Religion has been used and abused to cause violence in the past. Is there anything to prevent that again?

Question

If not, is it happening still?

Answer 1

How about the secular humanist China killing 63.7 million believers of any faith and anyone who goes against their government in the last century. Do a study on that before you marginalize christians.

Answer 2

Honestly it has never stopped religion unfortunetly will always be an excuse for violence even though many major religions emphasis is on peace. But in many countries Christians are being pursacuted. So are other religions like Jerusilm is surrounded by countries that hate with a passion, the Jews. In my opinion there is no way to stop it.

Answer 3

Unfortuneately, yes it is still happening all over the world. From the Witches burning times, even before that, and today. Many countries still abuse women, burning them with acid for cheating on their spouses and molesting girls and cutting off certain private parts still exsits today. All in the name of their religion giving them permission to do so. Laws in America have tried to stop this, but look at the terrorist who kill in the name of religion.
SO yes, it has and still happens. Sad thing. But true.
Discrimination also fuels the fire as in the past.
Will it ever be intirely stopped> I don't think so. But one can always hope!

Answer 4

Not only do these religious wars go on, they gain more followers and proponents every day. To illustrate:

On one side, there's the US (and, to a lesser extent, Britain), crazy Christians in control of it (with help from some crazy Jews) waving nuclear threats at perceived enemies (Iran, Russia, Syria, etc.), f**king up the planet because, as you must surely be aware, God will make it all right in the end when he decides to show up.

Then you've got Jews that have gone absolutely apes**t and have decided "their" nation is so important that not only is ethnic cleansing in order, an arms race and possible nuclear war are, too. This is done with some Christian help in the order of $5.5 dollars a year, courtesy of Uncle Sam (Christian fundamentalists would rather see white Jews care for Zion right now as opposed to dirty, non-white Muslims).

And, of course, there's Muslims, members of a religion untouched by any of the tenants of the Enlightenment (needless to say, Christianity and Judaism are touched ever so lightly. I wouldn't go so far as to say they're "safer" religions for humanity). Muslims, lead by veritable barbarians world-over, are really pushing it these days.

Then, there's that brand-new religion, Atheism. As people pointed out on this question's answers, plenty have died at the hands of non-theist regimes such as the USSR, China, Cuba, and so on. What they don't mention is that these same regimes had a very religious attitude towards what they considered to be their principle objectives (and I'm ignoring that most of these regimes' objectives were mere lip-service): a classless society, progress without suffering, etc. These regimes took their dislike of theistic religions and decided to substitute gods for the State and, sometimes, the States' leaders. So, in the USSR, instead of Jesus, there was Stalin.

I'd like to take a moment to quell atheists' possible anger over my answer, should anyone care so much as to be actually pissed. I too am an atheist, but it is not the Truth about life; I simply think God (as in the Christian/Jewish/Muslim definition of it) is a poorly though-out, uncreative answer. However, not being a theist doesn't make us right about anything.

In any case, religion is much worst than the "opiate of the masses" it was said to be by Marx. It is the single biggest obstacle humans face in their quest not only for understanding this world but for cooperating with each other in our inherit quest for survival. All of the world's major religions are incompatible with each other and religious tolerance, as Sam Harris pointed out, simply validates fundamentalism.

Answer 5

Of course its still happening, its called a jihad, (islams war on all infidels). There was a time when christianity caused wars, but luckily, we've evolved a bit. China has no religion, but lots of violence, so basically, we don't need religion for wars, we do just fine with the age old greed and power motives.

Answer 6

Violence happens, wheter there is religion or not. But since religion exists, people will use religoin to justify the violence. So religion does not cause it. It is used as a justification.

Answer 7

LIkewise, atheism has been used to cause violence in the past (as well as today). Lenin, Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Kim Jong Il, Mao Tse Tung, Fidel Castro, Planned Parenthood....need I go on?

Answer 8

No, there is nothing that can prevent it, although a healthy society will discourage that kind of aggression. As for whether it's still happening, what do you think was behind 9/11?

Answer 9

It's still happening, and will probably keep happening, at least for now. But, the phenomenon is not restrcted to just religion; people will find almost any reason they can justify to commit violence against others; God, country, love, art, "justice", etc., etc. You just about name it, and you can just about find somebody who has used it to excuse senselessness of all kinds.

Answer 10

ALLAH: ALLAH is the proper name in Arabic for The One and Only God, The Creator and Sustainer of the universe. It is used by the Arab Christians and Jews for the God (Eloh-im in Hebrew; 'Allaha' in Aramaic, the mother tongue of Jesus, pbuh). And in Hinduism God is known as Allah in Rigveda bk2 hym1 v11, Rigveda bk3 hym30 v10, Rigveda bk9 hym67 v30. And there is a separate Upanishad named Alloh Upanishad. The word Allah does not have a plural or gender. Allah does not have any associate or partner, and He does not beget nor was He begotten.

Answer 11

It is happening now, as residents of Iraq and many other countries are all too well aware. The only cure would be to get rid of religion.