Has religion ever encouraged governments to go to war?

Question

So for some economic advantage they used religon to get people to fight in a war. I mean besides oil, has it ever happened before?

Answer 1

The Land letter was a letter sent to U.S. President George W. Bush by five evangelical Christian leaders on October 3, 2002, outlining their theological support for a just war pre-emptive invasion of Iraq. The letter was written by Richard D. Land, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention. It was co-signed by Chuck Colson, founder of Prison Fellowship Ministries, Bill Bright, chairman of Campus Crusade for Christ, James Kennedy, president of Coral Ridge Ministries, and Carl D. Herbster, president of the American Association of Christian Schools.

What is false religion?

Are you distressed about crimes committed in the name of religion? Do the warfare, terrorism, and corruption perpetrated by those who claim to serve God offend your sense of justice? Why does religion seem to be at the root of so many problems?

The fault lies, not with all religion, but with false religion. A widely respected religious figure, Jesus Christ, indicated that false religion produces bad works, just as a “rotten tree produces worthless fruit.” (Matthew 7:15-17) What fruit does false religion yield?

False Religion . . .

MEDDLES IN WAR AND POLITICS: “Across Asia and beyond,” says the journal Asiaweek, “power-hungry leaders are cynically manipulating people’s religious sentiments for their own needs.” As a result, the journal warns: “The world threatens to sink into madness.” A prominent religious leader in the United States declared: “You’ve got to kill the terrorists before the killing stops.” His solution? “Blow them all away in the name of the Lord.” By contrast, the Bible says: “If anyone makes the statement: ‘I love God,’ and yet is hating his brother, he is a liar.” (1 John 4:20) Jesus even said: “Continue to love your enemies.” (Matthew 5:44) How many religions can you think of whose members engage in war?

Answer 2

Article I found about religion that I thought showed how corrupt some religions can get.


Who has been involved in this? Religion has been deeply involved in such corrupt business practices. For example, there is the Vatican’s involvement in the collapse of Italy’s Banco Ambrosiano in 1982. The case has dragged on through the 1980’s, the unanswered question being: Where did the money go? In February 1987 Milan magistrates issued arrest warrants for three Vatican clerics, including an American archbishop, on charges that they were accessories to fraudulent bankruptcy, but the Vatican rejected an extradition request. In July 1987, amid an uproar of protest, the warrants were nullified by Italy’s highest Court of Appeals on the basis of an old treaty between the Vatican and the Italian government.

Answer 3

Palestenian & Israeli conflict or the Middle East conflict cause the war. However Syria, Jordan and other surrounding countries were not impacted as much as Lebanon because of the following: The messed up Lebanese government system which is based on sects and religion where every sect and religion has there leader. There is no political system in lebanon The system is very similar to the Congo tribal System where people live in Tribes. This will always bee the problem unless the political system changes a country should be led by a polictical system based on 2 parties or more and not based on tribes or religions like it is in lebanon. Unfortunatly in order to prevent another war and guarranty prosperity all the existing main leader should be changed and their parties disolved in other words (The Ones protecty the republics are the same one they are stealing it).

Answer 4

Religion has always used the governments to do its work for it. It is not a question of do governments use religion. but the other way around.
Do the muslim clerics, use religion to get people to do things? What about Christendom's do they speak out against war? Or do they encourage it?
It is just a fact of life all religions use governments to go to war and get stuff for them.

Answer 5

Lot's of times, remember the crusades. It was about more than religion.
found this in an article. You might find it interesting.

In the early 1800’s European merchants were smuggling large quantities of opium into China. In March 1839 Chinese officials tried to stop the illegal trade by seizing 20,000 chests of the drug from British merchants. This led to tension between Britain and China. As relations between the two countries deteriorated, some Protestant missionaries urged Britain to go to war, with statements such as the following:
“How these difficulties do rejoice my heart because I think the English government may be enraged, and God, in His power may break down the barriers which prevent the gospel of Christ from entering China.”—Henrietta Shuck, Southern Baptist missionary.
Finally, war broke out—the war that is today known as the Opium War. Missionaries wholeheartedly encouraged Britain with comments such as these:
“I am constrained to look back upon the present state of things not so much as an opium or an English affair, as the great design of Providence to make the wickedness of man subserve His purposes of mercy toward China in breaking through her wall of exclusion.”—Peter Parker, Congregationalist missionary.
Another Congregationalist missionary, Samuel W. Williams, added: “The hand of God is apparent in all that has transpired in a remarkable manner, and we doubt not that He who said He came to bring a sword upon the earth has come here and that for the speedy destruction of His enemies and the establishment of His own kingdom. He will overturn and overturn until He has established the Prince of Peace.”
Regarding the horrendous slaughter of Chinese nationals, missionary J. Lewis Shuck wrote: “I regard such scenes . . . as the direct instruments of the Lord in clearing away the rubbish which impedes the advancement of Divine Truth.”
Congregationalist missionary Elijah C. Bridgman added: “God has often made use of the strong arm of civil power to prepare the way for His kingdom . . . The agency in these great moments is human; the directing power divine. The high governor of all the nations has employed England to chastize and humble China.”—Quotations taken from “Ends and Means,” 1974, an essay by Stuart Creighton Miller published in The Missionary Enterprise in China and America (a Harvard Study edited by John K. Fairbank).

Answer 6

From the bible on...
What do you think the tribes of Israel were doing in Palestine/ Canaan in Joshua's day?

The crusades,
The English civil war.
The reformation conflicts across Europe and the wars of religion in France.
The Spanish civil war.

Religion can be the main cause, an aggravating factor or just something handy to use in propaganda.

Answer 7

Many times

Answer 8

The afgan and iraqi wars are basically Christianity Vs Islam. How about Hezbolah vs Israel?
Atheist/communist russia vs the USA?
The various crusades?
The inquisition?

Answer 9

The Military doctrine of all islamic countries is Jihad in the cause of Allah.

The motto of the Pakistani Army reads: "Iman, Taqwa, Jihad fi Sabilillah". Translated into English, it means "Faith, Piety, to strive in the path of Allah".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistan_Army

Answer 10

yes it happend before when old europarmies invited arab countries in syria jordon phalistine and ocupied el kods it was war between cristian in europ and moslems in arab countries also now days israel take the land of phalistine after pelfor promise thy fighted all arabs and thir president olmert announced that israel is jewish country so thy used the religion as a cuase for thir aims and jools