Is religion responsible for our wars?

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6. i agree that religion is rarely the CAUSE for the war, but it doesn't get off the hook so easily

religion often plays a large role in getting others on board, arousing the passions, enforcing commitment, etc.

the king may want the war for wealth, but that doesn't motivate the peasant to risk his life. that's where religion comes in, as a tool leaders can (ab)-use to serve their non-religious agenda.

then there's also atrocities that may happen in the context of war. wwii was motivated primarily by nationalism and economic resentment rather than religion, but you can't have an attempted genocide against an entire religion without thinking religion was a factor.

then again, hitler's rise to power was fueled in part by religious considerations, as anti-semitism played a key role. one could argue that he wouldn't have become dictator (and therefore wwii might not have happened, at least not in europe) had it not been for religion. i'm not sure i'd go that far; i think hitler would simply have used some other form of manipulation had anti-semitism not proven as popular and effective as it did. then again, i suppose we'll never know....