Religion and Violence Essay examples - 1081 Words

Conflict and violence is around us throughout the world and the mass media has made a huge impact of what we think of violence and the relation to religion, especially in the last couple of years. In addition violence has been considered as being part of human nature and comes from our biological structure of aggression. It is an out let for us to relieve stress levels and some believe that it can be a device of vengeance and a positive mechanism to human survival. For example it is a system for the survival of the fittest and reproduction. Another way that we can look at it on a different spectrum is the way religious beliefs utilise non violent mechanisms that try to diminish the impacts of aggressive behaviour. When we think of religion†¦show more content†¦Historical theories of violence have been part of human and animal sacrifice. Rene Girard has been the most influential to this theory and believed that violent sacrifice is â€Å"the ritualized killing of a living b eing channels the groups innate violence and renders it harmless. Violence is inherent in the religious act because violence as a threat is innate in humans, and religion offers a symbolized way to domesticate and defuse it† . Violence is throughout the traditions of religions and in biblical text of many of them. Violence can range in scale from self harm to destruction of a state or country. This idea about sacrifice has been very much an influence on Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism. Because before these three religions became distinct there was a period of time in India called the Vedic period and was known as the Indus Valley civilisation. The civilisation believed in sacrifice in rituals. What changes this belief system was the influence of On the opposite scale of violence or religious violence there are non violent religious traditions that believe that harming others is a destructive thing. However â€Å"Virtually every religious tradition contains some sort of injunction against taking human life†. This is because violence is justified through scripture or belief. Juergensmeyer states that non violence can be put into three categories. One of the most prominent religious traditionsShow MoreRelatedReligion : Abrahamic Religions And Violence2836 Words   |  12 PagesJacob Hane Ms. Houle English 9H-3 May 7th 2015 Abrahamic Religions and Violence On, February 25, 1994, an armed Israelite, Baruch Goldstein, entered into a mosque in Hebron and open fired into a group of Muslims during their holy month of Ramadan. Goldstein, baring a Galil assault rifle and training from the Israeli army, killed twenty-nine muslims and wounded countless others (Wiles). His actions later inspired riots throughout the streets of Hebron, which resulted in approximately sixty deathsRead MoreReligion As An Excuse For Violence1270 Words   |  6 Pagesall religions around the world are based on a belief. Almost every religion have certain rules and principles that order together within a society: Many people misunderstand and misinterpret the holy texts the Bible, Quran, Torah, and others fabricate. Religion is defined as faith to a higher being who one believes has created us. It has also been used as laws through history to stop the committing of crimes. In many religions, the consequences of breaking rules and regulations of the religion areRead MoreIslam : A Religion Of Violence1885 Words   |  8 PagesThe Refuting of Islam being born a Religion of Violence There are those in the world that maintain that Islam is a religion born of violence, but many scholars, including Timothy Rowe and William T. Cavanaugh, maintain that Islam was not a religion born of violence instead a religion that was born into a violent culture. This thesis by both scholars allows for the interpretation of Islam that looks not only at the actions of today, but also at the historical foundations of Islam from its birth inRead MoreIslam Is A Religion Of Violence1965 Words   |  8 PagesIn the article â€Å"Islam Is a Religion of Violence†, Ayaan Hirsi Ali discusses the long-debated question of whether Islam is a religion of violence or peace. Islamic terrorism was brought to the forefront of American and Western awareness on September 11, 2001 with the crash of the twin towers. More acts of terrorism committed by Muslims followed throughout the years in different parts of the world. To understand the cause of Islamic terrorism, Ali divides its adherents i nto three categories: the fundamentalistsRead MoreViolence and Religion Essay582 Words   |  3 PagesViolence is an ever present dark cloud that blots out the sun; a stifling hand over the mouth of the victims of society. The word violence, when looked up in a dictionary, has a list of varied definitions, and for a good reason. Violence comes in many different shapes and sizes. A definition that best covers the idea is: any act that show aggression or is intentionally done in the intent of hurting someone. Now this covers the idea of physical, emotional, and mental harm. Violence is a highly controversialRead MoreViolence, Religion, Or Past Experiences1158 Words   |  5 PagesCulture violence intersect in many different situations both through direct and indirect contact. The two can be observed in multiple settings but I am going to focus on the violence that occurs within Intimate Relationships, particularly between a man and woman, and how women assume the role of the †˜submissive’ partner. I will talk about how different cultural feelings, religions and exposure to intimate partner violence can be an example of culture and violence intersecting by observing the threateningRead MoreReligion As A Primary Force Of Violence1762 Words   |  8 Pagesmodern society consider themselves a certain religion. Within this religion they believe that all human beings who are apart of that religious community are sacred, in and of themselves, because they share a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices as well as worship the same God. It can be argued according to Mark Juergensemeyer, author of â€Å"Terror in the Mind of God.† that religion has a natural affinity to violence. That is why, even though religion began the division of humankind, the religiousRead MoreBuddhism : A Religion Of Peace And Non Violence1185 Words   |  5 PagesNirvana. Even though there are many sects of the Buddhist faith, this essay focuses on the shared pe ace practices and beliefs Buddhism promotes, especially the concept of inner peace through reflection. Buddhism is known widely as a religion of peace and non-violence, though there are outlying examples contrary to the point such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and etc., the concept of achieving inner peace and living harmoniously no matter what views one has can promote a positive society. Read MoreReligion And Violence Is Currently One Of The Most Recurrent1623 Words   |  7 PagesReligion and violence is currently one of the most recurrent themes authors write about due to the numerous terrorist actions that consistently occur. These incidents raise multiple questions that the authors of the articles tried to answer by treating different aspects that intersect with religion and violence such as politics and terrorism. The authors of these articles share a lot of ideas and assumptions while simultaneously disagree on others and try to explain certain aspects differentlyRead MoreThe Role Of Politics, Religion, And Violence In The Metamorphoses By Apuleius1828 Words   |  8 Pagesthe roles of politics, religion, and violence during this era by to uncover how each played into shaping life and society in ancient Mediterranean civilization. Violence has been a mainstay in humanity for as long as it has existed, and it manifested itself in ancient Mediterranean history in a variety of ways. In the ancient world, especially, violence was both brutal and ubiquitous. It was how empires were forged and it was how they fell. It is worth noting that violence in this time was almost