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From: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley Friesen)
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Is religion bad for you?
Message-ID: <335@psivax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 19-Feb-85 17:38:02 EST
Article-I.D.: psivax.335
Posted: Tue Feb 19 17:38:02 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 23-Feb-85 09:28:58 EST
References: <293@decwrl.UUCP> <398@pyuxd.UUCP> <237@cadre.ARPA> <1102@amdahl.UUCP> <255@cadre.ARPA>
Reply-To: friesen@psivax.UUCP (Stanley friesen)
Organization: Pacesetter Systems Inc., Sylmar, CA
Lines: 39
Summary: 

In article <255@cadre.ARPA> jay@cadre.ARPA (Jay Ramanathan) writes:
>In article <1102@amdahl.UUCP> Gordon Moffett <gam@amdahl.UUCP> writes:
>> People fight wars because of political beliefs, as a defensive strategy,
>> for trade and economic reasons, or because they have nothing better to do.
>> Disposing of religion will not change this situation.  The major wars of
>> this century were all politically and economically motivated.  Religion
>> played a minor part in these, if it were a factor at all.  
>> 
>> Why must religion be the whipping-boy for these problems?
>
>I wonder how "minor" a part religion is playing in the middle east and
>Northern Ireland?  Or maybe these are not "major" wars according to you.
>
>In this context, I'm reminded of someone's observation:
> If the third (nuclear) war were to come about, there is a high chance its
> origins would be in the middle east.
>And I guess the nuclear war wouldn't be "major" at all!!
>Granted, wars do have a lot of political, economic factors in them.  But
>I suspect they often start off with religious differences. (Didn't even
>the first world war have religious beginnings? Or am I wrong?)
>Of course, once the war has been started, the politicians have to carry 
>it on.  They have beliefs too, you see!
>
	But even in your examples the base causes of the conflict are
politico-socio-economic not religious. In both N. Ireland and the
Middle East the conflict is being caused by vast cultural differences
more than any other factor.  The religious differences are an *excuse*
or a "rallying cry" which help gain support and whip up emotions
rather than the actual cause.  And talking about WW1, the only real
cause was rival imperialist powers in Europe competing the same
territory.  The Assasination of Archduke Ferdinand, and the associated
events merely provided the needed excuse to start shooting.
-- 

				Sarima (Stanley Friesen)

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