War and relegion

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

can anyone say roughly what percent of documented wars on earth were directly or indirectly based on religion? The "war on terror" could be considered indirectly based on religion for example. Do you think we would have had more or less wars w/o any form of religion or belief in a god?

[VarlosZ]

What, exactly, constitutes a "war"? What method shall we use to determine if a war was wholly or partly based on religion? How are we separating religion from other, related cultural differences?

In other words, the answer to your first question is almost certainly "no."

[housenuts]

none of the recent wars have been based on religion.

people always try to say this is the reason for all wars, and if there was no religion, the world would be a happy place, but this is untrue.

[housenuts]

also how do u figure the "war on terror" is indirectly caused by religion?

[DougShrapnel]

for every year of peace in humankind’s history there have been fourteen years of war, 90% of which have been fought either because of, or under the banner of, God by whatever name.

[RJT]

Then can we get the % of wars based on other reasons – which off the top of my head would seem to come under "moral or ethical" standards? (Therefore, justifiable?)

[DougShrapnel]

[ QUOTE ]
"We will rally the world to this cause by our efforts, by our courage. We will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail...... The course of this conflict is not known, yet it's outcome is certain. Freedom and fear, justice and cruelty, have always been at war, and we know that God is not neutral between them...... Fellow citizens, we'll meet violence with patient justice -- assured of the rightness of our cause, and confident of the victories to come. In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America."

[/ QUOTE ]

[RJT]

Ironic, isn't it?

[DougShrapnel]

Religion is a strong motivator. And I'm surprised the number is only 90%.

[housenuts]

let's see...

french revolution 1789 - not over religion
war of independence - 1776 - not over religion
us civil war 1861 - not over religion
japan-russia war 1905 - not over religion
world war I - not over religion
world war II - not over religion
soviet-afghan war 1980's - not over religion
iran-iraq war 1980's - not over religion
gulf war - not over religion
current "war" - not over religion
all the wars waged by napoleon as he ravaged through europe - not over religion


that's off the top of my head. i'm sure there are many more. do not confuse religion with nationalism. sure these combatants may have had different religions, but religion was not the reason for the wars.

wars based on religion date back much further.