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God of war
Who among us hasn’t heard the term “religion leads to warfare”? Almost every one is aware of the infamous war between the Middle East and the United States, all in the name of spiritual differences. The same can be applied in the war in North Africa.
A hundred years back, Crusaders marched into different parts of the world, some to continue spreading Christendom amongst the neighboring countries, and some to take most lands that originally belong to the Christian nation. Between the sixteenth and seventeenth century, several wars between the Catholics and the Protestants brought so much bloodshed, all in the name of the religion they belong. The leader of civil disobedience, Mohandas K. Gandhi, died in the hands of a Hindu militant in 1948. A Buddhist monk killed Sri Lanka’s prime minister in 1959. Recently, there had been numerous fights between the Catholics and the Protestants in present-day Northern Ireland. And the equally scandalous book by Salman Rushdie, the Satanic Verses, had Ayatollah Khomeini asked for the author’s death.
Does religion really lead people to violence and war? Is the Almighty Father really a God of War? Below are several observations regarding the role of religion which, according to some, lead people into thinking that war for the sake of such are inevitable parts of human nature:
- Majority of these unfortunate events during the 20th century resulted over atheist ideologies. It is ironic to note that critics of religion blame such as roots of senseless warfare and bloodshed, but are silent when an atheistic faith such as those of Stalin and the likes bring forth utter destruction over billions of lives.
- What is essential in every teaching over these beliefs are often disregarded while their abuses are magnified, to the point of exaggeration for the sake of having someone to point the finger to.
- It is, more often than not, the mindset of those who seek the ideology of a certain belief for personal gain and not religion per se that brings forth violence and destruction. Greed for any religious justification which can be used to control the minds of the many leads to such.
The religion, per se, is therefore not the culprit. It’s the people behind religion who are to blame for the abuse of their power and authority over the denominations and religion they so heartily vow to serve. The term “God of War” is often used under false pretenses which reeks senseless shedding of blood.
The Creator did not wish any of His children harm, the same way that every mother will protect her child with utmost care, for He is not a God of War. The same way that one will try to defend one’s self when facing grave danger, religion, or any denomination for that matter, should shield away its people against the danger of ignorance over one’s spirituality and moral responsibilities. It should serve as a blanket to keep us warm, not as a fire that will burn our morals and forget our love for the God that has been so kind and merciful to us.
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