What do you think?? Some say religion is the reason for most war and we would be better without it. But I?

Question

think human nature being what it is, if there was no religion, people would still form opinions, groups, and would like to enforce there views on others. They would just call their opinions some other name instead of their religion. Therefore there would be just as many wars if there were no religions. I would really like some thoughtful comments from people about human nature and would it be different without religion.

Answer 1

Almost every war is in the name of religion but every war was started by a mans decision

Answer 2

Oh, I definitely think we'd be better without religion but, like you, recognise that there are plenty of other reasons for war and conflict apart from religion.
Jonathan Swift satirised this with the war in Lilliput over which end to crack open a boiled egg, but "The War of Jenkin's Ear" was hardly more trivial in at least its purported origins.
(more about trade and expansionism, actually)

But religious fervour helps with motivating mass armies, and helps with seeing the other side as less than equally human.
See some of the language during the English Civil war, for example, or during the actual wars of religion through France and Europe during the reformation.

States have found religious rhetoric and motivation useful, whatever the underlying motivations.
War is easier if it is believed that "God is on our side"
"Gott Mit Uns" was on German army buttons in WW1 and WW2.

Answer 3

The wars since 1700 have rarely used religious excuses much(until the current Islamist Jihads,that is)

The great wars of the 20th century were waged in the name of human fulfillment not religion

I think without the ethical teachings of the "High Religions" life (it were to still exist) would be more brutal and savage than it is today.

Greed is the big motivator of wars,including so called religious ones.

Answer 4

Yes.
Religions are the most reason for not seeing the similarity in human beings but seeing the diversity in them.
We would be much better off without the one major reason for the colossal loss of lives all over the world.
Nearly every war is directly or indirectly based on religion and directly influenced by politicians who are influenced by priests/religious causes/for power.
Or they use religion to obtain power &/or money and both. (we have many lawer jokes but few political jokes - at the expense of being incarcerated/tortured/killed)
Human nature is bad enough by why pour gasoline on a burning fire!
There will not be the reason/the tool/nor the backing of priestly influence for so many wars.

Answer 5

i think you are right about people finding some other means of seperating themselves into groups, however, religion bases its rules on your eternal life, not anything else, so the need and passion behind many of the religions of the world is guided by the longing to please an allknowing entity, whereas without religion, the groups wouldnt be brainwashed into thinking thier sould would burn in a lake of fire if they have sex before marriage....(what happened before marriage existed?) so its safer to assume that without large organized groups that go out into the lands of the world trying to force this unwanted salvation, to 'save souls' so to speak. the organizations that would exist would most likely have an easier time comming to common grounds....after all. people are really only concerned with themselves....looking at grand scale.....i think....

Answer 6

Religion is the visible form of spirituality (especially corporately) and we can't function without it. What causes wars is "nationalism" which finds a gentle way of playing itself out in religion which is the greatest controlling instrument of nationalistic crusaders.

Answer 7

You are correct. I would amend it to say false religion causes most wars. True religion of Jesus did not. 1st century Christians went by the requirement to love one another in a Christian way and did not join the armies or resigned if they were in them at the time.

True Christians would not today participate in the nations wars as our brothers live in all those countries doing the fighting. We would not kill our brothers. That would clearly be against Jesus' orders.

Wars for 1,000s of years have been fought for greed for money and power using religion as just an excuse to get troops to die. No one would fight if a rich man told peasants to fight for him so he could get the others money and land and thanks for dying for me.

Answer 8

The real problem, as I see it, is not religion; it's the Ego that created religion.

If religion were dumped, we would still be governed as individuals by our Ego, and we would still use the tools of Anger and Aggression to impose our beliefs on others.

I agree with you that if religion were removed from the scene we would just find other means to justify our attempts to impose our beliefs on others.

Answer 9

I would blame war on the government before I blame it on religion, it is my belief that most men wish to live in peace with other men but that there are those whom wish to control other men(Tyrants) unfortunately these tyrants have governments, so truly the government is a necessary evil.

God bless.

Answer 10

The big trouble with the main religions is that if they die fighting for their religion people think they go straight to heaven.
That's why we have suicide bombers.