Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The role of religion in war
The effects of religion on society
The effects of religion on society
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The role of religion in war
Religion has played a major role in the lives of most cultures whether it is Christian, Islamic, Judaism, or another religious faith, but has it been the leading cause of war throughout history? God refers to sin as being the force that drives the world it provokes conduct involving one’s flesh and mind. Richard Dawkins an evolutionist, and agnostic, states that “religion causes wars by generating certainty” (Thacker). When he implies certainty in his quote, does he mean that this is a fact he is certain of, or can he provide proper evidence? War and conflict is a characteristic nature of man it was around before religion ever existed and many other factors are the cause of war such as, ethnicity, culture, ideologues, race, class, gender, power, greed, selfishness, revenge, genocide, immigration, government decisions, and SIN these are just a few. Bible scriptures say, “war is the cause of sin in the world not god” (King James Version, Matt. 15.19). Therefore, the aim is to prove that religion is more of an excuse for war. Then refute that selfishness, greed, and sin caused by human-violence are the primary causes of war.
In any culture, war has always been a factor whether it is due to religion, communism, nationalism, militarism, or just down right greed. It is a way for one to have control over something that does not belong to them. Recently there has been an argument circulating around anti-religious beliefs that “religion has been the cause of more wars and conflicts than any other factor” (Pimentel). This theory is obviously inaccurate and shows no relevance of any proper research done. Religion is based on one’s faith. Faith can be warped into fanaticism, which is bad no matter what form it comes in. It can motivate a ...
... middle of paper ...
...e Christian Science Board of Directors, 1910. 426. Print.
Edwards, Will. "Does Religion Cause War?" Weblog post. Personal Development Resources. The Inspiration Blog, 24 Jan. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .
"Is Religion the Cause of Most Wars?" Bible Questions Answered. Got Questions Ministries, 2002-2012. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .
Pimentel, Rick. "Is Religion to Blame? Part 2." Philosophy News. Philosophy News, 20 Feb. 2011. Web. 26 Apr. 2012. .
Thacker, Justin. Does religion cause war? UCCF: The Christian Unions, Registered Charity number 306137, 9 January 2009. Web. 15 April 2012.
The Holy Bible, King James Version. Black Heritage ed. Nashville: Today, 1976. Print.
In his essay, Rodriguez believes that the diplomatic affairs we see on the evening news are merely being disguised as a religious war. The fight over oil or land when in reality it is the fight between whose side God is on, the attacks under the control of Al Qaeda when perhaps it’s the greed for power or world domination. According to Richard, these religious wars are allowing terrorism to become prevalent; often times within the same culture (147).
Generally, war results from arguments between nations over things like land, power, money, or religion. War over religion contradicts religion itself. In the passage titled “On War”, James Boswell states, “That amiable religion which “proclaims peace on earth,” hath not as yet made war to cease.” If religion proclaims peace on earth, then war goes against those morals.
Pecorino, Philip A. "Section 4: What is Religion?" Philosophy of Religion. 2001. 15 November 2007.
Religion is a part of society that is so closely bound to the rest of one’s life it becomes hard to distinguish what part of religion is actually being portrayed through themselves, or what is being portrayed through their culture and the rest of their society. In Holy Terrors, Bruce Lincoln states that religion is used as a justifiable mean of supporting violence and war throughout time (Lincoln 2). This becomes truly visible in times such as the practice of Jihad, the Reformation, and 9/11. The purpose of this essay is to show that as long as religion is bound to a political and cultural aspect of a community, religious war and destruction will always occur throughout the world. A historical methodology will be deployed in order to gain
Sullivan, Andrew. “This Is a Religious War.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Oct. 2001,
"Center Update: Case Studies on Religion and Conflict." The Berkley Center. Georgetown University, n.d. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.
“history is written by the victors”(Winston Churchill). Conflict has been deeply engrained into the history of mankind. For thousands of years all across the globe the prevalent aspect in which mass conflict has surrounded was that of differing religious practices. With all that is good that comes from religion, much evil is directly following. This conflict over religious views has caused hundreds of years of war in some parts of the world as well as problems that can range from day to day in your home. In the book Lame Deer, Seeker of visions religion can be seen at the base of all the struggle between the Native American people and the European Colonist that moved in to take over their land. Religion has been used for centuries to explain the surrounding world, but it only seems to pertain to the people practicing these beliefs. People through history have used their religions to justify their own personal desires even if they were not always the ideas of the religious institution.
Nelson, Jack. Is religion killing us?violence in the Bible and the Quran / Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer.. 2003 Print.
Moses, Paul. “Is religion about war -- or peace.” CNN. December 18, 2009. Web 14 April 2011.
Granted the people seek religion for means of peace and conflict resolution, it is widely believed that misinterpretation of religion is one of the fundamental reasons for evolution of war all around the world. History proves this by innumerable war and evolution incidents, one of them occurring in what we call now Spain.
War has always been, and will always be, a necessary action perpetrated by man. There are many reasons for war: rage, passion, greed, defense, and religion to name a few. When differences cannot be solved or compromised through mediation with an opposing party, war is the last remaining option. Muslim historian Ibn Khaldun wrote in fourteenth-century Spain, that “War is a universal and inevitable aspect of life, ordained by God to the same extent as the sky and the earth, the heat and the cold. The question of whether to fright is not a significant moral question because fighting is constant; the minor decision not to fight this war will be made only in the context of knowing that another war will present itself soon enough because it is simply always there.” (Peter S. Themes. The Just War)
Yet this discussion should not end by recalling the broad, if only tacit, role of religion in bringing about violence, but should recall the role of religious faith in promoting love between diverse peoples. Fundamental to the Church’s centuries-old teachings is the importance of humanity’s dignity a sons and daughters of the Creator. Violence, if even in part motivated by religion, contradicts what St. John taught us about God – “God is love” – a divine love that humanity is called to mirror and extend.
In discussions of whether the world would be a more peaceful place without religions, one controversial issue has been placing blame on one’s own religion when wars or conflict ending in violence has occurred. The question is asked,. Does religion play a role in the violence going on around the world? On the one hand, many people may agree with this belief and argue that religion in a way has always played a role in the amount of violence in our society. On the other hand, the public contends that as humans we know what we are doing and our religion has nothing to do with the violence that we create.
For thousands of years, religion has exerted a great influence over economic and political life. Even today religion is called upon to support rulers, contacts and other legal procedures.
Wood, Connor. “Religious terrorism: an evolutionary explanation.” Patheos.com. Patheos, 3 Apr 2012. Web. 15 Oct 2013.