Why does religion cause hate?

Question

" Mothers were skewered on swords as thier children watched. Young women were stripped and raped in broad daylight, then...set on fire. A pregnant women's belly was split open, her fetus raised skyward on the tip of a sword and then tossed onto one of the fires that blazed across the city." The End of Faith, Religion, Terror and the Future of Reason. Written by: Sam Harris.
In this passage the author is making refrence to voilence that broke out in India between Hindus and Muslims in the winther of 2002.
So why do people follow religion, when there is no evidence that an after life really exsists? Speaking to all of those who believe that there is an after life, Why would you follow and believe something that cause hate, pain, and death?

Answer 1

There have been experiments to try to determine the answer to this and similar questions. The answer seems to be that it incites in-group/out-group behaviour that dehumanises the out-group.

In a rather chilling experiment, children in a class were told that the childred with blue eyes (by far the minority - only 3 or 4 children) were - for the day - inferior. Even though this was only imaginry, within hours the rest of the class were heaping abuse on them, bullying them and the like. The experiment had to be stopped when they became physically violent.

Religion taps into this unhealthy seem in human behviour and amplifies it. It was probably designed to do so by those who invented the stories - these people were largely political leaders with an agenda to gain supremacy for their group at the expense of everyone else.

It is seen britally today in the behaviour of many christian groups. Bush went on record saying he invaded Iraq (killing 600,000 to date) because "god told him to".

And you do not have to go far to see some poor homosexual, sexually assaulted woman or the like being victimised onr murdered by the religious.

Answer 2

I have always thought that the Old Testament is just that Old and should be treated as a kind of history. The New Testament is the new Law for man to follow. However because of man's zeal (from Zealot) and his own ego many feel that they way the pray is the only way. The vast majority of people live their faith quietly and don't "preach down" to others. So on a national level any religion is a failure. Hence the Spanish Inquisitions and the Crusades. Buddha, Gandhi and Jesus said it best "follow the Love of God." So take your religion with a grain of salt and practice to the best of your ability That's all any of us can do. And don't worry about those who don't know of a God the Father will not forget his children.

Answer 3

Firstly, religion it self does not cause all of these things; on the contrary it is the lack of study thereof. People do all of this, not words written in books and fundamental teachings of morality and modesty, because essentially that is what all religions preach.
As for the violence in the winter of 2002, I have no idea when this happened or what event you are referring to and I have spent nearly all my life in that part of the world. Their differences are based on the disputed area of Kashmir and it has nothing to do with religion.
At the individual level, the differences between an Indian and a Pakistani are negligible and there is NO hostility. It is on the political front that the hostility and wars exist. No religion promotes violence; people can be violent no matter what colour or religion they are.

Answer 4

You have to keep in mind that there is God, then there are His followers. They are not always the same thing. As a Christian, I'm very aware of the fact that many have been killed in the name of religion and I find that horrible. But these things have been done by those who misuse religion. If something harms another person, it is not of God. The minute the religious teachings swerve over into an area where they condone harm, something has gone wrong. I try to keep my eye on God and Christ and not on the actions of every single person who claim to represent God or Christ. Religion is the human attempt to understand and explain God and as you know, we humans do not get everthing right. Humans are fallible; God is not. All I would ask you [or anyone] is please don't ever judge God based on the actions of His followers. As I have done, you can seek Him yourself and make up your own mind, if you like.

Answer 5

What happens each one of us take our own created gods for worship and our own laws. In truth there is only One God who created everything in this universe. Worshipping and obeying Him will bring peace in this life and success in the eternal life hereafter.
The thing you are talking about is hatred of man. Even if war or fihtings are without religion, man can be cruel. Read the history...Can we call those world wars as religious wars. How much cruel was Hitler....!.
So we need to devolop the good qualities in ourselves through religion. If not who ever it is a religious or non religious will be the same.

Answer 6

Religion does not cause hate any more than Davie Berkowitz's dog, Sam, caused him to murder women.

People make choices and follow their choices. SOme people kill, murder, and destroy and blame it on "religion."
Yet, if you read the entire book to which they are referring, you might find that that person' actions are in no way related to what the book says. I can only vouch for the Bible, since I have read it in it's entirety. I was raised Jewsih and with full knowledge of how many family members I lost to HItler... a man who claimed to be a Christian.

Nonetheless, when I turned 18 and sought out God for myself, I came to realize that Jesus was indeed all that was written of Him. I learned that an awful lot of people have done horrible things in His name, yet not at all on HIs authority or say-so... people claim to be acting out God's wishes, yet they have no idea who God is.

No. Religion does not kill. People kill. Sam the dog did not kill. Davie Berkowitz did. He did it because he claimed Sam told him to.

Answer 7

Because they all love committing deadly sins, Wrath and also Pride, however fighting for the Purpose of religious "crusade" or because of a "jihad" is exempt from religions normal laws, and besides if you are a muslim you are supposed to get lots of virgins in the afterlife, so if doing battle for your "righteous" cause gets you closer to your "afterlife", then why not.

And any Christian who thinks this fighting is not condoned by god or major parts of your insane beliefs then you need to research the French Wars of Religion, the Crusades and the Reconquista.

You might also want to research the "Just War Theory" (especially you Michael B) all relevant details available from wikipedia.

Answer 8

I think it's just that pompous feeling you get when you think you are right, but in reality, you are very deluded. I don't know if religion does that to people, but bad teachers can influence people. In the old days, they used to always blame the King for wars, and so they got tired of cow-towing to tyrants. Religion is the new whipping boy. I hate when religious people fight.

The conflict in Rwanda was started by greed for diamonds though. And it was the religious folk that paid the price with their lives.

Answer 9

Because it's convenient for their religion to want them to wipe out other religions. If there ever were peaceful religions, the aggressive ones would wipe them out. But why not have all peaceful religions? But of course: total world domination.

Answer 10

Im Christian, and I do admit some Christians have been involved in some violence in the past (ignoring the teachings of Christ).
How surprised will they be when they hear this...

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
And then will I profess unto them, I Never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." (Matthew 7:22-23)