdim were traditionalist Jewish opponents of the Hasidic movement, emphasizing intellectual study of the Talmud and Torah, while Hasidim focused on emotional, mystical experiences and the teachings of a Rebbe. The conflict between these groups in the late 18th and early 19th centuries revolved around Hasidic emphasis on ecstatic prayer and public mysticism, their use of a different prayerbook (Nusach Sefard), and changes to practices like kosher slaughter, which the Misnagdim viewed as radical deviations from their established way of life."
https://www.google.com/search?q=chasidim+and+mitnagdim&sca_esv=a174f5be0db83716&sxsrf=AE3TifPxnf9WawaZRdS3ts2Ly7tF1Nu8vA%3A1763487897493&source=hp&ei=mbAcacb4G8-fw8cPgP2C4Aw&iflsig=AOw8s4IAAAAAaRy-qb4XNaBCbVU2Umtwf8FvdwoyZK3q&ved=0ahUKEwiGqcatoPyQAxXPz_ACHYC-AMwQ4dUDCBo&uact=5&oq=chasidim+and+mitnagdim&gs_lp=Egdnd3Mtd2l6IhZjaGFzaWRpbSBhbmQgbWl0bmFnZGltMgYQABgNGB4yCxAAGIAEGIYDGIoFMggQABiABBiiBDIIEAAYgAQYogQyCBAAGIAEGKIEMggQABiABBiiBEiQOFAAWMg0cAB4AJABAJgBpAGgAbsPqgEEMTguNLgBA8gBAPgBAZgCFqAC-w_CAgQQIxgnwgIKECMYgAQYJxiKBcICCBAAGIAEGLEDwgIREC4YgAQYsQMY0QMYgwEYxwHCAgsQLhiABBixAxiDAcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgITEC4YgAQYxwEYJxiKBRiOBRivAcICBRAAGIAEwgIEEAAYA8ICCBAuGIAEGLEDwgIOEAAYgAQYsQMYgwEYigXCAggQABiABBjJA8ICCxAAGIAEGJIDGIoFwgIFEC4YgATCAgsQLhiABBjRAxjHAcICDBAAGIAEGLEDGAoYC8ICBxAAGIAEGArCAgkQABiABBgKGAvCAgcQLhiABBgKwgIHEAAYgAQYDcICCRAAGMcDGA0YHsICCBAAGBYYChgewgIGEAAYFhgewgIIEAAYCBgNGB7CAgUQABjvBcICBxAhGKABGArCAgUQIRifBZgDAJIHBDE4LjSgB7OrAbIHBDE4LjS4B_sPwgcGMS4yMC4xyAcn&sclient=gws-wiz

Some Orthodox extremists may call Reform whatever they wish. This winds up as meanspirited, ineffective rhetoric and does nothing good. Diversity is never disappearing as an aspect of religion.