Using two specific examples discuss how monotheistic religions tend to lead to war.?

Question

What conclusions can you draw?

I dont understand this question very well. Please help!

Answer 1

The question is about what role monotheism has in leading to warfare. Think of the Protestant Reformation, when Catholics killed Protestants for being heretics, Protestants killed Catholics for being Papists, and they both burned witches at the stake in a complete frenzy of murder. This led directly to the 30 Year's War in Europe (1618-1648), which was the most destructive war Europe had ever had up to that date.
Then think of the "Holy" Koran. In it the archangel Gabriel says to Mohammed, "Idoatry is worse than carnage." This means that it is quite all right to kill non believers, since idolatry is even worse. Nice religion, Islam.

Answer 2

It appears to be a peculiar question with built-in bias.
(and I'm an atheist!)
The largest religions I can think of involving polytheism are not historically remarkably pacifist in contrast to the monotheistic ones.

Any firmly held religious, or political, or nationalistic views can lead to war when two such positions find themselves opposed.
Why single out monotheism?

Then of course, many wars nominally of religion had other underlying factors, often more important.
The religion was useful as propaganda, or to stir up public support, but was "cover" rather than "cause."
(many of the wars "of religion" in Europe during the reformation, for example, though it was a time of religious outrage and rebellion, too.)

Without trying to show how polytheism *doesn't* fulfill the tendency just as well, I'd have trouble knowing where to start.
It's not the answer I have problems with, it's the question.

Answer 3

A large percent of the wars fought since the beginning of Christianity and Isalm can ultimately be traced back to people fighting about God. The 30 years war is one major example. The Crusades, any war in which Israel fought, the Global War on Terror.... all can be traced back to peoples' ideological conflicts about whose god is the right god.