Years ago, a seminary student joked with me that the way to spell religion was p-a-r-a-n-o-i-a.  I suggested the correct spelling should be f-e-a-r, as in fear of going to Hell.  No, he explained, just like consumer goods are sold with sex appeal, some religions are sold with fear.  While they may “make the sale” by scaring people, it is paranoia that binds the followers together.

After all, every major religion feels persecuted.

Watching the tragedy in Paris reminded me of that conversation.  The huge disaffected population of Muslims in France certainly provides a fertile ground for radicalization.  The sins of France in abusing and then deserting Algeria during the late 1950s and early 1960s came home when huge numbers of French-Algerians escaped retribution in Algeria by fleeing to France.  Once there, they found the French unenthusiastic about the growing numbers of Muslims, reminding the French of their embarrassment and loss in Algeria.  Feeling unaccepted, the Muslims became paranoid and clung even more closely to their religion, eventually losing interest in being accepted.  Now, the French are faced with the question of how to assimilate those who no longer wish to be assimilated?

The easy “sale” is to the French, that they need to reach out to Muslims, befriend some and find jobs for the young, where 40% are unemployed.  The hard “sale” is to the Muslims, that their religion is indeed respected and that working is better than fighting and dying.

Paranoia has to be replaced by opportunity.