Which is the most peaceful religion?

Question

BTW, buddhism is not a religion as they don't actually believe in a god but just follow the teachings of a guy called buddha to acheive enlightenment

Answer 1

Good question: Mt 5:9
Whatever one will not kill or murder others or exact vengeance? Is there one? Ex 20:13;Lev 19:18.
I guess that could go a little further: It is not only whoever would not kill others, it is whoever will die for others. John 15:13 and actually pursue peace 1Th 5:13 or be peacemakers, denoting a need to work for it, not just sit idly by.

Answer 2

If you say that to be a 'religion' you have to believe in a God, you have a very narrow definition of what a religion is. It sounds like you are only referring to 'salvation' based religions where if you follow the rules of the god or gods you will be granted some reward.

Animist religions believe in spirits and gods that inhabit the earth, animals and plants, these religions tend to be peaceful. Buddism is considered to be a religion by everyone except you, as are Confusism and Taoism which are more based on ancestor worship than worship of a deity.

Salvation-based religions have a history of violence because one traditional way of reaching salvation is to kill un-believers.

The most peaceful religion in the world is Jainism. They don't believe in killing any living thing. They don't eat meat and very strict Jains walk with a broom sweeping the ground just to be sure they don't step on insects and things.

To correct some of the people above: Sikhs, while very peaceful in the present day are the decendants of a great warrior tribe in India and take (perfectly reasonable) pride in their warrior ancestry, so it would be hard to call them peaceful.

Amish are extremely peaceful, but technically they are Christians, and Christians are definitely not peaceful.

Atheism has started wars. The Stalinists and the Nazis were atheists. Think concentration camps and goulags. Not peaceful.

Answer 3

Its true that atheism has to be the most peaceful since it has started no wars, nor killed or persecuted anyone in its name.
The same with Buddhism - and its not just the "teachings of a guy". Buddhism believes in the existence of supernatural concepts, and the existence of an "order" in the universe beyond humankind.

I'm suprised no one has mentioned hinduism. In all its history it has really not started any wars with its neighbours nor conquered or tried to convert anyone. Of course it had internal wars for regional empires as did everywhere on earth. It has, however, been conquered by many outsiders over the centuries, but suprisingly still survives with much vibrance today.

Of course the muslim invasions and conversions starting from the 1500's created a legacy today that has resulted in hindu extremism and militantism since Indian independence in 1947.

Answer 4

"Religion" merely means "a binding together," as of a body of doctrine. Therefore Buddhism IS quite properly a religion! The notion of a personal "god," a father figure whom you petition in exactly the same way a child asks for pocket-change, is primarily an idea of the Abrahamic religions.

But even Buddhism is subject to being vulgarized into mere fetishism and idolatry, with resultant bigotry and intolerance. It's really hard to say which religion is the most "peaceful." I suppose you could look at history and determine which religion has statistically caused the fewest wars and the least oppression. But ALL are subject to misinterpretation and abuse at the hands of people whose inferior psychology can't appreciate the subtleties of true spirituality.

Answer 5

Well I was going to say Buddhism, but if you don't consider that a religion maybe the Quakers or the Amish. I'm sure there are a few other sects just as peacefully. No major religion as a whole though. Anytime a large group of people are in a group there will always be extremist who take things too far.

Answer 6

The most peaceful religion is the philosophy of inner peace and harmony with nature, even human freedom and natural law. War and physical aggression is not necessarily a detractor or antonymn of this kind of peace, and sometimes is actually required by it in defense of those who desire dissonance and inequality.

Among organized religions, there exists few candidates, but among personal religions, many people are discovering true peace, even the most peaceful religion. I would definitely name any religion which embraces all truth and allows no attacks or inequalities either among its members or with nonmembers. The greatest peace is evident with those who fully embrace life and nature, and value it so much that they are willing to sacrifice it, even in war, in its own defense.

Contradictions being the greatest cause of inner dissonance, the religion of peace must avoid all contradictions. It must abandon the mystical, unknowable, idle God in favor of a practical, realistic, operational God.

Answer 7

Jehovah's witnesses.

This religion has persistently been persecuted for not taking up arms against other nations. They were persecuted in Nazi Germany, Stalinist Russia, and in Britain and the USA they were imprisoned for, amongst other things, not fighting for the nation within whose borders they live.

The experience in Nazi Germany is quite interesting. The Witnesses were amongst the first to go into the concentration camps. They first went in as early as 1933. They were the only group who were offered a legal document
to sign. If they did this, they were allowed to go free. By far, the vast majority did not sign the document. Because of their evangelising spirit, despited losing 600,000 members in the camp system, more came out than went in. They continued to organised tehmselves as best they could despite their circumstances, secretly holding meetings, studying the Bible, and speaking to others about their faith, just as they are famous for.

Hitler threatened to "Stamp out this brood", as he called the Witnesses. Within months of the end of the war, Jehovah's Witnesses held a convention at Nuremberg, the site of the famous Nazi rallies of previous years.

The allegiance of Jehovah's Witnesses goes to God's Kingdom and not the earthly nations. We are also told not to take up arms at this time.

This persecution goes on in some countries even today, for example, France, and certain African countries, and there is every reason to think that it will happen in any country that has or hasn't previously persecuted them. No matter what the pressure, though, Witnesses as a whole will not revert to violence in even the smallest form. They try not to even play violent video games or watch violent films.

The non-violent spirit of Jehovah's Witnesses is as deep as it is possible for imperfect people to get. Ask one of Jehovah's Witnesses for further details.

Answer 8

Buddhism because it is a religion. Religions don't have to have a god, It just has to be a set of beliefs supported by other people. Also, in one of the biggest forms of buddhism, Buddha is considered a god.

Answer 9

Religions are from God so they are all peaceful. It's people to blame for misinterpreting religions in their words and deeds (out of carelessness, ignorance or even arrogance) so there's nothing such as an unpeaceful religion. God wants us to live in peace. I've learned something about each of the 3 religions I know of and they all have a lot in common. There are only people who are trying to widen the gap, that hardly even exists, each for their own reasons.

Answer 10

Buddhism IS a religion - more of one than most monotheist paths, actually. Religion is about personal connection with the universe, not necessarily belief in one (or more) god(s).

Buddhism and Wicca are probably the two most peaceful.