RELIGIOUS CRITICAL THINKING IN POST-TRUTH ERA

Abstract

Post-truth  is an era signed by the exclusion of facts and truth as well as emotion as the target. This era emerges in line with the booming of internet.  It has an effect on activating people to express their interest and personal ideas freely. This condition has produced  hoax, fake news, and hate speech. Those are dangerous if they had spread in social life, especially when they had done by politicizing religion such as 1). Using Quranic verses for legalizing political actions, For example, the case of Ahok and Qs. Al-Maidah 51 in the election of Jakarta governor last 2017. The verse had been based  on Ahok rejection as the governor candidate; 2). Using worship places for political interest, for instance, the case of Rhoma Irama who gave moslems an advice to vote a candidate who has the same religion in the election of Jakarta governor last 2012 at al-Isra  Mosque, Tanjung Duren, West Jakarta;  3). Using religious terms,  God-party vs. Devil-party, Mecca-block vs. Beijing-block around the Indonesian presidential election in 2019. The hoax, fake news, and hate speech had produced the violence and conflict. They had deliberately used as an instrument to persuade and mobilize others so that they will join or fight.  As a result, religious community will be classified into various exclusive groups and this condition will intensify tensions.

Dealing with those problems, the article discusses the significant of practicing a religious critical thinking. The purpose is not only stop questioning the true or false religious statements, but also think of who said the statement, for what purpose one made it, who took the benefits or loses. In short, every religious statement must be examined based on the principles of logic, ethics, and uses