Do you believe that religion is the catalyst for War or Peace?

I believe that it is a catalyst, but not the only one. War and strife are part of people’s nature, and religion is tainted by this. Proof is, people have waged wars for other things, not just religion. Whether it’s clan feuds between Vikings or huge ass world wars with immense armies, strife finds a cause, rather than the other way around.

I must agree though, when it comes to war, religion is what rears its mug most of the time.

I don’t think religion is often a catalyst for war. We go to war for other quite mundane reasons, but invoke religion to put an honorable face on it. People are made to do very debasing things in war; putting a sacred stamp on it salves the conscience.

I don’t think it is a catalyst. I think it is a tool that can be used to manipulate people into either war or peace. It is people, wilfully making choices, who are using that tool.

War, and violence, and exclusion, and oppression.

The Bible says that Christianity will divide families and nations. Yes, it is a religion of peace, but also a great cause of conflict. This doesn’t even include the misrepresentation of Christianity.

Overall, religion is a catalyst for war far more than a catalyst for peace. The reality that there is no god is a catalyst for peace.

War seems to be an expression of something in human nature.
So is the desire for peace.
So is religion.
Three separate issues. Sometimes they seem to coincide, but I don’t think it proves anything about any of them.

“Catalyst” is too slippery. ” Excuse” is more on point, and the excuse is invariably FOR war. I can’t remember a war ever being postponed or avoided on religious grounds. Just try to find a war where both sides weren’t whipped up with some version of “God is on our side”

Religion reinforces tribalism and it is tribalism, us vs them, that causes war. Both religion and tribalism are becoming outdated and have to some degree been replaced by a more global perspective.

War. More people have died in the name of religion that any other man=made cause.

@stanleybmanly I can think of a couple of modern instances where religion acted as a force for peace:

One was in the struggle for Indian independence from British rule. It was Ghandi’s commitment to nonviolence, which had religious roots, that kept the conflict from flairing into full-blown war.

Another is the aftermath of apartheid rule in South Africa. Instead of resulting in the predictable wave of bloody reprisals, the Truth and Reconciliation process calmed the situation down. That also had religious roots.

@thorninmud That’s quite a stretch!

@stanleybmanly Is it?

Regarding Gandhi: “In Gandhi’s thought, Ahimsa [the Hindu principle of non-violence] precludes not only the act of inflicting a physical injury, but also mental states like evil thoughts and hatred, unkind behavior such as harsh words, dishonesty and lying, all of which he saw as manifestations of violence incompatible with Ahimsa. Gandhi believed Ahimsa to be a creative energy force, encompassing all interactions leading one’s self to find satya, “Divine Truth”” source

Regarding the South African Truth and Reconciliation process: “Religious leaders arguing for forgiveness and reconciliation were critical for harnessing support for the TRC from the black population. Additionally, in its day-to-day work, the commissioners included clergy and laity and opened with prayer. Although religious influences have been criticized by some for detracting from the commission’s secular work of recording the truth in favor of amnesties for wrongdoers, Christian themes of reconciliation were critical to the commission’s ability to promote national healing.” source

Thank you for the references. I’ll read over both.

Hello,Thanks for sharing this.My say for this post is that, it’s completely wrong.I am a Muslim & after reading Quran I can say you that Islam is a peaceful religion.Not only Islam,every religion is for mankind.

On Jan. 30, 1948, Gandhi was murdered by the Hindu nationalist Nathuram Godse.

He was 78-year-old when He died.