More people have died in the name of religion?

People say this often. Yet, is it true? Indeed, on the surface, it seems to be true. Even today current conflicts and tensions have a religious component (Northern Ireland, Middle East Conflict, etc.) Yet, is it fair to label these conflicts as being the fault of religion?

One example people use to highlight that religion is, indeed, the cause of war and death is the Crusades. What more striking example could there be of the main idea that more people have died in the name of religion? Christian Crusaders going to reclaim the Holy Land from those infidel Muslims? Yet, even this isn't totally -- and I would argue mainly -- about religion. There are numerous secular reasons historians have proposed about the etiology of the Crusades. Some include the Pope (Urban II, I think) wanting to deflect attention away from a scandal. A more plausible explaination is that he simply wanted to unite Europe and direct the attention of unruly knights (as we all know by now, they were hardly as chivalrous as the literature suggests) against outsiders.

But why were so many, so eager to participate. Some were, perhaps, acting out of religious zeal. But many went to acquire Earthly (and not Heavenly) rewards. Others, if memory serves, acquired "get-out-of-dungeons-free cards" for their service.

I will be so bold as to say any in-depth look at "religious" conflicts will reveal a number secular aspects and motivations. Thus, can we really say that "More people have died in the name of religion than any other reason"? Or can we just ignore the saying and cast it onto the pile with other clever, but not factually supported statements along with "I actually created the Internet" and such?

Well, i think you are confusing motivation and justification for war. While those on top might use religious talk to back their wars, we often see that it is simply greed or a lust for power which motivates them.

Now, who really fights the wars? Those who engage in the war are the ones using the religion to motivate them. I think Steven Weinberg hit it on the head when he said:
"With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil--that takes religion."

however, if war is not cause by religion, that doesnt default to it being caused by the absence of evil, as many like to say.

Perhaps, yet it is clear violence isn't solely the work of religion. Northern Ireland, for example... income inequality and nationalism play huge roles in a conflict that is often seen as having a religious backdrop.

But sticking with the Crusades, and to answer your question (whether it was rhetorical or not), people do indeed fight the war. Ordinary knights and men fought and killed Muslims. However, as I mentioned, their motivations cannot be said to be wholly religious. Obviously we can't poll them, but it's a fairly safe assumption.

I just think religion -- while certainly capable of inspiring evil deeds -- gets too much blame. I would argue there are a plethora of reasons men fought in the Crusades, not simply en nomini patri et fili y spiritoscanti (in the name of the father, son and holy spirit, since my Latin is beyond rusty).

This post has been edited by Belushi on Mar 16 2007, 02:13 AM

Well, some people fought just for a chance for glory and to help themselves find a new home.

Indeed. Why not then say, "More people have been killed in the name of religion, greed, and ambition"? I would think many conflicts (even ones with a religious backdrop) have been inspired by those last two.

I don't know. Perhaps I'm off-track... yet the statement reeks of a rather lazy approach to breaking down history and an agression towards religion. Although, I do not disagree at all that religion can motivate people to commit barbarous acts of evil (ironically in the name of good). And often.

These same ordinary knights and men also fought and killed many Christians, not just Muslims during the Crusades...

These same ordinary knights and men also fought and killed many Christians, not just Muslims during the Crusades...

Indeed, the Fourth Crusade is a great example of that.