Religion have divided mankind since ancient times. There are lots of different religions
and sub-religions which means there are thousands of millions of people that have others
believes, creating a great variety of thoughts and leading people with opposite religious
principles to war. Religion is based on faith but faith can be twisted into fanaticism which can be
used to motivate a congregation. In other words they will follow their faith blindly. Undoubtedly,
war has always been an instinct in the humans, something natural that develops even stronger
with each feeling of power, wrath, envy, lust and greed. On the other hand peace has been
something that we lack and create to make us feel more comfortable in our society giving birth to
what we call religion. Some factors that trigger the bloodshed are false prophets, fanaticism,
terrorist and gods who claim war leading our world to atrocious battles. This makes us wonder
does religion cause war?
It is true that not all the wars have been caused by religion but certainly there have been
really bloodthirsty fights in name of religion. One of the most vicious religious wars is The
Eighty Years War, also known as independent war of Dutch and it was fought from 1568 to 1648
in The Low Countries between the Dutch and Spanish people. This was a victory for the Dutch
as they got their own Republic of Dutch. The key reason behind this 80 years long war that Spain
emperors implemented different religious rules in the entire Spanish dynasty including the
provinces where Dutch were in majority.
There have been lots of other religious wars like crusades, which started by a plea of
help from Alexious Comnenus to the Pope Urban II fearing more lost of territory by the Turks,
and wanting to earn more territory creating the First Crusade from 1096 to 1099. "God wills it"
That was the battle cry of the thousand of Christians who joined crusades to free the Holy land
from the Turks. From eight crusades only two were successful at the cost of many lives using the
name of god to get rid of the enemy, the French Wars of religion and Nigerian civil war and so
on. Proving that in fact religion leads to war. It is true that some of the religions that exist only
were made with the intention to only do good to men but there are people carrying the word of
its particular god to take control over the followers or only to reach an evil goal.
ISIS the terrorist group that is shaking the world on these moments is one vivid example.
They are barbarous, dogma killers and they want to kill everyone from any religion or belief
system and to impose Shari’ah law. Recently they decided to kill innocent people by putting
bombs in the capital of France, Paris; at least 10 persons were injured or died in the explosion of
a nearby bar at the France Stadium in Saint Denis at cause of three consecutive explosions
separated only by a pair of minutes. Part of the attackers suicide themselves with explosives
killing and injuring a great number of people. Because of this France launched a counterattack
seeing this as a declaration of war. Knowing this is obvious that was the cause of war agaist
France. They died and kill so freely because of all their religion teach them.
Ultimately my partner and I strongly believe that religion can cause war based on the
explanations above. It is evident that religion in most wars have been a tool for evil people to
win wealth and power. Throughout history there have been senseless killing only for the
difference in beliefs and all hypocritically made in the name of the god they follow when in
much cases their own god says thou shalt not kill. If this continue we may be consumed by
fanatiscism killing each other only because is supposed to be god will. If god want something for
us is peace and love not agony and death.