It’s usually alleged that religion is the cause of war. Most political or pseudo-political leaders boast themselves on the basis of religion but can religion itself be blamed for it?
Can religion be blamed for war?
Selected Extracts from Religious Texts
‘Then you must utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them and show them no mercy’ (Torah, Book of Deuteronomy 7:1-2)
‘Thou shall not kill’ (Torah, Book of Exodus 20:13)
‘All who take the sword will perish by the sword’ (New Testament, Matthew 5:43-44)
‘Fight in the cause of God against those who fight you, but aggress not’ (Koran 2:190)
‘Whoever fights in the cause of God, then gets killed or attains victory, we will surely grant him a great recompense’ (Koran 4:74)
‘When all efforts to restore peace prove useless and no words avail, lawful is the flash of steel’ (10th Sikh guru, Guru Gobind Singh)
‘May your weapons be strong to drive away the attackers, may your arms be powerful enough to check the foes, let your army be glorious, not the evil-doer’ (Hinduism’s Rig Veda 1-39:2)