How can you believe in religion when all the wars have been based on a religious belief?

Question

WW2 was caused by a religious belief, same with the gulf war, and this one in afganistan. How can anyone say that religion is a good thing when it has caused so many deaths? What about thou shall not kill? You can't tell me you follow the bible when in fact you are breaking one of the 10 commandments. I believe in god just don't believe in the ways people preach it but don't live by the holy word.

Answer 1

There is a huge difference between religious people and people of faith. Most of the time it's been the religious people that have persecuted the people of faith... Jim

Answer 2

What?!

No one can say for certain exactly what triggered World War I. It is generally accepted that there were many causes, no one of which contributed more than any other. In general, however, it is agreed that the war truly began with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria by Gavrilo Princip.

The events that began World War II are far less disputed. The war started in Europe on September 1, 1939 when Nazi-controlled Germany led by Adolf Hitler invaded Poland. Britain and France responded by declaring war on Germany two days later. Religion was not a factor. Hitler tortured and slaughtered the Jews because he was a racist, not simply because they were of a differing religion.

The American War of Independence was fought for, well, independence. The colonies wanted to be free of British control. Religion had little, if anything, to do with it. In fact, the primary issues were political and economic policies of the British Empire.

The War Between the States (the American Civil War) wasn't centered on religion, either. The "Union", led by President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party which opposed expansion of slavery, rejected any right of secession by the 11 southern states, led by President Jefferson Davis. It was a war of civil rights and political favor, not religion.

The Vietnam War (or the Vietnam Conflict) was when the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV or North Vietnam) and its allies fought against the Republic of Vietnam (RVN or South Vietnam) and its allies. The exact causes and effects are rather complex, but religion was not a factor.

The Gulf War was also not about religion. It began with the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait on August 2, 1990, following Iraqi contentions that Kuwait was illegally slant-drilling petroleum across Iraq’s border. The fact that the Iraqis are predominantly Muslim and the Coalition forces predominantly Christian is often cited as being an influencing factor, but this is not the case.

Ah, now the Crusades... yes, those were holy wars. The Crusades were fought to "liberate" the Holy Land from the Moorish hordes. That's a different subject entirely and you don't want me to go there.

Care to name any others? I'll debate them as well.

My gods, what are they teaching you kids in history these days?

Answer 3

Muslims started crusades long before the Catholic Church.
Muslim assassins started WW1 by killing archduke Ferdinand.
The Muslim Grand Mufti convinced Hitler to slaughter 6M Jews.
Muslims started WW3, Kamikaze style, on 9/11/01.

It appears the main difference between Christians and Muslims in regards to war is that Christians have progressed beyond the need to slaughter everyone who doesn't share the religious beliefs. Muslims, on the other hand, appear to be just getting started.

When considering if Christians are worse than Muslims and couching an opinion in a historical context, one would do well to point out that it was Muslims who first tried to impose their religion on Christians, not the other way around. Ignoring the 300 years of Christian/Muslim conflict that took place before the Crusades is... disingenuous.

Answer 4

Religion causes very few wars. It is the excuse for war. Power, land, wealth are the real reasons for war, often under the disguise of religion.

WWII was caused by Hitler wanting to rule the world.
The gulf war was caused my Saddam wanting territory, with oil.
Afghanistan was caused by Russia wanting the land, then the Taliban wanting the power over the people, etc.,.

Probably the worse wars on the earth were the Crusades-----thousands upon thousands were killed in Europe and the Mid-east. They said for G-d--------to free the Holy Land. The kings and Popes wanted the power and wealth and convinced poor uneducated people to go to fight-in order to get to heaven, so they said.

Religion seldom has anything to do with war.

Answer 5

Where do you get your information?

WW1 and WW 2 were NEITHER brought about or caused by any Religious belief.

The Gulf war, and Afghanistan, well you could say that they were in response to a Religious attack.

Wars are caused by MAN, men are sinners. The fact that some groups kill "In the name of Allah" does not mean that ALL Religion is bad!

Peace!

Answer 6

you might want to reread your history books, most of the wars have been caused/started due to many other things not religion ... now the Crusades ... that was about religion, but not to many wars have been caused by them. Now have they esculated and continued because of religous beliefs about whether the opponents were correct or not ... yes. Yes, thou shall not kill is a commandment, but the bible also says in a number of areas that it is not right to lay your life down without defending yourself

Answer 7

There are wars based on religious beliefs BECAUSE people believe so strongly in their religion. I mean, look at what was going on in Israel/Lebanon recently! Completely based in religion- not land or any such thing. That's just the way things are. The whole good vs evil warfare, only sometimes it doesn't look that clear.

Answer 8

Sorry, but I disagree. "Religion" doesn't cause war...People cause war. Some people may have used religion as a guise to excuse/promote their greed, contempt, prejudice, etc....but the problem is internal. The root of the problem lies with a human nature that is bent towards evil...

Answer 9

Its not religion that causes war, its mans corrupt heart and false interpretation of the word of God that causes war.

Answer 10

Wars tend to be fought for economic or political reasons and then later religion is used to justify it.

Take WWII.

Germany: Lutheran and Catholic.

US: Protestant (including Lutheran) and Catholic.

So clearly the US and Germany did not go to war because of religion.

Answer 11

""How can you believe in religion when all the wars have been based on a religious belief?""

This one right now is about OIL !

WW2 was not on Belief but World Domination.

WW1 was also World Domination==NOTHING to do with religion!