The mother of all wars

It has become a commonplace assertion that ‘most wars are caused by religion’. It is a view expressed in private conversations, through the media and within some academic circles. In the context of ‘the war on terror’ it seems a plausible, even likely, argument. There are regular documentaries on the brutality of the Crusaders and the intractable divides in the Middle East. The message everywhere is that religious belief causes irrational prejudices and insoluble conflict.

Now, there is no point in denying that there is such a thing as irrational prejudice. There is. But the roots of such prejudice are not religious: they are human. Our discussion on the causes of human conflict is a case in point. Over the course of the twentieth century, the human race amassed the most appalling record of mass slaughter, genocide and persecution imaginable. Among many other examples, the mass murders of Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot stand out.

Common to all four, was their bloody-minded determination to assert power. Behind this determination stood an atheistic ideology. I point this out, because I have never heard anyone suggest that the behaviour of these atheists caused anyone to lose faith in atheism, or that ‘all wars are caused by atheists’. And nor should anyone assert such a thing, because it is not a logical argument. All wars are not caused by atheists.

Nevertheless, we live in an age when logic and reason are increasingly less a part of our public discussions. With so much ‘information’ available, few people have the time to sift what they are hearing. Opinions are formed on the run. Not only that, if enough headlines run a certain angle, we begin to assume that they must be true. So it goes with the popular view of religion as the source of conflict.

Conflict is caused by the pursuit of self-interest, not to mention ideology. Christianity is not an ideology. It is the good news that we can inherit the life of God through faith in Jesus Christ. That some people who profess Christ wage ideological wars is hardly the point, and certainly no fault of Christ Himself.

I would encourage you to go to the Scriptures yourself. The gospel is a message that can bring peace to your life. Many people are concerned about stopping wars in foreign countries, without ever learning how to bring peace to their own households. I think we can say with some confidence that peace, like charity, begins at home.

Tim Maurice

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Feature Articles
September 2008

Searching out a man

The new birth

Signs of the times

The national anthem

Overcoming fear & anxiety

Anointed with oil

Compassion that restores

The success formula

Desire to be known

At ease in your youth

The mother of all wars