There are certainly land wars, political wars and the such, but there are also numerous religious wars.... Maybe Religion is just another political item for people to fight over? DD
Yeah, it's the justification that those who have power use to appease the masses and try to claim more power. And by power I mean resources, land, etc. LOL @ Pouhe. Christian Rock isn't that bad is it?
But the religious wars centered around control, ruling, conquering, and greed. Most religions don't condone that at all, and only when manipulated and twisted can be used to justify the wars in our history. If it's not religion, it's country, and if it's not country, it's race. It's an abused tool of the those who have power...which is sad for humanity.
It can be[, but it's not the reason religions continue to exist. Religion is a way of life. I think our country is one of the few with the cultural mindset that religion can be worn like a lucky shirt. I'm not implying every religious American takes this view of religion, but we're more tolerant of it, and atheists seem to share that casual perspective of religion. As a way of life, religion can be considered a culture or identity, and it can bleed into ethnicity. Ethnic conflict is arguably the most explosive cause for war and devastation. Historian Niall Ferguson has been making a case that the 20th century has been bookmarked by ethnic conflict moreso than secular or religious causes. And as globalization makes the world smaller and more interconnected, cultural/national/ethnic identities will be in constant flux and competition for survival. Religion is an easy prop and will continue to be. It's messages are well known and the symbolism has already been established. But it's more of a catalyst that erupts the underlying tensions of groups of people forcing to live with each other.
I'm not saying there are no religious wars, but they aren't the majority. They also usually have other reasons besides just religion as well.
I think when it comes down to it, land and resources are the number one reasons. Religion may be a factor, but more often than not, it is used as a disguise.
