Many wars have been fought with religion as their stated cause, and with peace as their hoped-for end.
What follows is a very brief summary of what the world’s major religions say about war – and peace. Of course, religious beliefs are often complicated; individuals and groups within each religion have different views and religious affiliation is often closely associated with partisan emotions.
A summary can only give a very limited picture. But it can open a door to understanding the links between religion and war.
War: wrong, just or holy?
Put simply, there are three possible views of war that a religion might adopt.
The pacifist view: all violence and killing is wrong.
Belief in a ‘Just War’: some wars, at least, are right because they are perceived to be in the interests of justice – and should therefore be fought according to just rules.
Belief in ‘Holy War’: the G
Want to see the rest of this article?
Would you like to see the rest of this article and all the other benefits that Issues Online can provide with?
- Useful related articles
- Video and multimedia references
- Statistical information and reference material
- Glossary of terms
- Key Facts and figures
- Related assignments
- Resource material and websites