In the name of God? Please see details...?

Question

I'm asking in philosophy, in hopes to get philosophical answers, not religious or non-religious based opinions, regarding my deepening concern about the increasing death & destruction in the world. A historical horror, but is it not greater than it ever was?
I was deeply moved by the first in Christiane Amanpour's series "God's Warriors." The first being Judaism; tomorrow night on Islam, & Thursday--Christianity.
I respect anyone's beliefs or non-beliefs, but I'd like to ask your thoughts about what drives people to murder in the name of their God, to define vengeance as justice, to say that the slaughter of little children is not their will, but their God's will.
What has caused, for example, Jews to kill jews? What part do politics play? The interplay of strategy & power of nations?
How is fear & hatred a factor?
I'd welcome theories or concepts with a sense of humanity, but of course you're free to answer as you will.
Thank you...

I sincerely value the many thoughtfully expressed answers. My choice will have to be on what I feel is either the most comprehensive, or what best captures the essence of the question rather than its components, which will be a conflict in itself.
My major interests in your views were acceleration, politics, nations, fear & hatred. John R is correct that religion is essential to this question; I should have more clearly stated: "...not religious or non-religious based on BIAS."
I'd like to answer you individually, but perhaps best to comment within issues to what I consider the most pertinent.

Religion:
future post human>Concepts of religion well expressed, last paragraph "...self reinforcing action..." valid

Third P>Justification to meet an end, highest [strongest] strategy & defense

jach v>"Assuming" God's will, if it conforms to one's chosen God

phil8656>Might you consider "so called prophets" politicians & world leaders as well?

Must continue--out of space...

Perpetuating divisiveness:

Jayasri devi da>"Abandon all vareties of religion & surrender unto me...mundane religion." Is this claiming your "Supreme God" is the only God?

Tarif Anter>"Fake Modern Religions...the Original One Faith." Another assumption that your Original One Faith is the only true faith?

EAC>Do you really believe eliminating Israel "from the map" is even a partial solution (or a moral one)? "God's Warriors" was insightful, without bias, a learning experience about the manipulation of people. How can this "incite" more fear & hatred unless these emotions already existed? (Such as eliminating Israel.) Would it not promote greater understanding to those who are open?

Misc:

soul shine>political, economic, religious to regulate the masses (combination of influences)

Destructive Tempest>"The human condition," & addressed most of my points

Acceleration:

Bemo>Is the increasing destruction in direct relation to the number of inhabitants in the world? Would you consider other "reasons" as well?

Politics:

private 15ft>Politics indeed plays a part in everything

sara>Kill the other before the other kills us..what is useful to politicians

Religion & government:

upcoming_author>"...it is not entirely, or even majority, involved with God. It happens in all religions." Are religions not doctrines of a chosen god? Our government does play a large part in selectivity based on personal goals, & in my opinion, uses differences of cultures & religions as weapons.

K>Excellent psychological profile & theory. Perhaps especially, the last paragraph.

Philosophical:

shahbarack & johnfarber>Logical & wise observations

Essence?

enki>A beautiful statement from one with a moral compass, & free in spirit..

Religious & Philosophical:

Fr.Al>"it is the height of arrogance to even think that one people has the sole understanding of God's will & purpose in history." As logically indisputable as any assumed knowledge and/or superiority. Your last sentence was to me, the most profound.

Answer 1

Some believe that we are weapons of God.. not instruments of God....
Weapons of Hate and destruction instead of being instruments of Love and creation...
=))))))))))))))))))))))
that's why i would rather be an atheist who has humbly accepted that our existence is but once in a lifetime... that the true calling of Life is to spend it wisely, lovingly, one day at a time. than be someone who believes that God created Life as a test, that there is more to Life that we should strive for, to work hard to the gift of UNCERTAINTY and that God is exlusively for me and my people(which ever denomination i belong to)..
i would rather be a pagan that worships the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the ocean.... than be a christian who believes our responsility are confined to our human relations, forgetting our duty to maintain the balance in nature, over-killing animals, exploiting resources, etc.

Answer 2

Well, the same way people murder in the name of democracy, justice, truth, freedom, human rights, and so on.

We know that most of these people that murder in the name of God don't do it because of the scriptures, since the scriptures said otherwise.



Philosophical wise, people do those awful things it's due education and NOT the lack of education. If you are educated to think in a certain way, you will behave in a certain way.

Education include many things, such as watching a television show.

And history have shown that things go chaos if your educators educate a foreign concept that don't match with the local concept. TV shows broadcast to a widespread audiences are dangerous, for they educate locals with foreign concepts.



As for the politic factor.

We do know that this modern 'religion equal war' propaganda thing started quite heavy when the modern country of Israel was established.

As matter in fact, Israel might be even established so that people can have more excuse to fight each other, one side fight for freedom from prosecution and injustice, while the other side fight for freedom from prosecution and injustice.

One way to eliminate the problem is to eliminate Israel from the map, but some prefer a more complicated way. Besides, the elimination process probably will be used as another excuse to fight each other.

The most simple way? Ignorance, that's right, ignoring Israel will definetly calm things down.

People these days tend to be involved with business that is not of their own, so ignorance seems to be a must instead of being a luxury or even avoided.

People's business is clear, they are to drink, to eat, to cloth, and to shelter.



As for the fear factor and the hate factor.

Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate.

Now, if there's someone told you that there's someone out there that want to get you and/or make your life miserable, the initial response is to bash their head before they bash you.

The show "God's Warriors" is that someone that told you that there's someone out there that want to get you and/or make your life miserable. Show like that might incite more fear and hatred instead of reducing them.

It's basically giving 'The Finger' to every religion on the world, including atheism.

Answer 3

Hey Friend
Those killing under the name of the GOD,,Are without morals and without concepts and they are never shy from their actions even...I don't know..What the reason and what is the motivation..and I don't know how dare do they do their actions in such a way...
In addition..If they don't know anything about concepts....at least activate their feelings or their brain from this..
"to define vengeance as justice"..This really a mental retardation...This is a big evidence that there is no brain working or even in the activated state..
Sometimes..I feel that their brains have been washed..Even their hearts have been washed from any type of mercy...
This concept is not in charge of any religion..and all religions are inecents from that slaughters that are occuring for nothing
Simply..Answer me why there is a war?
For me ..It is just the selfishness of the human to obtain, and to control..
Really as shakespeare said:"The world is a stage, and all the people on it are all actors." Really..I can't remeber wether the life or the world..But anyhow..What i am seeing that their is an action but an immoral....
Really, I feel no humanity in those who are do slaughtering..
Fear and hatred..Really two powerful factors..
You know something: These two factors are really enough to destroy the whole world within a moment and it is not good to be carrying these feelings Cause fear when exceed its limits leads to hesteria and to go mad and hatred is like a devil within a human...
....but to know something this depends on the person that to what extent is the person respect others or respect the opinions
Really..if you respect others ..then no hatred or fear feelings
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Concerning why someone kill other although they are of the same kind?!!!!
Then..If you hate for example this cat ..you bring her a dog and if you want to kill the dog you get a hunter..BUT if you want to kill the hunter it is easy..You can poison him or ..KILL HIM.. "This is from the mine political point of view"
Got it....
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"The interplay of strategy & power of nations?"
Do you want to know something the strategy and the power sometimes i don't care about it..do you know WHY?
Because I believe something whatever was the power of the nations or the strategy ...Neither can survive if the puplic was against and not satisfied and .If the people was out of rage...Carrying the feel that the strategy of the nation considering them silly or non important..At the time say GOOD-BYE..To the nation and WELCOME to the evolution...
Do you know the non-stopping cycles of earthquackes or volcanos and so on..
The people are the one who made the civilization and therefore..must have the right to choose
That's why i don't care so much about both...
That's what in my hand to give it to you....and that's all what i can answer..
Sorry if i get out of the question requests a bit and sorry for prolongation

Answer 4

Death and destruction have evolved as we have evolved. Way back when people only had the power to kill one person at a time. Now we could kill millions in a matter of seconds.
Some people kill in the name of their God in my opinion for two reasons, they think it is right, or they want an excuse.
Politics are important to it because in the USA if a person killed another and said it was the will of their God they would still be punished. On the other hand if the government said God was first, people could kill each other and not be punished.
Hate can trigger violence and if one group of people hates another they might believe that their God hates them as well and the people should be destroyed.

Well that is my thoughts.

Answer 5

When one is reading a scripture perhaps it is usually a more beneficial idea to read it and understand it in its original language and context. The Decalogue or the Ten Commandments were instituted as civil/social/moral code which pertained only to the community of the Jewish people. A more accurate translation would read, "You shall not murder your brother Israelites without specific justification". Remember that shortly after these "commandments" were "divinely" given to the Israelites through the Prophet Moses/Musa the Israelites were then instructed to kill/murder/destroy all of those person and societies that were then inhabiting the "promised land" YHWH/god was giving to the Jews so that the prohibition of "not murdering/killing" others did not apply to ones enemies. This is not to say the crusades as the same were begun and carried out by the Holy Roman Catholic Church were "good" or correct. War is literally never the answer nor the path that leads to benefits to all others and ones self. The other reality is that supposed "men of faith" have, since the formation of such belief systems, happily twisted, distorted and manipulated the teachings of the same religions so as attempt to gain power and material wealth. The saddest aspect of all of this is that so many chose to mindlessly follow such persons and, for the sake of the very gods they have made, march into hell. Be well and please, be wise.

Answer 6

For Jews and Christians alike, the answer is written for them in the scriptures. When Moses came down from the mountain with the Commandments, he saw the people worshipping the golden calf. The instruction to destroy the calf was given and the people were told by God that " thou shall have no other God but me". This story in the Old Testament gives both religions the excuse they need to attack anyone of other faiths. I am sure that similar stories are to be found in most religions, giving the right to defend the faith in the name of their God (or Gods). I know you were looking for non-religious answers but, unfortunately, this question cannot be answered without reference to religious writings. Most religions (certainly the Western religions) have this policy of "you only get into Paradise if you join OUR club. This immediately creates a separationist view among followers concerning other belief structures. It also reinforces the "ours is the ONLY God" byline for the religion.

Answer 7

There are altogether too many who make God's mind up for Him, and in doing so are given to radically reinterpreting everything according to their own prejudices. My understanding of God is of the One who is the Author of Life. Those who destroy human life are therefore enemies of God. Fear, hatred, politics, and power are human, not divine. God is merciful, His ways are not those of sinful men. His judgement is ultimate and final. It can be accomplished by no human means. It is the height or arrogance to even think that any one people has the sole understanding of God's will and purpose in history.
The problem with many people's god is that it's small enough to fit into someone's back pocket and not get in the way of what that person wants to do without thinking about others or consequences.

Answer 8

I am of the opinion that is not entirely, or even majorily, involved with God. It happens in all religions. God. Bhudda. Muhamad. I think that it has more to do with people. As an entity, we always have an enemy. A group or person outside of ourselves, somehow different from us. It is a great relief to have someone to hate. I believe we are content only with an external force to oppose. Without an enemy, we could only look to ourselves. A meticulous critique of ourselves is more terrifying subconsciously than 3,000 deaths, apparently. We would rather self-righteously slaughter than to doubt ourselves for a moment. As a government, as a race, as an individual we need the confirmation of our own rightness that is easily provided by opposing something "different" than us. Never mind that our opponent is comprised of fathers, brothers, daughters, children, old, middle-aged, smart, strong, weak... no, it detracts from the glory of the holy wars to consider our likenesses.

Answer 9

I can't imagine any theory or explanation that will ever make these travesties easier to tolerate.

There are several amazing answers above, I just wanted to briefly add that these are acts that the perpetrators, in the deepest, most desperate part of them, *want* to commit. I'm not necessarily referring to puppet-like, brainwashed followers, but the plotters and advocators.

Revenge, and/or the removal of the rich and powerful from their seats are beneficial to the criminal/terrorist. Watching the mighty fall is said release endorphins in the brain (Schadenfreude). To commit an act that is both beneficial and desired, one needs only the barest justification. Further, to use "God" as justification makes it impossible for anyone to contradict an action, without also contradicting God.

Answer 10

The concepts found in religion came about for many reasons. The notion of an afterlife gives comfort against the finality of death. First spirits, then gods were used to explain the unexplainable, like wind, lightning, natural disasters, the creation of the Earth, etc. And religion as an institution evolved as an authority figure, both to lend credence to the morality it taught and to lend authority to the leaders of nations and churches (and to the decisions they made).

Within a particular religion, separate denominations arise because different people have different interpretations of their holy books, stressing some aspects while downplaying others. (For instance, how many people heed the bible's admonition against eating shrimp and other non-scaly seafood?) People tend to join the denominations that most closely match their preconceived beliefs, and as such religion is as much a reflection of an individual's personality as it is a shaper of their personality.

So when a person kills in their god's name, they may consciously truly believe it, because the god (or version of god) they believe in condones it. Their religious beliefs lend authority to their actions, but this is a false authority, because it was in fact they who chose their own religious beliefs, just as you chose yours. So doing something in god's name is a kind of self-reinforcing action; you do it because the very god you invented, says it's OK.