Religion - a major cause of political violence in the past and present?

[Norwegian]

Although religious discussions are banned in this forum, yet every other thread is about some real world incident involving religion. Be it Hindus killing Muslims for slaughtering their holy cows in India, Muslims stabbing Jews for occupation of their holy sites in Israel, Buddhists burning Muslims alive for trespassing their holy temples, Muslims throwing Christians in ovens for destroying their holy texts in Pakistan etc etc.

We can go on for ever with unlimited examples on how seemingly unrelated religions are brewing tensions and conflicts in a world that has been increasingly globalized through modern technology. There have already been endless debates targeting one religion or another with common propaganda narratives. Yet they always fail to address the root cause of religious fueled political violence.

Therefore, in this thread, we are not going to talk about certain schematics of this religion or that . Rather we are going to test and evaluate this theory; Is religion as sociopolitical philosophy really a major cause of political violence and upheaval around the world? Both in the present and past, and certainly in the future?

As a person with religious background myself, all I can say is that said theory is correct with a few exceptions. These exceptions being wars that didn't involve any religion, but yet managed to kill and destroy more human lives than all religious wars combined. Yes, I am referring to the horrors of WW1 and WW2. But apart from that in our recorded history, every other war or conflict between humans of this world had something to do with religion.

Religion that atheists and unbelievers never even bothered caring about all their lives. Yet, many of them lived successful lives and contributed for the collective development of humanity. Yes, many of the greatest scientists, inventors, thinkers humanity has produced were not even religious. They contributed more to relieve the suffering of all mankind with their knowledge and hard work than any religious person could ever do.

Yet, instead of worshiping them as divines in human form, we love having 'holier than thou' attitude towards supernatural beings we have never seen or ever heard from in our entire lives. We are always ready to bash and criticize those who insult our 'hollies', yet we never take time to research or even look for independent evidence of all those wild claims presented as undeniable evidence in the holy scripture! Why?!

Because from early childhood we are 'told' by our parents that the text presented in holy books is heavenly inspired, divine, uncorrupted, true manifestation of God's will for all humanity and so on. It's quite obvious that when every religious person is taught to believe from very young age that his / her beliefs are the 'right', then naturally others must be having 'wrong' beliefs as they usually contradict from our own. Hence, this religious indoctrination discreetly add fuels to the fire, disconnecting us from the rest of humanity into 'we' vs 'them'.

This problem is not confined to Islam. EVERY religion I have studied is suffering from the same us against them mantra. It's the only way adherents of one religion can feel better, superior or somewhat 'satisfied' with their dogmatic beliefs. As long you believe your own religion to be the best, then surely, you do not need any understanding of how or why others believe in what they do. Because, if you too start believing in other people's religion, then obviously there won't be anyone 'superior' left to claim as 'better' than your own. Thus belief in all the world's religious teachings, cleverly negates the purpose of your own religion!

I am not a philosopher or a very deep thinker, neither do I have formal training into the matter. But I expect some learned and serious members to explain these contradictory inherent in every religious philosophy. Because if we managed to make this debate as constructive as possible, we might have a solution to solve all religiously fueled conflicts and wars of the present era.

@Atanz @TankMan @syedali73 @nair @SpArK @500 @Natan @Gabriel92 and others...

 

[Imran Khan]

yes koi shak ?

 

[Norwegian]

yes koi shak ?

I was expecting a little more than just Yes / No answer. Have you got any suggestions to end or mitigate it?

 

[Imran Khan]

I was expecting a little more than just Yes / No answer. Have you got any suggestions to end or mitigate it?

i think a clear answer was better then covering things . religion killed uncountable humans and still killing

 

[Norwegian]

i think a clear answer was better then covering things . religion killed uncountable humans and still killing

Are you sure that it's the religion that's killing? Because I have never seen that. Instead it's always humans with intelligence and conscious that do those horrible things in the name of their holy religion.

 

[I.R.A]

One question .......................... What sort, form and level of religiosity are we discussing or addressing?

• Religion by birth?
• Religion by habit?
• Religion for personal individual interests?
• Religion for targeting religion?
• Religion for confusing people?
• Religion to propagate ignorance and hatred?
• Religion to divide people following the same religion?
• Religion to make fun of other religions?

Or religion by choice?

 

[Norwegian]

• Religion by birth?

This one. As very few people actually convert or get the chance to choose their own religion as fully grown adults.

 

[nair]

every religious person is taught to believe from very young age that his / her beliefs are the 'right', then naturally others must be having 'wrong' beliefs as they usually contradict from our own

Probably this sums it up........

 

[I.R.A]

This one. As very few people actually convert or get the chance to choose their own religion as fully grown adults.

Then my friend fault lies in the individual (the blind follower) rather than in religion or faith. My opinion as a Muslim, you may or may not agree with it.

 

[Norwegian]

Then my friend fault lies in the individual (the blind follower) rather than in religion or faith. My opinion as a Muslim, you may or may not agree with it.

But shouldn't religion work as a guide to eternal salvation for human soul? Since when blind imitation of faith became faith itself?

 

[VCheng]

Rather we are going to test and evaluate this theory; Is religion as sociopolitical philosophy really a major cause of political violence and upheaval around the world? Both in the present and past, and certainly in the future?

Let us start by reversing the question: Can we assume that human society would be without political violence and upheaval in the absence of religions? If the answer is no, then religion cannot be a major cause.

 

[I.R.A]

But shouldn't religion work as a guide to eternal salvation for human soul? Since when blind imitation of faith became faith itself?

My favorite stance being a Muslim (sorry my statement is applicable in case of Muslims only) is I need Islam rather than Islam needs me. People who care for eternal salvation and keep thriving for it won't indulge in time wasting and damaging activities, e.g. occupying a plot illegally to build a mosque won't be their goal, being a thief a dacoit and performing hajj from that money won't be their aim, harming and killing innocent humans to please ALLAH, when they are not sure about their own salvation will interest them the least. Unfortunately Islam is used as a guide that sells in Pakistan and students buy it just for the sake of passing exams, deprived of any deep understanding of faith and beliefs. When someone has the aim of his eternal salvation he knows he needs to understand his religion thoroughly and properly not vice versa, he tries to understand it and avoids hit and trial and taking any risky chances, he makes sure there is no chance of error in what he is practicing, because it is something that cannot be undone in the end at that time.

 

[Norwegian]

Let us start by reversing the question: Can we assume that human society would be without political violence and upheaval in the absence of religions? If the answer is no, then religion cannot be a major cause.

Religion is a source of conflict. Even in peace time when there is no visible war, the religious conflicts are always brewing deep below in society. We see it at schools, at workplace, in public gatherings. There is always some controversy involving religion, violent or not, but there is. It's because all religions are inherently self-contradictory aka. NOT LOGICAL!

 

[VCheng]

Religion is a source of conflict. Even in peace time when there is no visible war, the religious conflicts are always brewing deep below in society. We see it at schools, at workplace, in public gatherings. There is always some controversy involving religion, violent or not, but there is. It's because all religions are inherently self-contradictory aka. NOT LOGICAL!

So you think that humans would have no conflict were there no religion? Think about it.

 

[Norwegian]

So you think that humans would have no conflict were there no religion? Think about it.

There will be conflicts of course. But all conflicts can be resolved by using mere logic and rationality as human minds are hardwired to follow it for resolve-seeking business. Judging by human history, there have been wars and major conflicts only when two opposing parties failed to resolve their issues on the discussion table. Eventually all wars were followed by some sort of negotiations between the victors and losers. Stalemates and inconclusive wars were often followed by Wars of Attrition and further escalation of the conflict.
So in the end, all dealings happen on the negotiating table, no matter how brutal or big the conflict has been. This was how Catholic Church and Protestant Christians end their wars. It was also how Crusaders and Muslim warriors ended religious tensions in the Levant that lasted several centuries.
But unlike non-religious conflicts that eventually die with time, religious conflicts never die. Sunni-Shia war is ongoing for 14 centuries now non-stop. War between Christians and Jews only ended after the Holocaust where at least 6 million or 90 % of Jewish population perished, 1945 years after the death of Jesus Christ by the hands of Jews.
And the war between Muslims and Jews in Palestine, Muslims and Hindus in India, Muslims and Buddhists in Thailand, Muslims and Christians in Europe is still raging on. It will probably last several more centuries as opposing religions can never be packed into logical and rational thought whatsoever.