Is Religion the root cause of all war and Genocide?
361521
No.... Ignorance is.  Religion is no more the cause of wars than peace, greed, hate, or the color of skin is.\n\nIf you love God and keep his commandments you love peace.
100184
Religion is responsible for more war than anything else.  People believe that God is on their side and they think that others are wrong and therefore heretical and blasphemous.  It is an age old problem.\n\nWhen mankind lived on the African Savannah it was very important to identify with and support one's tribe or clan against all others, especially if they were different.  These traits are not as useful or necessary in today's world but they are there nonetheless.  Man has not learned to deal with them for what they are and kill each other unnecessarily.
31864
Religion may not have become the root of all evil, but surely more evil things are being done in the name of religion these days than the founders of the various faiths probably expected. If we take as a universal tenet of all religion the idea that killing other human beings is wrong, the world today has failed dismally to abide by that one tenet.
563644
We need faith, not religion. Faith leads us to be better people, help others, find purpose in life, etc.\n\nReligion is what men kill each other over.\n\n...and by the way, Hitler was Catholic.
776870
Given that so many wars have started, and continue because of religious beliefs, I would say religion is extremely important in society.  Anything that can evoke the kind of passion necessary to maintain the level of intensity needed to sustain a war is important.
488925
I think so. Religion usually starts out as an attempt at some sort of spiritual connection and then evolves into a force for exerting control and power over people. One example is the religion of Islam. It was started by Muhammad as "submission," but others who used Islam after Muhammad's death certainly didn't have that in mind. One example of this is the Umayyad caliphate. At first, it ruled its conquered places without attempting to impose religion upon them. Instead, they would have soldiers stay in places separate from the others in conquered lands. They found, however, that this was not effective at all. Because of this, they then used Islam as a unifying force; they converted the conquered peoples to Islam because, under the banner of religion, they would be easier to control. This is an example of Muslims using their religion as a political tool. Of course, there is the other example of terrorists and suicide bombers who believe that they will get 72 virgins for extinguishing the lives of many in the name of Allah. In my opinion, though, the Quran would support that kind of behavior because Muhammad slaughtered many in Mecca so that he could establish Islam there. So, I guess that wouldn't be a misuse of their religion. \nAnother example is the religion of Christianity. Used by the Catholic Church, it then warped into something that can hardly be recognized as Christianity. It has a pope, a so-called "vicar of Christ" who could exercise power over Christians by changing doctrine and teachings at whim. This is nowhere in the Bible. Also, look at the atrocities committed in the name of Islam. The Spanish Inquisition, which killed many Jews and Muslims and ended with the capture of Granada in 1492, was simply disgraceful. There was also the Crusades. Though, to a regular person, it seemed like a religious conflict for the capture of Jerusalem, it had a political cause. King Alexius I of the Byzantine Empire was simply afraid that the invading Seljuk Turks would capture his land. For this reason, he went to Pope Urban II and asked him for help in beating them back. And then it evolved into "Deus lo volt!" (or whatever the Latin expression is) and killing the Muslims and capturing Jerusalem and whatever. Besides, the Roman soldiers who were supposed to be working for the Christians attacked the Christian city of Acre. So, as you can see, there were many other interests in the Crusades disguised under religion. Another is Christianity used as justification for discrimination. One example of this is the Jews. They were simply hated, especially because they went into business, which, according to Catholic doctrine, was more or less not spiritual or holy or whatever. Because of this, the Jews in the middle ages were blamed for a lot of things. If they ever ran out of money, they would criticize them for lending too much money with their banks. The Catholic Church even tried to blame the Jews for the Black Plague, saying that they poisoned the wells.\nThe point is that religion has been abused a lot and it continues even today.
817698
Although religion is good in many ways, it has also created a lot of wars. Music can cross boarders that religion can't.
745711
Yes it does. It also bothers me that people are killed because they have something someone else wants (oil, money, property). Alot more modern wars have been raged because of those things than because of religion....   Jim
1007709
Yes, this is all just the beginning.\n\nSee if you look at the world today you will notice chain reactions happening all over the world that started on that day.  Example: the worlds distrust of the US.\n\nYes, a lot of things lead up to it, but it was the calmination of everything prior.\n\nBut don't worry just yet.  WWII started off a little skirmish it was a couple years before it became a blown out war.  The time you should worry is when another superpower enters this little skirmish or when it truelly becomes a religious war.\n\nYes, I know it seems that this is a religious war, but it's really just a political war right now.  If you noticed even on this forum it's becoming more religious every day. It still a man(Bin Lauden) using religion to do something political.  Eventually this will turn into a religious war or another World War; either way it will be the war to end all wars.
1064233
That's hard to answer, both Christian and Islamic denominations have been responsible for large wars that killed hundreds of thousands of people.  Let's just say the world would be a more peaceful place if people didn't start wars that are motivated by religious ideology.
608373
i don't know.\n \nalthough you are trying to make God and religion sound Violante, let me remind you that most wars are fought for individual rights. such as here in America our first war was for the right to rule our self, had almost nothing to do with religion, second main war was to settle the argument for slavery, had very little to do with religion. next main war was WWI, it started when a driver took a wrong turn and some one from Austria got assassinated. had nothing to do with religion. next major war was ww2. it had to do with Hitler invading country's, and the Japanese bombing us. than there was koria. had to do with borders and Communism. next war was Vietnam same as before. wow, all these wars and not a single one over God. \n bu bu but in philosophy class thay said God caused all these wars.\n just because theres a war in the middle east dose not mean it was caused by or for God.\n geeze, most of you people wont even live for God, let alone die for Him.
680730
Most wars have been over land or political ideology.  Religion gets tacked on as an afterthought or an excuse to give the war an air of legitimacy when no other reason exists.  Very few wars have been soley over religion, although I do believe the current war is...whether western nations, ie christian, believe it or not....the islamists do.
520179
Hardly ... it is not religion that is to blame ... but sick individuals that cause the problems. Anyone can use any excuse they want to do bad things, but that doesn't make them a legitamate representative of the religion, philosophy, social movement ... etc, etc, etc.
923410
I think you mean morality.  Anyway, religion is a means to support the ideas that gives one a reason for life.  A weakness, I say, but still a means to an end.  As well, religion gives the powers that be, especially in the past, a means of control.  Fear is your only god, and that is the message.  Don't do what we say, you suffer forever. Now that is a good selling point.  Religion is, as the quote says, the opium of the people.
723748
I agree with him....religion is the cause of many a war!  (in God's name-ironic huh?)
937418
Any war in the name of religion is a Holy War
121461
The human race is more responsible for the destruction and rape of the earth than any other.  While the 'religious' are more worried about other religions and being hateful and who's right the being that has given us all life, the earth, and sustained us is being destroyed in a quest for luxuries.  WE are ALL responsible for her and her well being but we would rather be hateful in the name of religion.  Ain't that funny?