by Noel Mcgivern

Created on: May 17, 2009   Last Updated: December 15, 2010

Unlike many who will read  this I have known the terrible effects of religious violence. I grew up in Northern Ireland where a conflict between two parts of Christianity caused the death of three and a half thousand people. At nineteen, I chose to leave the place of my birth because I did not want to be defined by membership of either of the religions of that place.

Northern Ireland may seem like an extreme example but spin a globe and you will find region after region where religious conflict has spun into violence. The question which needs to be asked is why should religions, which have concepts such as love and peace, at their heart, be the source of so much conflict? I intend to explain how the problems found in religions, in unstable societies, are simply a magnification of those problems found in stable societies.

Religious faith goes to the heart of the human psyche. For those with a strong commitment it defines their identity and purpose in life. Religions' potential for deep harm, arises not from the doctrines at the heart of it, but from the intensity of commitment it inspires.

To have a religious faith is have a worldview which is opposed from many sides. If people disagree with us over music or sport, it might be annoying, but they are not questioning our very identity. When our identity is challenged our response is often to cling more tightly to it. In a more unstable society that threat can become perceived as life threatening. In a more stable society it often leads to religious attitudes spilling into political and social views.

When a deeply held viewpoint is threatened, taking actions in line with it, and making outward demonstrations of our belief, provides us with a feeling of re-enforcement. The more threatened we feel, the more likely we are to seek refuge in the company of fellow believers. From them we will find a re-assurance of the rightness of our views. This process has the effect of segregating society. Children are sent to religious schools and adults increasingly mix in social circles made up of fellow believers.

Where these groups have viewpoints which differ sharply from other groups in society, conflict is inevitable. An obvious example is the arguments over evolution in the United States. The process of division here is the same as in less stable societies. The difference is that in less stable societies, where religion is often not the only source of division, the conflict is more likely to be expressed through physical

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