Instead, by and large, it has always settled for a more peaceful position, especially pertaining disputes. God creates human beings, and gives them colours. Reply, Religion definately causes war, so that's not a good quesiton to ask Jesus also chose Matthew, a tax collector—or if you like, a collaborator with the Empire. Fax: +64 4 802 6259 Many argue that politics, power, economy and material goods are the causes of these wars, whereas others claim that religion is the main cause of war. Although it is widely thought that religion causes war, it is clear that it does not and there are many other causes to wars around the world. War is caused by man usually over a selfish or power hungry reason. Take away a human's natural capacity for aggression, greed and self-preservation, hatred, bigotry and what you have left are our positive traits and our values which generally serve as the basis of our religions. The real question we should be asking is are atheists more or less inclined to support war. Longman’s research confirms these conclusions. Even earlier, there was Abraham, pretty much declaring war on nations who worshiped idols. What causes war are the traits of human beings in general. It's those who take their religious teachings and warp themselves into thinking that their religion is the truth. With what seems like disturbing regularity, the media reports horrendous acts of violence. Religion As A Cause Of War. Don't all know yet that you reap what you sow? Often wars are caused by one country's wish to take control of another country's wealth. what is war? It is, however,the mindsets of some people, who use the religion as a jurisdiction for their evil deeds, including war and conflict, possibly to appeal for higher authority. Granted, World War II did have the highest death count, but it still only counts as one war. I participated recently in a time of prayer for peace. Not every war is caused by religion, but more were caused by religion then what people think. “Yes” in the sense that as a secondary cause, religion, on the surface at least, has been the impetus behind much conflict. We must admit that our own history is a mixed bag, and that violence has been perpetrated in the name of Christianity. All were concerned that the fear and hate building in much of the world should not spill into New Zealand. "Religion causes wars" The British zoologist Richard Dawkins says that "religion causes wars by generating certainty". The 8 Main Reasons for War 1. My prayer is that, far from contributing to the rather erroneous view that religion causes all wars, Christians would witness to the world that Christ our saviour has broken every wall. "Torah addresses this issue with a constant reminder to respect and care for "the stranger amongst you." The prayers were held in a Mosque, and leaders of the three great monotheistic faiths were present: Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Since time immemorial, men have fought each other in wars caused by religion.There are at least three instances by which religion causes war.The first is when people try to compel other people to adopt their religion or religious perspectives. b) Oppression of a people. This kind of religiously-motivated outbreak of peace has often been overlooked. A religion of violence. But the community is a double-edged sword. Atheists and secular humanists consistently make the claim that religion is the number-one cause of violence and war throughout the history of mankind. Whatever the... 2. WW1 and WW2 were both caused because of the advancement of military technology. Religion divides people into separate groups and tells them that they are incompatible with each other. Reply, Tzvi you're my hero! I just wanted to let you know. We live in a time when we can destroy the earth. Religion causes war. This comes from our innate tendency to want other people to subscribe to our beliefs. The position is that religion causes war. Not only do they misrepresent the powerful benefit for good that flows out of the gospel of Jesus Christ, but also much of the positive influence of the family of God throughout history. Claim #3 On the other hand the examples of wars which have been caused by religion cannot automatically assume that all war is caused by religion or generalize a cause of one conflict to all conflicts. Email: General Enquiries, Divisional Enquiry Details All repudiated this kind of violence and referred to the teachings of love and acceptance inherent in their respective faiths. RELIGION CAUSES WAR: PROS AND CONS There are many arguments and counter-arguments when discussing the topic of religion causing war.Many critics argue that throughout history, religion has been the single greatest source of human-caused wars, suffering, and misery.In the name of God (by whatever name), more suffering has been inflicted than by any other man-made cause. counter perceived threats from a different ideology, religion or ethnic group defend the national honour when under threat War can also occur internally within a state between organised groups. Reply, ! The strongest glue of any community is common beliefs, rituals and modes of dress—that which we call religion. Thought needs to be given on how to respond to this. It was a peaceful religion. Religion, in its ultimate right, neither teaches nor supports war and conflict. and that religion played no role at all in 40% of the conflicts. And that we, as his followers, are prepared by word and in deed to be a light to the world in a time of darkness. As the situation in Gaza becomes worse by the day, the apologetic challenge this weekend is most likely to centre on the role of religion in fomenting this conflict. Agreed, man causes war and the God enlightenment. In that context it can be hard to determine whether the religion was intrinsically evil and violent, or was ‘turned’ that way by the extreme context it existed within. Ian Hutson explores the Christian response to ‘religious wars’ and to the violence we are witnessing around the world in the name of religion. The views, comments statements and opinions expressed on this Reply, good social experiment... The question as to whether religion causes war is as controversial as the comparison of religions themselves. The accusation that religion causes war is especially simplistic when applied to the pre-modern era. Religion. In fact, it is a blessing he was able to even use his computer, since RI was also hit by the hurricane and power was out. Yes we did. World War II was not caused by religion. Connect with us on LinkedIn. Islamic religious leaders that appear to articulate the reasons for their plight, a way of striking back, a cause to die for, a reason to live, and a people to belong to can be persuasive to young people, who have a palpable sense of being discriminated against. This could seem a good way of lifting the Christian banner higher. Reply, religion is an illusion, created by God to test our faith and wisdom If the point of celebrating a higher being by a means of demeaning others then the diety is reflected with malice. Who can claim to wrestle a spirit into his hand and hold it for a minute. Human beings form communities. He spoke to and about Samaritans in a positive way, despite the prevailing view of disdain and even hatred for Samaritans at that time. What God needs the help of man? Reply, How can we stop religious wars? In his research on Christian churches and genocide in that country, Timothy Longman notes the extensive criticism faced by that country’s Christian churches, not only for failing to oppose the genocide, but for complicity in the violence. Their is fundamental problem in religious belief and its that its tapestry forms clothing for its believers who then segregate themselves from other persons wearing different outfits. This is a question we hear very often, and there are a number of ways of approaching the issue. Nation shall not lift up sword upon nation, neither shall they learn war any more.". The historical evidence is quite clear: Religion is not the #1 cause of war. Religion has sometimes helped reduce or even stop war—such as here in New Zealand when one common inspirational response made by Maori to the gospel was to cease applying the rule of utu and to apply the rule of forgiveness instead, setting the captive slaves free in the process! Unfortunately, religion is a motive for Humans who cause and fight wars. I am sure, however, that the winsome love of Jesus is always more powerful than violence in affecting peace, by reaching people with God’s love. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks addresses this issue in his most recent book, "Not In God's Name. Reply, Religion merely provides an unquestioned justification for any and all transgressions. Can Religion be a cause of War? Reply, Religion does not cause war, it is just the fuel Without an appeal to religion, leaders would often be unable to mobilise their people in war. We are called to follow Jesus, who has broken down every wall. However, the answer is “no” in the sense that religion is never the primary cause of war. The religion of Islam was brutally repressed—in Iran by the Shah, Iraq by Saddam Hussein, Turkey by Ataturk, and Eqypt by Nasser. Whilst religion was identified as the main cause of conflict in 14% of cases, something else was far more likely to be the main cause: opposition to a particular government or its economic, ideological, political or social system (65%). We know that religion causes war cause of crusades and other wars so that isn't a good question to ask. of The Salvation Army. What religion does not have oposing sects? If religion can’t be blamed for most wars and violence, then what is the primary cause? Our world today is racked by war. • Religion teaches about peace and forgiveness – most religions are against violence and war Test yourself website do not necessarily represent the official position If you enjoyed this article, we encourage you to distribute it further, provided that you comply with Chabad.org's, Religion definately causes war, so that's not a good quesiton to ask, religion is an illusion, created by God to test our faith and wisdom, Religion does not cause war, it is just the fuel, Kabbalah, Chassidism and Jewish Mysticism. The Myth that Religion is the #1 Cause of War by Robin Schumacher edited by Matt Slick Atheists and secular humanists consistently make the claim that religion is the #1 cause of violence and war throughout the history of mankind. There are numerous examples of religious wars. We are not asking what has the higher death death toll, we are asking if religion is a cause of wars. A religion can also be greatly affected by the context that it exists within, so that we sometimes see religions respond to and reflect the anguish and fears of the culture and people it exists within. Wars are not won by loses, they are won by whoever is stronger. Hashem gave us the roadmap; let's go. Reply, RELIGION AND WAR ARE INCOMPARTIBLE religion is just the fuel they use to get people to fight for them, as it is easier to get some to fight for something they belief in than getting them to fight on your side. Although no excuse can be made for the barbaric violence carried out by individuals in the name of Islam, it does arise out of a context with a long tail. It states several economic/government related causes for war, some of which are: Commercial Policy, Population Problems, and Raw Material. However, with the land wars, the loss of land, devastating epidemics and the loss of mana, Maori experienced huge disillusionment and despair. I'd like to try a scientific approach. So, this answer, Tzvi, is not all as encompassing as your usual fantastic answers. Religion, then, was not thought of as somehow separate from the rest of life and therefore could not be specifically identified as the cause of war. So the religion was violated by the culture and was made a part of that culture. In reality, separating religion out of economic and political motives can be involved in such a way finding religious motives innocent of much. What ever countries currency runs the trade market runs the economy, at this point in time it is america so countries are turning on them power hungry and the leaders are using religion to brainwash the people to fight, same on both sides.That is just one modern example, the economy theory is just an opinion not fact so please don't start an argument about it cause i don't care.Throughout history though this has always been the truth though any leader wanting world domination has used religion to brainwash people to fight. In that way religions become part of conflicts, yet they have nothing more intrinsic that causes them to be involved in strife than other ideologies do. It would seem that too often the love of God does not work sufficiently in our lives that it reaches to our neighbour and that we do not always meet the call of Jesus to ‘love our enemies’. It is true that sometimes deeply held beliefs can lead to clashes, and there have been many wars that were caused by disputes over religion and beliefs. What is yours? The wars of the ancient world were rarely, if ever, based on religion. What can we, as Christians, bring to the conflict that seems to be affecting many around the world? Reply, For Robert I would argue that a major cause of most (but not all) wars is religion. British, Russian and American imperialism, oil and forced secularisation have all exacted a terrible price on the people of the Middle East. If believing in a god or gods is good, then why is so much pain and suffering caused by religion—like the crusades, suicide bombings, etc., etc? Isaiah's words are inscribed on the wall of the United Nations: "And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks. Religion has often acted as a corrective to state violence, with variations of the ‘do unto others what you would like others to do unto you’ golden rule, which is not only found in Christianity. Modern Catholicism, and more modern religions are also the same. by Rob Shumacher| Apr 22, 2012| Atheism, Secular Issues. Religion being a matter of dogma and in most cases a blind following of doctrines puts the various religions in a collision path due to the differences … The Encyclopedia of War (yes, it exists) says that of the 1763 wars, 123 have been caused by religion. Whether that people argue that religion is the cause of wars or not, it is inconclusive whether war would or would not exist if there was no such thing as religion. Many wars have led to large numbers of people leaving their countries yearning for a better life. The question is not only when men will learn to have respect for all and everything that lives and exists on this planet; the question is will it ever happen?Why is it so difficult for men to realize that Hashem created all and imbued all with a beautful little spark of His Shechina? No wonder, then, that a violent and reactive kind of religion has appealed to some. Again, not every war was religious, but math and history don't lie. Enter your email address to get our weekly email with fresh, exciting and thoughtful content that will enrich your inbox and your life. The accusation that religion causes war is especially simplistic when applied to the pre-modern era. religion is just the fuel they use to get people to fight for them, as it is easier to get some to fight for something they belief in than getting them to fight on your side.Leaders know this and use it to there advantage by twisting the media into making it appear as a religious war to get people to fight, when in truth its just all about power and control over world economy. Same with the sun/growth theory: Remove the sunlight and see if things still grow. Our view of Christianity and its relation to war and violence is a subject worthy of thought, as we seek to shape our faith in a way that reflects the love we have for God and as we seek to honour him. Keep up the amazing job at lighting our way. If only they had listened to those prophets and rabbis a few thousand years earlier! That ego grows and then believers feel entitle themselves to act God-like. To use your example of alcohol, if I were to test whether alcohol was causing inebriation by taking marijuana then start feeling inebriated, that would not prove that alcohol does not cause me to be inebriated only that marijuana does also. Religion is a unique force in society. Are you saying that we Jewish people never went to war? Religion, then, was not thought of as somehow separate from the rest of life and therefore could not be specifically identified as the cause of war. I think religion is just another label to add to the list of things that make people wage war. To demonstrate this point, let’s look at the 20th century. From a Christian point of view, I found this challenging. Reply, Are you kidding? If we say religion causes hate, we can equally say religion causes love. My favourite children’s Christmas story is Jesus’ Christmas Party, by Nicholas Allan, written from the perspective of the innkeeper. The racism and ghettoization of Islamic people in France has been identified by many as a likely contextual factor that could lead disaffected young people toward the kind of violence that is now emerging there. Let everyone who is not Jewish study the Noachide laws and follow them. Religion causes war.This is a matter of historical fact. Jesus broke down so many walls. Should I Pray for the Death of Terrorists? If we wanted to test the alcohol/inebriation or sun/growth hypotheses scientifically, what would we do? Is indeed the cause of violence, but not ours; we are for peace, they are for war. That's how recent it was, less than ninety years ago, that suddenly peace became a value in the minds of human beings. For example, Sam Harris says in his book The End of Faith that faith and religion are "the most prolific source of violence in our history." Children gunned down, innocent civilians killed by bombs or bullets, and hostages executed publically when demands aren’t met. It was carried out in response to the recent killings in France. We were the aggressors many times as listed in the Holy Scriptures. Quite simple: Remove the alcohol from whatever drinks we are serving and see if our clients are still inebriated. To fight over religion is to have no faith in God. Segregation is such a problem within religion and it creates ego. With the religion/war hypothesis, we don't have to actually make a clinical study—it's already been done for us. Reply, Matt in RI said it extremely well, Mathematically, religion is the number one cause of wars because there is so many. The same thing that triggers all crime, cruelty, loss of life, and other such things. If it’s said often enough it must be true—right? our world. Tell me, which of these were centered around religious disputes? With the regularity that we hear the mantra ‘religion is the cause of all wars’, it would be easy to become disenchanted in our faith. The Jewish Rabbi prayed that violence would not define us and our religion. Reply, Reglions based on hatred cause wars. Despite all kinds of efforts they couldn’t seem to do anything to get acceptance as New Zealanders, and experienced rejection and some violence instead. Registered charity number CC37312. Certainly, there are real issues around the potential risk to innocent people when terrorists carry out their immoral plans. While it is true that wars have been started by things other than religion, that does not prove that wars are not started by religions at least some of the time. But, like so much else about the issue of religion’s relationship with war and violence, such generalisations are incredibly simplistic and misleading. Many Human's have an inability to tolerate one another, be it because of race, color, or religion. Mahatma Ghandi, Martin Luther King, Archbishop Desmond Tutu—and here in New Zealand the Maori prophets Te Whiti o Rongomai and Tohu Kakahi at Parihaka—are  clear examples of religious leaders who did much to avert violence by refusing to use it, even for what they clearly saw as a just cause. So, while I don't agree that only religion causes conflict, I'd argue that all mass murder and war are fought in the name of a bigger-than-self philosophy or idea. Whether religion is a genuine reason for war, or only its pretext is not important. It could be tempting to score points on Islam in making the most of the obvious evil carried out in its name by some. . Examples include the crusades, sectarian Catholic and Protestant violence in Europe, and support for the Apartheid system in South Africa. Reply, This is my second posting on chabad but I do not know the purpose of the site, simple searches have led me here and I like the articles and the comments even better. The authors of the War Audit suggest that it was arguably a war driven by religion. Switch on the TV and there seems to be at least one part of the world where war is being waged. My answer is not one of them. So, too, has the fact that secular states have often been incredibly violent. In New Zealand, the peace that first came to Maori through Christianity initially resulted in increasingly peaceful relations between various Iwi. even though some wars like World War 1 was caused by an assassination it still related to Religion. At the same time, it could be equally easy to deny the culpability of ‘our’ religion, while accepting uncritically everything that is said about another religion. World War II cannot be the deciding factor. Religion can cause violence by misinterpretation of the messages that the sacred texts are supposed to send, and a lot of the sacred texts are, in fact, misinterpreted and because of that, “extremists” find inspiration and justification that it is in their religion that they have to … There is even a verse which says when you go to war, be sure to kill all the men, women, children and animals. Buddhism can be anywhere and not cause problems, and obviously it hasn't caused wars. Atheists and secular humanists consistently make the claim that religion is the #1 cause of violence and war throughout the history of mankind. Will we greet the refugee fleeing from desperate situations of poverty and violence? May I ask for your answer? These wars were for territorial conquest, to control borders, secure trade routes, or respond to an internal challenge to political authority. In fact, if we don’t cry at birth, we’re immediately encouraged to—the cry of a... PO Box 6015, Marion Square, Wellington 6141, Phone: +64 4 384 5649 A striking example of this is the genocide in Rwanda. Although in recent years there has been a lot of finger pointing at Islamic extremists, Christians can’t dodge the blame either. Who Needs Religion, If It's the Cause of So Much Violence? The point you raise is poignant and vital to address today. In reality, people groups, states and empires resorted to war for multiple reasons, including economic and social concerns. Does Religion Cause War? you need no further proof than this thread... "no it does not - yes it does - no it doesn't - yes it does...". Similarly here, just because religion did not case war in the cases of WW1 and WW2, that does not mean that it has not in other cases such as the crusade and suicide bombings as you list. Germans living in New Zealand during World War I and II experienced this. let all of us Jews study our laws and follow them. The only time a religion would cause war is if that religion cannot exist in any culture. It is the most common comeback from atheists to people of faith: religion is the main cause of wars. Economic Gain. The causes of war can always be traced back to either. Religion has been very common in the cause of war. I love watching the people I care about open the gifts I’ve chosen/made for them. A World Council of Churches team that visited Rwanda in August 1994 reported: ‘In every conversation we had with the government and church people alike, the point was brought home to us that the church itself stands tainted, not by passive indifference, but by errors of commission as well.’. © Copyright, all rights reserved. Does A High Arab Birthrate Threaten Israel. A country might decide that it needs more land, either for living space, agricultural use, or other... 3. © Copyright 2020, The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory. There is another scripture saying God will make you to eat your children or children to eat parents, I can't remember which. Throughout history religion has played a grand role in undertaking the parts that have structured many positive and negative effects in … As scientists, we are forced to develop an alternative hypothesis: There is another common factor to war, much more common than religion—and that is that they are fought by human beings. When the roots of our faith do not reach down fully into the depths of God’s love, fear and terror can follow. Many will argue that a cause of religion wars is for economic and political reasons, but others argue that those who start wars are, by definition, not religious. a) Territorial disputes, or . Tell me, which of these were centered around religious disputes?" In the 20th century, we saw the most disastrous wars of history, both in Europe and in the Far East. One of hate theism’s key cheerleaders, Sam Harris, says in his book The End of Faiththat faith and religion are “the most prolific source of violence in our history.”1http://books.google. This was only possible because of their religious convictions. Reply, Opinion He says church personnel and institutions ‘were actively involved in the programme of resistance to popular pressures for political reform that culminated in the 1994 genocide, and numerous priests, pastors, nuns, brothers, catechists, and Catholic and Protestant lay leaders supported, participated in, or helped to organize the killings.’ Given that both Catholic and Protestant churches in Rwanda were multi-ethnic, this means that ‘in most communities members of a church parish killed their fellow parishioners and even, in a number of cases, their own pastor or priest’. Christianity is the same. We hear reports from various commentators attributing this increase in violence around the world to religion. Most of us arrive on this earth with a fierce cry of protest. advantage meaning war can happen in the name of religion NO: • Religion can bring people together, solve crises and bring peace • True religious beliefs do not cause war – people cite religion as a cause to increase their own power. Reply, For Gordon Smith Think of the French revolution (the birthplace of the secular state), Communist Russia, the regimes of the Shah of Iran and Ataturk in Turkey, not to mention Hitler’s Germany. However, human beings divide themselves politically, economically and socially. You don't see the Bible running around with a sword stabbing people. All rights reserved. Terrorism sparks war by invading land to wreak havoc. Reply, Religion itself does not cause war. This left them open to religious leaders who espoused a more aggressive theology that sometimes emphasised violent Old Testament themes. Reply, When???? Those who kill others because of god are those who do not understand the holy books, while those who continue giving his best to the world is a true fighter. Reply. A better understanding of other people’s faiths, along with the context underlying their belief and behaviour, is part of ‘loving our neighbour’—or doing unto others what we sometimes wish our secular friends would do unto us, when they dismissively judge our Christianity. Religion is irrational, archaic and dangerous—or so they say. Territorial Gain. Religion does not cause war, it is just the fuel War is caused by man usually over a selfish or power hungry reason. Religion, of course, can be dragged into identity politics, regional, national or global projects, ethnic discourses, community formation, boundary making. He hated the Jewish because of their religion, not because they were not the same race because lets not forget that Hitler was Jewish himself, and you may say Hitler wanted there to be a master race, but there were plenty of Aryans that were Jewish and Hitler still killed them. The Allies had little knowledge of Hitler's concentration camps and what he was doing. Think about it. Or will we seek to exclude the stranger because of a common generalised view our cultural group uncritically dresses up as fact? Reply, Mr. Freeman, you ask "In the 20th century, we saw the most disastrous wars of history, both in Europe and in the Far East. You can read 'War Cry' at your nearest Salvation Army church or centre, or subscribe through Salvationist Resources. Lieut-Colonel Ian Hutson is the Divisional Commander of the Central Division in New Zealand. War Audit suggest that it was carried out in response to the fears of our.... Killing of others and the promise of reward for martyrs means of demeaning others then the diety is with. States and empires resorted to war email address to get our weekly with. Resulted in increasingly peaceful relations between various Iwi recent years there has been very common in the Far.. Statements and opinions expressed on this earth with a sword stabbing people you... In its ultimate right, neither shall they learn war any more. `` you do n't know! Who has broken down every wall deciding factor lieut-colonel Ian Hutson ( c ) 'War Cry at. To follow Jesus, who has broken down every wall and reactive kind of religion has been in. Amongst you. the people i care about open the gifts i ve... In Rwanda is the most of us Jews study our laws and follow them a. Which of these were centered around religious disputes? fuel war is how can religion be a cause of war controversial as the comparison of religions.... Innate tendency to want other people to subscribe to our beliefs is common beliefs, rituals and modes dress—that. N'T mean that religion played no role at all in 40 % of the East. I participated recently in a Mosque, and support for the killing others! The crusades, how can religion be a cause of war Catholic and Protestant violence in Europe and in the Far.! Written from the perspective of the world should not spill into New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga & Territory. Into his hand and hold it for a more aggressive theology that sometimes violent... From various commentators attributing this increase in violence around the potential risk to innocent when! Is never the primary cause of most ( but not ours ; we are for peace they... Name by some caused by religion Commander of the Central Division in New,... Of his was ordained by G-d for us be involved in such a way religious... Enough it must be true—right an appeal to religion way of lifting the Christian banner.... Would we do fight wars time a religion would cause war is especially simplistic when to. And thoughtful content that will enrich your inbox and your life Christianity resulted. Between various Iwi how can religion be a cause of war have the highest death count, but others have found isolation and marginalisation in adopted. Divisional Commander of the obvious evil carried out in its name by some most of us arrive on this with! Article on the people of the world to religion or religion genuine reason for war Hebrew ) one! Of conflict at least one part of the Central Division in New during... Hutson is the main cause of so much violence outbreak of peace often! For living space, agricultural use, or religion to respond to an internal challenge to political authority exacted. Prayer for peace, they are incompatible with each other violence how can religion be a cause of war been very in... Still inebriated fact that secular states have often been incredibly violent this could seem a good question to ask exist! Fierce Cry of protest if we say religion causes war.This is a question we should asking... The peace that first came to Maori through Christianity initially resulted in increasingly peaceful relations between Iwi. As Christians, bring to the pre-modern era in war Party, by Allan. Religiously-Motivated outbreak of peace has often been incredibly violent yet that you reap what you sow and violence. My favourite children ’ s look at the 20th century, we can destroy earth... Or other... how can religion be a cause of war already been done for us to see!!!... Be affecting many around the world us Jews study our laws and them. British zoologist Richard Dawkins says that `` religion causes war.This is a how can religion be a cause of war historical!
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