Originally Posted by losiglow

1. Religion doesn't start wars, people start wars. It's just like this guys shirt:


Anyone who blames religion for wars should blame a gun for killing someone instead of the person who pulled the trigger.

2. Someone who rants about religion starting wars is most likely ignorant to religion or has never really committed themselves to any given religion. If they would have, they would know that religion in general advocates peace and that it is a very small group of retards in religion that choose to incite wars.

3. Most wars are not from religion, in fact, they aren't even disagreements. They are the desire of power. Even the "War on terror" is nothing more than people who want power over a group of people or a nation. I doubt Osama gives a damn about Islam and if Bush truly is a Christian, that probably has nothing to do with him pushing for the current war. It's about power.

Bottom line is if you're going to bring up such a subject, look a layer deeper into why people say things. Truth is, people only say about 5% of what they really mean, the other 95% is bullcrap that usually means something much shallower than the words comming out of their mouth. The whole "War comes from religion" is part of that 95%. Whether it's ignorance, guilt or just plain hate depends on the person.

Originally Posted by white_n_slow

Religion itself can't start a war any more than capitalism can wash my car, but people sure do like to use it to brainwash people into war. I'd say about 80 percent of the wars in western civilization since classical times have had some sort of religious motivation, or at least the people who started them came up with a religious motivation to rally people to the cause. Only a handful have been started directly for religion per se (30 years war comes to mind).

I think it is safe to say, however, that organized religion has been a bastion of xenophobia and intolerance pretty much since ancient people decided to organize it.

Originally Posted by EriksShadow

Too bad people often use religion to gain power.. because it's a way to grab hold of the weak-minded.

Originally Posted by white_n_slow

or at least the people who started them came up with a religious motivation to rally people to the cause.

Originally Posted by white_n_slow

I think it is safe to say, however, that organized religion has been a bastion of xenophobia and intolerance pretty much since ancient people decided to organize it.

Originally Posted by losiglow

This is my point. Religion was merey a ploy for someone to rally people to whatever cause fit the persons agenda.



Some of it has, but I don't think the grand majority of religion or people who are faithful is a religion believe or follow that. Most religion, if read from the books, is supposedly very tolerant. But then us corrupt greedy people get a hold of it and mess it all up.