What is the only major religion to never have a holy war?

Answer 1

Bhuddism

Answer 2

There are 5 religions recognized as major religions. They are, in chronological order, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Denominations and new age or recently assembled religions that lack a strong following are not considered major religions. Besides it wouldn't be fair to include groups too small and weak to start war anyway. Also we can't include pagans, atheist and agnostics because these are not unified groups. Its like calling monotheism a religion and grouping those people.

Of the 5 major religions only Christianity and Islam have had holy war. You could make an argument that Jews and Hindus have had or are having holy war but its not as clear a case as Christianity and Islam. Buddhism is the only religion that clearly has not been the cause or motivation in war.

Answer 3

There are small religions that have not have had holy wars but that's only because they don't have enough power. Check your history, there really aint such a thing as "holy war". Religion is just one of the reasons many leaders use to rally troops for a war, it is the single most powerful motivational technique, such that people are willing to die for it, be it Suicide Bombers or Soldiers.

Once you have enough people under one group or "religion", there's a tremendous amount of power and that wants to keep constant the status quo oftentimes the only way to do this is to strike preemptively against a future threat. All war has some form of socio-economic, strategic and military purposes to them, even the Crusades which was known as one of the greatest holy wars, religion was only a partial factor for why it started in the first place.

Edit: Buddhism has been a cause or factors in wars before and multiple acts of violence, as it is one of the oldest and largest religions. With enough people under the religion the higher the probability of sectarian violence. Buddhism has been more recently linked to violence in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Answer 4

Buddhists haven't. Hindis haven't. Sorry, my fellow pagans, but the Romans were pagan and they conquered plenty of folks. The Romans didn't do it because of religion however, so that might not count. They typically let the conquered keep their religious expression and even assimilated it into their own religion. The Church of the Subgenius hasn't had a holy war, yet. They're still planning and waiting for the death pods/pleasure saucers to get unlost and find Earth. Branch Davidians? They got wiped out by the government, but is that really a 'war'? Shinto inpired many Japanese WWII actions, but it was more about conquest than killing 'infidels'. I think it's really safe to say that only Middle Eastern religions have commited this atrocity.

Answer 5

Buddhism,most ancient pagan religions including Greek and Roman pagan religions and I can't think of the Sikhs starting on anyone.This is assuming of course that by Holy war you mean a war of Conversion by force and not just a war over territory/money/power in which case probably all religions have been involved in at least one.

Answer 6

Buddhism, Taoism, Wicca, Roman and Greek ... probably many other early religions in the Middle East.

Defining a Holy War as one which seeks to impose a religion by force as opposed to wars which simply seek to gain territory.

Answer 7

Depends on your view of the term "Holy War".

Answer 8

Jehoveahs Witnesses!

Answer 9

I could not imagine budhists having a holy war

Answer 10

Yamsteriasm

Answer 11

Paganism