If killing is wrong in any religion, then what are "holy wars" about?
99318
Holy wars are generally fueled by people who don't understand religion.  While they may genuinely believe that they are doing God's will or whatever, that believe does not come from the religion itself, but rather from political leaders who are either extremely confused or (more likely) are co-opting religion for their own agenda.\n\n______\nI disagree with kunwarrarra's statement that "killing in war is never murder."  Taking a life is never justified, no matter who tells you to do it.  Incidently, I have heard scholars of Islam argue that the religion does not allow killing, and that Jihad refers to an internal struggle rather than an external war.
670740
Simple: It is not a good thing and in fact the cause and reason for more death and conflict than all other reasons combined.\n\nIn numbers: Religious conflicts are responsible for ten times more death and destruction than all other wars and conflicts together (including World War II, which alone caused the death of more than 60 million people).\n\nOrganised religion is made by human beings - mostly men - in order to control and indoctrinate people. There is no other reason, and since there is a constant competition for the control of people's minds and money, organised religion leads naturally to conflict, war, murder and destruction.\nAnd since believers are told that they are "on the right side" and that "God is with them", they do not even feel the normal moral restraints one can find in an educated and civilised person. \n\nIf we want world peace, the abolition of organised religion would be the crucial step.
1166869
This is a perplexing situation.  \nIn the middle east it has been going on for thousands of years and it's a wonder how they have gone so long with out totally destroying themselves.\n\nIt must be due to the fact that prior to this war it was always small scale skirmishes.  You killed my brother so I kill you and your brother too, and back and forth...\n\nAlso another irony\n\nAll religions preach there own version of thou shalt not kill yet religion has caused the most wars in history...\n\nSo the answer to your question would be that this will never end until the people become educated enough to realize that what they are doing is the opposite of what they are supposed to be doing...
869108
Religion allows us to live under laws of man.\n\nStopping evil men in whatever way possible from killing innocent people with suicide bombs has nothing to do with religion.
528706
I think christianity is a stupid religion but just killing them is wrong. But then, how many people did God slaughter in the Old Testament?
1181768
The Catholic faith also make sense! When you are in a war situation it legally is not murder, because you are defending the common good. Likewise it is not a mortal sin according to the Catechism.
1167539
Nothing is right when it is used to kill.It is not right to kill in order to spread democracy.It is not right to kill because of a political view.It is not right to kill for a belief.\n\nUnfortunately, many don't care what is right and what is wrong.
963264
That has been the pagan practices of a very Old Tradition when man was still grappling for an answer for what is a better offer to their God.. a young blood, an enemy's blood, a basket of fruits, an animal blood, a virgin's blood, a hunter's kill, a stranger, a sinner, a witch, criminal or yourself as a sacrifice? Is it really okay to kill in the name of God.\nIn Ezekiel 18: 32 God declared that "For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord. Repent and live.'\nMeaning even He is oppose to killing. All He wanted is for you to go back to being good so that you could live.\nIsrael at that time of Ezekiel had even blamed God for being unjust and so God then told them "Is it not your ways that are unjust?" a simple question that proved man got the wrong interpretations on the words of God and they did what God did not tell them to do.\nBut that killing part was even seen by Jesus when he spoke to his disciples. John 16:1-3 "All this I have told you so that you will not go astray. They will put you out of the synagogue; IN FACT, A TIME IS COMING WHEN ANYONE WHO KILLS YOU WILL THINK HE IS OFFERING A SERVICE TO GOD. They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me. I have told you this so that when the time comes you will remember that I warned you. I did not tell you this at first because I was with you.\nThat kind of killing is being done by one major religion who thinks they are offering service to God and they really think they know God so much which they dont.
785175
This was a statement made by one of the leaders during the Crusades when a Christian soldier asked him how he was to determine who was Christian and who was not in the Holy Land because he did not want to kill other believers.\nSo to me this man was saying that killing innocents in war was justifiable because when they died God would know if they were innocent or quilty.  \nProblem is God also knows that your conscious is telling you that killing innocent people is wrong, thus bringing guilt upon yourself too.\nIf you make this statement now I would still believe you are referring to the killing of many people in war and I would still suspect that you are talking about a war between two different religions, ie Christian and Muslim etc.
253357
You have a wrong concept.People do not kill people in the name of Allah.They only kill for their interest.If you read the history and watch the latest happenings around the world you will know the bare truth.Allah didnt state in the holy Quran to kill human beings (each other).Even no riligion says to kill people for the sake of God or religion.\n    Most people colors Jehad as holy war.Actually Jehad doesnt mean that,it means struggle.Its a continual way to achive the goal of religious life.A very little example - to see a man/woman with lustful eyes is a sin,to check or control your lust is Jehad here.
1128354
Well, Revelation18:24  refers to false religion (Chirstendom included) as being responsible for "the blood of prophets and of holy ones and of all those who have been slaughtered on the earth". So I would say quite a few. Of course there is a religion that refuses to participate in warfare and thus cannot be held accountable for the atrocities...(Isaiah 2:3, 4)
1044719
Killing for a “god” is fanaticism.
752221
The fact that religion, throughout our history, has mainly been used an excuse harm and abuse others. Be it Nazi's against Jews, or Islam against the western world (and vise versa) Catholics/Protestants we could go on forever. The killing, in the name of "God" (whichever your faith) never ends.
773365
Absolutely!!!\n\nHow can you ever justify chopping someones head of in the name of religion?\n\nWhen ever something happens that they don't like, you see demonstrations on the street with banners saying kill non believers?? How can you call this anything other than a wicked faith??\n\nAnd don't try to tell me its a minority, has anyone seen the demonstrations,,, you don't see muslims asking the people with all the banners to stop it do you??\n\nAny religion, not just muslims, that tell people its OK to use violence to solve problems is a wicked faith full stop.\n\nJust look at the countries where this faith is!!!! Rest my case.
970580
Religion has been violent since the beginning of man's belief in many gods or one or just few gods. Religion has murder more people than armies have murdered.
485602
Well christianity has always had a history of violence - actually more so than any other religion = even now Bush laid waste to hundreds of thousands of people in Afghanistan and Iraq cause "God told him to"  no other religion can give you such a track record.
990452
Holy war.\n\nI looked it up.\n\nJihad, in Islam, the spiritual struggle against evil. Jihad is the duty of all mainstream Muslims, or Sunnites. There are four ways they may fulfill a jihad: by the heart, the tongue, the hand, and the sword. These refer to the inner, spiritual battle of the heart against vice, passion, and ignorance; spreading the word of Islam with one's tongue; choosing to do good and avoiding evil with one's hand; and waging war against non-Muslims with the sword. Most modern branches of Islam stress the inner, spiritual jihad. But Islamic law also states that all nations must surrender to Islamic rule, if not its faith. The Koran states that those who die in a jihad become martyrs of the faith, acquiring a special place in heaven.