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Is Religion The Source Of Most Conflicts?

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LazyGun | 08:00 Tue 02nd Jul 2013 | Religion & Spirituality
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We have had questions and debates on this issue before on AB. I thought it might be worth revisiting given a recent article in the Guardian. Some interesting views expressed, from writers with a range of personal beliefs. All of whom are contributors to a forthcoming book "For Gods Sake", which sounds like it might be worth a read.

Have a read, see what you think :)

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/02/religion-wars-conflict

Interesting comment from one of the contributors;

"terrorism occurs when you combine a sense of military and economic inferiority with a sense of moral superiority. Religion is very good at conferring a sense of moral superiority on its followers."
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One thing religion does exceptionally well is give believers the mental tools with which to do the most inhuman things imaginable. In the mind of the believer anything goes if it is sanctioned by a holy text. It doesn't matter how illogical, barbaric or stupid it is – if it's “written” then it's fine and dandy. Want to mutilate your kid's genitals? No...
01:46 Wed 03rd Jul 2013
Isn't the word, 'terrorism', often used by the oppressor to denegrate the resistance of the oppressed.
its the excuse they use, amongst others, mostly it's tribal warfare,
from the link
"– state-imposed atheism was a defining feature of brutal 20th century regimes led by Stalin, Tito, Mao Zedong, and Pol Pot among others, which resulted in the suffering and murder of millions. "

no it wasn't, this wasn't anything to do with atheism, this was to do with power, despots all, communism in all it's inglory... imposition of their will over billions, and it worked, at least for a time, but at huge cost to the populace of these countries.
///Religion is very good at conferring a sense of moral superiority on its followers/// As is atheism LazyGun.

I often think that religion is merely the hook that power hungry megalomanics like to hang their hats on :-/
To answer the question in the title, then yes, most conflicts are due to religion, but not all. Northern Europeans caused countless deaths when they went on Crusades to the "Holy" land. It seems we haven't learnt much in recent years.

If you are a strong believer in your own religion, it follows that everybody else who doesn't share your beliefs must therefore be wrong.

The world would be a good deal better if we had no religions whatsoever. Failing that, we should learn tolerance of other peoples beliefs but that doesn't look as if its going to happen any time soon.

Thank "God" I am an atheist !
as atheist don't believe, there is nothing they would fight over to do with worship. beer, women, country, spite, flag, they would be some reasons, lots more sure i could add why people have a scrap.
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@ MissNemesis - Can you offer up an example of atheism conferring a "moral superiority" equal to religion?

Intellectual superiority maybe, not sure about moral superiority though :)

I will say this. I as an atheist am infinitely morally superior to a religious zealot who elects to wear a suicide vest and blow up innocents in their righteousness. But then, so are 99.9% of the population, atheist or religious.
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@ Sandy
"Isn't the word, 'terrorism', often used by the oppressor to denegrate the resistance of the oppressed."

Yes, it can be.Does that mean there is no such thing as terrorism then?

I do not think you have challenged that definition offered by one of the contributors......
I do tend to wonder if religion is just the convenient excuse used by some unable to resist violence for gain. Whether it is an actual cause; less than suggested I think. In this imperfect world it may be that violence is unavoidable in some cases, but ideally it should be a last resort.
Religion is without doubt the fundamental source of the conflicts this world is currently experiencing.

Several misconceptions have been voiced in that piece, presumably because those speaking for their particular brand of religion are incapable of separating the mindset of the atheist from that of the religious. They appear to assume that atheism, like religion, has a set of rules that must be followed, and of course, they are completely wrong. For example:

//It [atheism] allows little doubt or questioning about the unknown.//

Atheism doesn’t allow or disallow anything. It has no creed, it has no doctrine, it has no formal structure, and therefore it has no rules. Question away!

//"Do you ever worry…..Dawkins asked …..that if we [atheists] win and, so to speak, destroy Christianity, that vacuum would be filled with Islam?"
It's a curious question that reflects both the vicious hatred of Muslims by many so-called new atheists but also a creepy utopian nightmare that is apparently idealised by them.//

The question, in my opinion, is a valid one, but in assuming ‘hatred’ of one religion above another, the response illustrates the ignorance of its author. Every atheist I know deplores all religions equally. Sadly the author fails to explain why he finds the concept of a world without religion to be a ‘creepy utopian nightmare’.

//"She does like pork. I gave her some sausages and she ate them right up!" It took a few days for my blood pressure to return to normal.//

Clearly indoctrination is detrimental to good health!


missnemesis, your argument breaks down at the point where you link atheism with morality. There is no connection between the two.
I tend to agree with the first writer, that, "Religion, unfortunately, provides a useful cover and powerful motivator for the evil-hearted," and the second writer seems to make the same point. For me, if you removed religion evil people would just find another excuse to be evil. Still, at least there would be one fewer excuse.
I think "ideology" might be the better word for this sentence:

"Ideology is very good at conferring a sense of moral superiority on its followers"
"Dogma" would be even better.
A theist philosophy as the cause of conflict has the advantage it is multi faceted as well as having the deity on its side. Conflcts involving a single issue are rarely long but conflicts involving religion with all its rules ,regulations, myths and rituals can go on for ever.
What is the theme of the message of true Christians Witnesses? When Jesus gave his preaching commission, he did not instruct his followers to preach social or political reforms, union of Church and State, or any other secular ideology. Instead, he foretold: “This good news of the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations. (Matthew 24:14) Yes, in obedience to Jesus’ instructions, true Christians today continue to speak to their neighbors about God’s Kingdom—the only government capable of bringing an end to a wicked world and ushering in a righteous new world.
goodlife, rest assured that your faith and Christianity keeps you on the straight and narrow path.

At least you don't go out and attack Jews or Muslims because they are of a different faith. It is that aspect of religion being misused that concerns so many.
This is a short article about how you can be an arse of any flavour:
http://thoughtcatalog.com/2013/the-underbelly-of-disbelief/
"...your argument breaks down at the point where you link atheism with morality. There is no connection between the two."

I'm saying nothing.
Being deliberately obtuse again Sandy? or have you lost your dictionary?

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