From today's class discussion : Is religion a solution to or the cause of global conflict? (Let's discuss religion and politics - Yes, I just went there).
Don't make this personal, keep objective by including credible sources to support your stance.
In my opinion, wars and global conflicts are mainly the product of disagreements between religious groups. Not all conflicts are causes by religion, but there is no denying that it hold the responsibility for a lot of present and past conflicts. I think war is caused by people believing with absolute certainty, that their beliefs are the same as those of the supreme being of their religion. Religions promote peace in their original writings, but the ways in which people interpret these writings are so varied that they are used to justify violence and hatred. Therefore, by extension, religion is the cause for many of the worlds conflicts.
By looking at past world conflicts, I can justify my belief that religion is a cause, rather than a solution to conflict. One of the largest conflicts that come to mind would be WWII. Hitlers reign was one that connected the government the religion, even if it was his own new form of religion, that presented new racial supremacy (1). Hitler declared a war on the Jewish, out of hatred of their religion and cultural backgrounds (1) which ended with an estimated 60 million ( or 2.5% of the population) dead (2). Not all of World War Two was about religion, there was also Germany's goal of amassing an empire in Europe, but the most inhumane and disturbing acts of hatred in the war took place in the concentration camps. This was where Hitler sent all those he believed to be inferior to his race, and who did not believe in the values in his religion (2).
Another major world conflict that can be related to religious conflict would be the religious persecution that took place in the Soviet Union in the 1900s. After the government in the USSR cut ties with the church, there was a war of various religions against atheism (3). The Soviet union took the official position of atheism, and declared that there was no God. This resulted in the complete forceful elimination of religion throughout the country. It was not aimed only at Catholicism, but at Judaism, Buddhism and any other organization that taught religious values (4). The civil communists were proud and militant about their atheism, and the estimated total number of casualties that resulted of this is 12-20 million (5). This is one conflict that can be solely blamed on religion, even if it is the religion of atheism.
Lastly, I will look at the various global conflicts caused by peoples' disagreements with Christianity. One conflict would be the opposition to same sex marriage by the church. In 2013, violent riots broke out in France after same sex marriage was legalized (6). Though polls showed that over 53% of the population in France was for same sex marriage, thousands of civilians (backed by the Roman Catholic Church) took to the streets in masks, throwing smoke bombs and stones at police officers (6). Another more modern conflict with the Catholic Church would be concerned with the debate on abortion. Many religious groups in the US hold peaceful protests against abortion, but many turn violent (7). There have been various violent acts towards both abortion clinics and against women seeking them. Arson, hate mail, harassment, public violence and even bombings have resulted from religious disagreement with abortion in the US (7).
Just to play the devil's advocate here (no pun intended) (who am I kidding, all puns intended), religion has brought some good things to society. Many universities and hospitals have been built in the name of religion. People inspired by their faith, like Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr have significantly impacted the world in a positive way. Numerous charities and humanitarian aid organizations have been created by religious people. Even though skewed interpretations of religion have inspired people to commit heinous acts, faith has inspired many to do good in the world.
I think it's interesting to see the way wars start. Religion seems to be one of the major reasons. I still think it's weird that society fights over religion in several different ways including wars. We live in a world where we bash each others beliefs because they are different than someone else's. The idea of being an Atheist should not be looked down upon, is it so different than being a Christian or a Catholic? No, I think it would be less looked down upon if atheists got together and went to a church on Sundays together for Atheists. I don't mean in a Satanist way but in a way where no ones beliefs are judged for being different.
Regardless of the wording, all major religions preach a basic golden rule of “treat others how you would like to be treated” (1). Even with this one phrase it would be fair to say that at its core religion is opposed to war, and that those who provoke war are not doing so under religious purposes. It would however be ignorant to disregard the countless conflicts that have used religion as justification. Despite a general misunderstanding of the term “holy war”, many of these conflicts are a contradiction of faith and are often a product of a poor interpretation or misguided teachings of each respective religion. For a war to be truly holy it must have religion as it’s main driving force, and seeing as most religions either preach the concept of pacifism or a “just war” (2) it would be hypocritical to call any fighting other than in defence “holy” (3).
One common misconception from many westerners is the Islamic ideal of jihad. Despite the actions of jihadist groups (e.g. ISIS), jihad actually only implies holy war in the just defense of Islam and people, and forbids the killing of women and children (4). The word jihad directly translates to “struggle” and refers to both the internal and external struggles involved with being a good Muslim. Some people are also led to believe that Muslims are obligated to convert non-believers into Islam, which is not necessarily true. As stated in the Qur’an, “Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error.” In other words, Muslims only have a duty to establish proof of Islam, from there it is purely the decision of the individual whether or not to convert, and it is strictly against the Qur’an to threaten or harm anyone that does not accept Islam (5).
The unfortunate truth is that many major religions have been plagued with extremists claiming to be acting in the name of faith. These hate groups all have their own selfish agendas and are only using religion as a way to convince people that what they’re doing is justifiable. War is not inherently a religious concept, and those who wage war in the name of religion are either victims or instigators of false teachings and corruption. It is also worth noting that the two largest conflicts in the history of the world (WWI & WWII) were not caused by religion but instead much more complex social, political, and economical issues that are present in many other conflicts (6)(7). In a hypothetical world where every human on the planet followed a religion strictly to its original teachings there would be no violence at all. The cause of so many wars is not religion itself, but a misinterpretation and misuse of religious teachings.
For my weekly post, I will be discussing why I believe that religion has been more of a cause of global conflict, rather than the solution, using historical evidence.
The first historical event that I would like to discuss are the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns during the time of Medieval England against the Muslims of the Middle East(1). The Crusades lasted from 1096 until 1270(1). The Crusades were predominantly fights over the religious city of Jerusalem, which is extremely important in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths(1).
The wars lasted for nearly 200 years, with several separate battles in those 200 years(1). Each side believed that they were fighting in the name of their God, and that they were doing what was right for their religion. The original crusaders saw themselves as undertaking an armed mission or pilgrimage, and their “taking of the crux” (“crux” being Latin for cross) all the way to Jerusalem symbolised their vows that would only be fulfilled upon reaching their destination(1).
The second event I would like to discuss is not necessarily a global conflict, but it is one of the more important examples of religious conflict. The Protestant Reformation which took place in Europe in the 16th century, was a European movement aimed at reforming the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church(2).
The Reformation was inadvertently started by Martin Luther, a German Monk, when he posted a document titled “The 95 Theses” on a church door in Wittenburg(2). The Theses were meant to warn the Pope about the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church and allow him to change the ways of the Church and those within it. The Theses were not meant to start a religious reformation(3).
The Reformation ended a unity imposed by medieval Christianity and, in the eyes of many historians, signalled the beginning of the modern era(2). Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” spread throughout Europe, gaining adherents in the German States, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Scotland and portions of France(2).
The term protestant, although not originally applied to the reformers, was later used to describe all groups protesting the Roman Catholic orthodoxy(2). As the hope of reforming the Roman Catholic Church faded, the protesters were forced to separate from the Roman Catholic Church, resulting in Lutheran – or Protestant, as we know them today – churches in Germany, Scandinavia, and some eastern European countries(2).
As illustrated by these historical events, conflicts rarely stem from anything other than religion, and even if the event is not based on religious disagreements, they oftentimes will find a way to tie it back to religious disagreements.
There is no doubt that it seems like almost every problem we have is caused by religion. When missionaries came to this country they certainly brought religious hell with them. The aboriginal people of this land had a system of spiritual beliefs and the Europeans had a system of spiritual beliefs. These beliefs weren't far off each other. Each taught to be thankful for what the creator or god had made for them. Some subtle differences led to conflict (source 2). The Europeans saw a problem with native spirituality thinking it was, savage devil worship, dancing and chanting around fires. It scared them so they decided to change it. Residential schools were set up to "kill the Indian in the child" (Duncan Campbell Scott). They wanted to rid the land of devil worshippers and lead the aboriginals on a path to heaven. Children died, language and culture were lost. For generations there has been and will be damage passed from generation to generation. Was all of that caused by religion? Did the bible day to torture children wether they worship satan or not? Of course not. Religion is not the cause of conflict but misinterpretation, misappropriation, fear, and misunderstanding are the routes of conflict. Human error is to blame. Humans do awful things and hide behind something bigger then them to justify, but it is not justified. No religion justifies the evils of men. All they do is condemn them.
Anything in relation to a religion is subject for argument. It has most likely been this way since the first religion. We all have our own ways we interpret things. All it takes is for one person to raise their own opinion on a matter and then find other people that see it the same way they do. Religion is something that many are serious about and even for some depending on culture can be the most important thing to them. Religion is something that causes more global conflict then it does solution.
In saying this I want to bring up some historic events that resulted in 'Holy Wars'. Wars that are driven by religion. (1) I want to mention is the Protestant Reformation that took place during the renaissance. This was sparked by one man, Martin Luther, he wrote a list of problems he saw with the Roman Catholic Church that he called the 95 Theses.(2) This saw an outbreak of people split between the two religions and hatred. Acts of violence and murder were committed on both sides. Other examples of conflicts based on religion is North Ireland vs Ireland, World War II and ISIS to just name a few.
There have been many times throughout human and religious history that has had terrible times, seeing a lot of deaths just the result of religious disagreement. Religion is important but with religion there has to come respect. For one person who may see something one way should not be harmed and allowed to take belief in whatever it may be as long as they are not against or harming someone. The times that religion has caused conflict is much greater then the times it has caused solution.
This week I would like to talk about the conflicts religion cause in the 1600's. During this time thousands of women were accused of being witches by the Catholic church and many died. In the Salem witch trials alone 200 women were accused of witchcraft and at least 32 died from execution or in prison.(1) These so called "witches" were called such simply because the Catholic community did not approve of them.(2) The Catholic church at the time was run by men that believed women had one job, and that was to raise children. This meant when then men felt threatened because a women knew more than them about things such as plants, the men could get rid of them by claiming they were a witch.
Humans are naturally prone to conflict. I have been verbally threatened by giant jerks for something as simple as not liking Michael Bublé's Christmas album, so really it's no wonder to me that humans have fought over something as huge as religion for so many years.
Although Michael Bublé may not, arguably, be a renowned deity, let's say that you devote your entire life to him; Michael Bublé is everything to you. And then someone comes along and says, "No, his Christmas album doesn't exist, there's only Mariah Carey's" or "No no, you haven't been listening to his Christmas album correctly, you need the extended edition" or "I don't believe in Christmas albums at all" Naturally, Michael Bublé fans are going to get a little upset. Some Michael Bublé fans may get violently upset, some may simply accept other's Christmas Album beliefs. It all depends on THE INDIVIDUAL.
Human beings can fight over anything, be it Michael Bublé or God. But it is not their religion that causes them to do so, rather the actions and decisions that each individual chooses for themselves. But due to religious extremists, many religions get a bad reputation for causing violence. For example, as Simon mentioned, most Muslim people are viewed as terrorists for the actions of a few extremists, such as ISIS. In actuality, almost 93% of all Muslims do not support extremist views of terrorism(1).
Many people use their religious beliefs as a scapegoat for things that they themselves are uncomfortable with. In recent years, many have hid behind the bible to justify ugly acts of homophobia. In reality, it does not state anywhere in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin or should be condemned(2), in fact the most preached message of the bible is to love all others. It's easier to put the burden on religion than to come to terms with the uglier side of the human condition.
And so, though I may not like Christmas albums, I should not patronize all Michael Bublé fans; not all of them are giant jerks. Most of them are very accepting of my taste in music, as I should be to theirs.
This is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, wars and global conflicts are mainly the product of disagreements between religious groups. Not all conflicts are causes by religion, but there is no denying that it hold the responsibility for a lot of present and past conflicts. I think war is caused by people believing with absolute certainty, that their beliefs are the same as those of the supreme being of their religion. Religions promote peace in their original writings, but the ways in which people interpret these writings are so varied that they are used to justify violence and hatred. Therefore, by extension, religion is the cause for many of the worlds conflicts.
By looking at past world conflicts, I can justify my belief that religion is a cause, rather than a solution to conflict. One of the largest conflicts that come to mind would be WWII. Hitlers reign was one that connected the government the religion, even if it was his own new form of religion, that presented new racial supremacy (1). Hitler declared a war on the Jewish, out of hatred of their religion and cultural backgrounds (1) which ended with an estimated 60 million ( or 2.5% of the population) dead (2). Not all of World War Two was about religion, there was also Germany's goal of amassing an empire in Europe, but the most inhumane and disturbing acts of hatred in the war took place in the concentration camps. This was where Hitler sent all those he believed to be inferior to his race, and who did not believe in the values in his religion (2).
Another major world conflict that can be related to religious conflict would be the religious persecution that took place in the Soviet Union in the 1900s. After the government in the USSR cut ties with the church, there was a war of various religions against atheism (3). The Soviet union took the official position of atheism, and declared that there was no God. This resulted in the complete forceful elimination of religion throughout the country. It was not aimed only at Catholicism, but at Judaism, Buddhism and any other organization that taught religious values (4). The civil communists were proud and militant about their atheism, and the estimated total number of casualties that resulted of this is 12-20 million (5). This is one conflict that can be solely blamed on religion, even if it is the religion of atheism.
Lastly, I will look at the various global conflicts caused by peoples' disagreements with Christianity. One conflict would be the opposition to same sex marriage by the church. In 2013, violent riots broke out in France after same sex marriage was legalized (6). Though polls showed that over 53% of the population in France was for same sex marriage, thousands of civilians (backed by the Roman Catholic Church) took to the streets in masks, throwing smoke bombs and stones at police officers (6). Another more modern conflict with the Catholic Church would be concerned with the debate on abortion. Many religious groups in the US hold peaceful protests against abortion, but many turn violent (7). There have been various violent acts towards both abortion clinics and against women seeking them. Arson, hate mail, harassment, public violence and even bombings have resulted from religious disagreement with abortion in the US (7).
1. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/religion_nazi_germany.htm
2. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_II_casualties
3. http://martyredintheussr.com/about.html
4. http://www.globalmuseumoncommunism.org/features/war_on_religion
5. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Persecution_of_Christians_in_the_Soviet_Union
7. http://www.publiceye.org/ifas/fw/9503/10years.html
Just to play the devil's advocate here (no pun intended) (who am I kidding, all puns intended), religion has brought some good things to society. Many universities and hospitals have been built in the name of religion. People inspired by their faith, like Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King, Jr have significantly impacted the world in a positive way. Numerous charities and humanitarian aid organizations have been created by religious people. Even though skewed interpretations of religion have inspired people to commit heinous acts, faith has inspired many to do good in the world.
DeleteI think it's interesting to see the way wars start. Religion seems to be one of the major reasons. I still think it's weird that society fights over religion in several different ways including wars. We live in a world where we bash each others beliefs because they are different than someone else's. The idea of being an Atheist should not be looked down upon, is it so different than being a Christian or a Catholic? No, I think it would be less looked down upon if atheists got together and went to a church on Sundays together for Atheists. I don't mean in a Satanist way but in a way where no ones beliefs are judged for being different.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the wording, all major religions preach a basic golden rule of “treat others how you would like to be treated” (1). Even with this one phrase it would be fair to say that at its core religion is opposed to war, and that those who provoke war are not doing so under religious purposes. It would however be ignorant to disregard the countless conflicts that have used religion as justification. Despite a general misunderstanding of the term “holy war”, many of these conflicts are a contradiction of faith and are often a product of a poor interpretation or misguided teachings of each respective religion. For a war to be truly holy it must have religion as it’s main driving force, and seeing as most religions either preach the concept of pacifism or a “just war” (2) it would be hypocritical to call any fighting other than in defence “holy” (3).
ReplyDeleteOne common misconception from many westerners is the Islamic ideal of jihad. Despite the actions of jihadist groups (e.g. ISIS), jihad actually only implies holy war in the just defense of Islam and people, and forbids the killing of women and children (4). The word jihad directly translates to “struggle” and refers to both the internal and external struggles involved with being a good Muslim. Some people are also led to believe that Muslims are obligated to convert non-believers into Islam, which is not necessarily true. As stated in the Qur’an, “Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error.” In other words, Muslims only have a duty to establish proof of Islam, from there it is purely the decision of the individual whether or not to convert, and it is strictly against the Qur’an to threaten or harm anyone that does not accept Islam (5).
The unfortunate truth is that many major religions have been plagued with extremists claiming to be acting in the name of faith. These hate groups all have their own selfish agendas and are only using religion as a way to convince people that what they’re doing is justifiable. War is not inherently a religious concept, and those who wage war in the name of religion are either victims or instigators of false teachings and corruption. It is also worth noting that the two largest conflicts in the history of the world (WWI & WWII) were not caused by religion but instead much more complex social, political, and economical issues that are present in many other conflicts (6)(7). In a hypothetical world where every human on the planet followed a religion strictly to its original teachings there would be no violence at all. The cause of so many wars is not religion itself, but a misinterpretation and misuse of religious teachings.
1. http://peaceseeds.elysiumgates.com/
2. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/religious/holywar.shtml
3. http://www.ppu.org.uk/learn/infodocs/st_religions.html
4. http://islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-rulings/5-jihad-a-misunderstood-concept-from-islam.html?start=9
5. http://en.islamtoday.net/artshow-262-3441.htm
6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/history/mwh/ir1/underlyingcausesrev1.shtml
7. http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/worldwarii/a/wwiieurcauses.htm
This is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteFor my weekly post, I will be discussing why I believe that religion has been more of a cause of global conflict, rather than the solution, using historical evidence.
The first historical event that I would like to discuss are the Crusades. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns during the time of Medieval England against the Muslims of the Middle East(1). The Crusades lasted from 1096 until 1270(1). The Crusades were predominantly fights over the religious city of Jerusalem, which is extremely important in Christian, Jewish, and Muslim faiths(1).
The wars lasted for nearly 200 years, with several separate battles in those 200 years(1). Each side believed that they were fighting in the name of their God, and that they were doing what was right for their religion. The original crusaders saw themselves as undertaking an armed mission or pilgrimage, and their “taking of the crux” (“crux” being Latin for cross) all the way to Jerusalem symbolised their vows that would only be fulfilled upon reaching their destination(1).
The second event I would like to discuss is not necessarily a global conflict, but it is one of the more important examples of religious conflict. The Protestant Reformation which took place in Europe in the 16th century, was a European movement aimed at reforming the beliefs and practices of the Roman Catholic Church(2).
The Reformation was inadvertently started by Martin Luther, a German Monk, when he posted a document titled “The 95 Theses” on a church door in Wittenburg(2). The Theses were meant to warn the Pope about the corruption within the Roman Catholic Church and allow him to change the ways of the Church and those within it. The Theses were not meant to start a religious reformation(3).
The Reformation ended a unity imposed by medieval Christianity and, in the eyes of many historians, signalled the beginning of the modern era(2). Martin Luther’s “95 Theses” spread throughout Europe, gaining adherents in the German States, the Netherlands, Scandinavia, Scotland and portions of France(2).
The term protestant, although not originally applied to the reformers, was later used to describe all groups protesting the Roman Catholic orthodoxy(2). As the hope of reforming the Roman Catholic Church faded, the protesters were forced to separate from the Roman Catholic Church, resulting in Lutheran – or Protestant, as we know them today – churches in Germany, Scandinavia, and some eastern European countries(2).
As illustrated by these historical events, conflicts rarely stem from anything other than religion, and even if the event is not based on religious disagreements, they oftentimes will find a way to tie it back to religious disagreements.
Source 1: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the_crusades.htm
Source 2 : http://www.theopedia.com/Protestant_Reformation
Source 3 : http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/Martin_Luther_95_Theses.htm
This is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteThere is no doubt that it seems like almost every problem we have is caused by religion. When missionaries came to this country they certainly brought religious hell with them. The aboriginal people of this land had a system of spiritual beliefs and the Europeans had a system of spiritual beliefs. These beliefs weren't far off each other. Each taught to be thankful for what the creator or god had made for them. Some subtle differences led to conflict (source 2). The Europeans saw a problem with native spirituality thinking it was, savage devil worship, dancing and chanting around fires. It scared them so they decided to change it. Residential schools were set up to "kill the Indian in the child" (Duncan Campbell Scott). They wanted to rid the land of devil worshippers and lead the aboriginals on a path to heaven. Children died, language and culture were lost. For generations there has been and will be damage passed from generation to generation. Was all of that caused by religion? Did the bible day to torture children wether they worship satan or not? Of course not. Religion is not the cause of conflict but misinterpretation, misappropriation, fear, and misunderstanding are the routes of conflict. Human error is to blame. Humans do awful things and hide behind something bigger then them to justify, but it is not justified. No religion justifies the evils of men. All they do is condemn them.
http://www.religioustolerance.org/sch_resid1.htm
http://lightworkers.org/wisdom/julie-miller/167961/reconciliation-native-american-indian-spirituality-vs-christian-spiritual
http://www.danielnpaul.com/IndianResidentialSchools.html
This is my weekly post...
ReplyDeleteAnything in relation to a religion is subject for argument. It has most likely been this way since the first religion. We all have our own ways we interpret things. All it takes is for one person to raise their own opinion on a matter and then find other people that see it the same way they do. Religion is something that many are serious about and even for some depending on culture can be the most important thing to them. Religion is something that causes more global conflict then it does solution.
In saying this I want to bring up some historic events that resulted in 'Holy Wars'. Wars that are driven by religion. (1) I want to mention is the Protestant Reformation that took place during the renaissance. This was sparked by one man, Martin Luther, he wrote a list of problems he saw with the Roman Catholic Church that he called the 95 Theses.(2) This saw an outbreak of people split between the two religions and hatred. Acts of violence and murder were committed on both sides. Other examples of conflicts based on religion is North Ireland vs Ireland, World War II and ISIS to just name a few.
There have been many times throughout human and religious history that has had terrible times, seeing a lot of deaths just the result of religious disagreement. Religion is important but with religion there has to come respect. For one person who may see something one way should not be harmed and allowed to take belief in whatever it may be as long as they are not against or harming someone. The times that religion has caused conflict is much greater then the times it has caused solution.
1. http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/war/religious/holywar.shtml
2. http://www.history.com/topics/reformation
This is my weekly blog post
ReplyDeleteThis week I would like to talk about the conflicts religion cause in the 1600's. During this time thousands of women were accused of being witches by the Catholic church and many died. In the Salem witch trials alone 200 women were accused of witchcraft and at least 32 died from execution or in prison.(1) These so called "witches" were called such simply because the Catholic community did not approve of them.(2) The Catholic church at the time was run by men that believed women had one job, and that was to raise children. This meant when then men felt threatened because a women knew more than them about things such as plants, the men could get rid of them by claiming they were a witch.
1) http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/expedition-week/articles/salem-witchcraft-trials/
2) http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=4005
This is my weekly post.
ReplyDeleteHumans are naturally prone to conflict. I have been verbally threatened by giant jerks for something as simple as not liking Michael Bublé's Christmas album, so really it's no wonder to me that humans have fought over something as huge as religion for so many years.
Although Michael Bublé may not, arguably, be a renowned deity, let's say that you devote your entire life to him; Michael Bublé is everything to you. And then someone comes along and says, "No, his Christmas album doesn't exist, there's only Mariah Carey's" or "No no, you haven't been listening to his Christmas album correctly, you need the extended edition" or "I don't believe in Christmas albums at all"
Naturally, Michael Bublé fans are going to get a little upset. Some Michael Bublé fans may get violently upset, some may simply accept other's Christmas Album beliefs. It all depends on THE INDIVIDUAL.
Human beings can fight over anything, be it Michael Bublé or God. But it is not their religion that causes them to do so, rather the actions and decisions that each individual chooses for themselves. But due to religious extremists, many religions get a bad reputation for causing violence. For example, as Simon mentioned, most Muslim people are viewed as terrorists for the actions of a few extremists, such as ISIS. In actuality, almost 93% of all Muslims do not support extremist views of terrorism(1).
Many people use their religious beliefs as a scapegoat for things that they themselves are uncomfortable with. In recent years, many have hid behind the bible to justify ugly acts of homophobia. In reality, it does not state anywhere in the Bible that homosexuality is a sin or should be condemned(2), in fact the most preached message of the bible is to love all others. It's easier to put the burden on religion than to come to terms with the uglier side of the human condition.
And so, though I may not like Christmas albums, I should not patronize all Michael Bublé fans; not all of them are giant jerks. Most of them are very accepting of my taste in music, as I should be to theirs.
----
1) http://encounteringislam.org/misconceptions#5
2) http://notalllikethat.org/taking-god-at-his-word-the-bible-and-homosexuality/