Religion - Good or Bad?
Tazkira Shafat Sattar
Sheikh Shams
ELP 601
4th December 2008
Religion Causes More Harm Than Good
It’s the twenty first century. Scientists have found evidence of water on Mars, they have successfully cloned human embryos, and everyday, they are getting closer to finding a cure for cancer. Still, in a world of groundbreaking facts and evidences, where the newest discovery leaves older ones out of commission, we fool ourselves into blindly putting faith on a series of chronicles conceived during the primitive age. Religion probably started out as a result of mankind trying to explain the physical world, but then became a tool to control and oppress, a reason for bloodshed and hate. While religion may have been of great help in individual lives, on the larger scale, it has caused nothing but harm. Religion teaches us about love, forgiveness and unity, yet it is religion itself that divides the people of this world; Hindus despise the Muslims, Muslims detest the Jews, Christians loathe the Muslims. Numerous wars have been fought in history based on religious differences. The French Wars of Religion, which took place between 1562 and 1598, included both civil infighting and military operations between the French Catholics and Protestants. The Crusades on the other hand were a chain of religion driven military campaigns, conducted by most of the Christians in Europe from the eleventh century until the thirteenth century. The Crusades were mainly fought against the Muslims, even though Jews, Russian and Greek Orthodox Christians, Mongols and many other groups also had campaigns aimed against them. Its primary objective was to restore Jerusalem from Muslim rule and cease the expansion of Muslim regime. Then there was the Partition of India in 1947, which formed the two independent states of India and Pakistan. The religious ferocity and hostility it unleashed resulted in the deaths of around two million Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. Approximately twelve to fifteen
Sheikh Shams
ELP 601
4th December 2008
Religion Causes More Harm Than Good
It’s the twenty first century. Scientists have found evidence of water on Mars, they have successfully cloned human embryos, and everyday, they are getting closer to finding a cure for cancer. Still, in a world of groundbreaking facts and evidences, where the newest discovery leaves older ones out of commission, we fool ourselves into blindly putting faith on a series of chronicles conceived during the primitive age. Religion probably started out as a result of mankind trying to explain the physical world, but then became a tool to control and oppress, a reason for bloodshed and hate. While religion may have been of great help in individual lives, on the larger scale, it has caused nothing but harm. Religion teaches us about love, forgiveness and unity, yet it is religion itself that divides the people of this world; Hindus despise the Muslims, Muslims detest the Jews, Christians loathe the Muslims. Numerous wars have been fought in history based on religious differences. The French Wars of Religion, which took place between 1562 and 1598, included both civil infighting and military operations between the French Catholics and Protestants. The Crusades on the other hand were a chain of religion driven military campaigns, conducted by most of the Christians in Europe from the eleventh century until the thirteenth century. The Crusades were mainly fought against the Muslims, even though Jews, Russian and Greek Orthodox Christians, Mongols and many other groups also had campaigns aimed against them. Its primary objective was to restore Jerusalem from Muslim rule and cease the expansion of Muslim regime. Then there was the Partition of India in 1947, which formed the two independent states of India and Pakistan. The religious ferocity and hostility it unleashed resulted in the deaths of around two million Sikhs, Muslims and Hindus. Approximately twelve to fifteen
Bibliography: Emory. The Partition of India. Spring 1998. USHMM. The Holocaust. 4 Dec. 2008. Sciforums. Social advantages and disadvantages of religion. 24 Jul. 2008. Wikipedia. French Wars of Religion. 5 Dec. 2008. Wkikipedia. Crusades. 4 Dec. 2008. Netfirms. Judaism, Christianity and Islam – Similarities and Differences.