Religious Riots - Criticism of Religion As Being Violent

Criticism of Religion As Being Violent

Tanner asserts that many who have no particular religious beliefs would even argue that violence is a highly likely if not inevitable consequence of the "irrationality" of religious precepts. Similarly, Hector Avalos argues that religions claim "scarce resources" for themselves over and against other groups. Consequently, this may lead to violence because conflicting claims to superiority are based on unverifiable appeals to the supernatural which cannot be adjudicated objectively.

Some general critics of religion and polemics such as Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins go farther and argue that religions do tremendous harm to society in three ways:

  • Religions sometimes use war, violence, and terrorism to promote their religious goals,
  • Religious leaders contribute to secular wars and terrorism by endorsing or supporting the violence, and
  • Religious fervor is exploited by secular leaders to support war and terrorism.

Amartya Sen adds that political leaders frequently use religious differences to initiate or perpetuate violence:

"Although the wars were ostensibly initiated to counter terrorism, religious differences are stressed just as often by American politicians and pundits as the reasons to continue the violence."

Read more about this topic:  Religious Riots

Famous quotes containing the words criticism, religion and/or violent:

    Of all the cants which are canted in this canting world—though the cant of hypocrites may be the worst—the cant of criticism is the most tormenting!
    Laurence Sterne (1713–1768)

    The religion of England is part of good-breeding. When you see on the continent the well-dressed Englishman come into his ambassador’s chapel and put his face for silent prayer into his smooth-brushed hat, you cannot help feeling how much national pride prays with him, and the religion of a gentleman.
    Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)

    It was a cruel city, but it was a lovely one, a savage city, yet it had such tenderness, a bitter, harsh, and violent catacomb of stone and steel and tunneled rock, slashed savagely with light, and roaring, fighting a constant ceaseless warfare of men and of machinery; and yet it was so sweetly and so delicately pulsed, as full of warmth, of passion, and of love, as it was full of hate.
    Thomas Wolfe (1900–1938)