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The A-Z of Believing: V is for Violence

Are religion and violence inseparable? Ed Kessler, head of the Woolf Institute, presents the 22nd part in a series on belief and scepticism

Sunday 13 January 2019 00:06 GMT
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In the UK 61 per cent of the public think religious teachings are essentially peaceful, but 70 per cent think most wars are caused by religion
In the UK 61 per cent of the public think religious teachings are essentially peaceful, but 70 per cent think most wars are caused by religion

It’s my conviction that nothing enduring can be built on violence – Mahatma Gandhi

Violence in the name of religion has been an enduring feature of religious history and life, from ancient times to the modern day. But does religion cause violence, or is it simply exploited by those who use violence to achieve their own, often political, ends?

It is a confusing picture. The latest report by the thinktank Theos shows that 61 per cent of the UK public think the teachings of religions are essentially peaceful, but 70 per cent also think that most of the wars in world history have been caused by religion. The two opinions are not necessarily contradictory but the picture is complex. To add to the confusion, the popular science author Steven Pinker argues that violence has declined over time and we are far less likely to die violently in the western world than any previous generation, yet the latest surveys show that violent crime is increasing. Stabbings in London in 2018 are at a record high and concern about violence in the USA, particularly among young people, is also at record levels.

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