Do Belief Systems such as Religions cause violence.?

Do you think that different Religions as a beleif systems teach intolorance, after all we have different ideologies. Do we live life without anserws? Is that is why we find anserws in beleif systems such as Religion.....?

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Permalink Reply by Dan on January 18, 2009 at 11:23pm: Good job on the stats!

Dan 'J5'; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Tommyr on January 18, 2009 at 5:54pm: Religion is the cause of most of the world's troubles IMHO. Your mileage may vary.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Leon Young on January 18, 2009 at 6:03pm: The answer is yes! It's documented throughout history. take Christianity alone, it's based on an idol who was violently killed for his belief. Followed later in history by crusades to the "holy lands" to rid them of infidels, then a cleaning of heretics in France and on to Spain, and the trail goes on right up to modern day and the Gaza issues.
I do however, feel that religion is used as a convenient mask for ethnic cleansing too!; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by djdez92 on January 18, 2009 at 10:53pm: I think they do, and it's kind of stupid. I don't see why we can't all respect others belief systems.

--Dez; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Dan on January 18, 2009 at 11:24pm: Right on.

Dan 'J5'; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Frank Schnyder on January 21, 2009 at 5:15pm: Because of fear. Fear of others' intentions. If we all had the same belief system there would be concrete rules on how to behave. Problem is, by humanity's very nature, we all have different perspectives.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Christopher Stewart on January 19, 2009 at 12:20am: Just tumbled this earlier today... doesn't answer the question but seems relevant...

"To attain spirituality is to realize that the whole universe is one symphony in which every individual is one note. His happiness lies in becoming perfectly harmonious with the symphony of the universe. It is not following a certain religion that makes one spiritual, or having a certain belief, or being a fanatic in regard to one idea, or by becoming too good to live in this world. Many good people there are, who do not even understand what spirituality means. They are very good, but they do not yet know what ultimate good is. Ultimate good is harmony itself. For instance, all the different principles and beliefs of the religions of this world taught and proclaimed by priests and teachers - but which men are not always able to follow and express - come naturally from the heart of a man who attunes himself to the rhythm of the universe. His every action, every word he speaks, every feeling he has, every sentiment he expresses, is all harmonious; it is all virtue, it is all religion. It is not following a religion, it is living a religion, making one’s life a religion, which is necessary."

— Hazrat Inayat Khan, “Spiritual Attainment by the Aid of Music”; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Matthew Johnson on January 19, 2009 at 12:23am: Several problems mentioned quite a bit. Is most people who are against religion and say it is the cause of violence are usually operating out of a bias against, and an ignorance of the facts. What's more is world views in general cause great conflicts and often result in violence out of those people who are prone to it. For example an Atheist is just as prone to violence as a Christian. Is this because Atheism is a religion? Or is it a much more common ground? For example, could it be that those who follow either a religious or other world view are all human?

I think that my be the link people often ignore.

What's more is violence done in the name of something, is not the equivalent of violence being caused by that thing.

More often than not I see people flailing against religion not because religion itself is inherently evil, but because they don't understand it. Normally rational, intelligent human beings are reduced to children as they have hissy fits over things they don't even attempt to comprehend. Often times a person will read the religious texts and assume they've discovered what everyone else has failed to understand. However seeing as how even some Atheistic scientists understand the methods required for interpreting any piece of text, such as that found in the Bible, takes more than just looking at the English interpretation. And so many are against it for reasons that don't make sense. Or are at all other times discovered in ignorance.

People, not religions are to be blamed for violence. Because to ask the question itself reveals the idea that religions are not at whole true. If they were true they would be just in their violence as they would be the ways toward truth. If indeed they are made of man, and if man interprets them to cause violence then violence starts and ends with man, not with religion.

And more often than not violence is caused for reasons far less than the eternal nature of man's soul. Bar fights are not of religious matters. Thrill killings are not caused by someone worshiping the God Almighty.

Though one cannot deny that people use religion as an excuse, it also cannot be denied that what people do seems to be more inherent in the person rather than in the religion practiced.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Fito on January 19, 2009 at 6:07am: We are not saying that all the evil of the world is because of religion. We are just saying that belief systems such as religions cause violence.

It is true that violence comes in many forms, but you can't deny that belief systems are indeed a principal cause for violence.

The Crusades, the inquisition, the IRA, Terrorism; all based in religion...

Communism, McCarthy, Nazis; social and political ideologies (belief systems)

And i don't want to know how many wars there were in Asia and Africa beacuse of religions long time ago...

So yes, belief systems cause violence.

And you can't say i'm an ignorant cause i'm an atheist and i don't understand how religions work. I've been a christian and studied the bible and i've related myself with Jews and understood their ideals. I've been in contact pretty much with religions, and that is what made me analyze the whole situation from outside.

So please, once more, don't call me an ignorant. And realize we are not discussing if religion is the cause of all violence and suffering in this world.

Thank you; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Matthew Johnson on January 19, 2009 at 6:45am: I don't believe I did call you ignorant per say. If you're going to take the stance that it's not religions specifically but based on belief systems in general should you not also look at replies in a similar manner?

I do believe I said "more often than not", and did not say "in all cases."

What's more is I was not referring to the topic in general but in reply to people who were making it personal against religion. People are allowed to believe as they will, there are just as many Atheists becoming religious as there are religious becoming Atheist. So it would be foolish of me to even hope to suggest that Being Atheist is the equivalent of being ignorant.

However you cannot deny that more often than not (there's that phrase again) when people so quickly assert the problem on religion it is based on their ignorance of it. Most Atheists who dislike me for being Christian period, are most often (but not always) the ones who have no true concept of it at all.

I could try to assert that since God is the one true way, to abandon him is proof of ignorance no matter what one 'use' to believe. But that would be childish of me, and I don't wish to stoop to such an absurd level.

And all you've shown is that people utilize belief systems to make it seem right to others, or even to themselves. That is not the equivalent of the system itself causing the violence. And I repeat that if you take the stance that the religion or belief system is fundamentally wrong, or made up by man-kind then you are placing the chief cause on man-kind itself. Either at the beginning or at the end, it is people's choice to follow. If it weren't you should never have being an Atheist should you? It wouldn't have been possible.

I never denied that people had used beliefs and concepts to do things, but seeing as how people are willing to do violence despite any need for excuse I cannot place the blame on the belief itself. That doesn't make sense.

Just to clarify one last point. No where in my entire statement did I ever claim all Atheists, or all people who were against religion or just didn't believe in it were ignorant. I just said most who do. It's something common between the religious and non-religious. Once we believe we're right the tendency is not to learn about the one we think is wrong.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Fito on January 19, 2009 at 7:26am: Then i'm sorry for misunderstanding you. It is nice to see that there's people who can discuss in a polite way and express their ideas like you.

In religion-system belief matter i think we just can't totally agree. Even though i agree with certain things you say, like your last point and several other things, i don't agree with others.
Maybe because we have different approaches when talking about religions and beliefs.

Anyway, once more, i'm glad to discuss with someone who presents his ponits lke you do.; ▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Matthew Johnson on January 19, 2009 at 8:32am: :D Yes it is nice to be able to talk reasonably about things. If indeed I discuss them reasonably at all. My family, and my very nature is one of argument. Quite often I take any side I see fit to keep one going. What you see here is one of the rare instances in which I felt the need to be honest and reasonable.

And I do like to hear other sides, and beliefs. I'm actually relatively new to Christianity myself. So hearing other takes on either it or religion in particular is always fascinating. What's more is it helps give me a point to focus my own ignorance of my beliefs so as to learn them more efficiently.

Anyway, I'm just babbling on pointlessly now. So I wish you well. I need to get away from this place lest my need to argue surface again. Haha.; ▶ Reply to This