Every second or third Sunday I, my wife and two boys visit my mother and father for the afternoon and we have our Sunday lunch there as well; although it is almost evening by the time we sit down to eat. My father thinks he is Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen organising the cooking and the dishing up with order and authority. Woe be tide my mother or brother if they put a foot wrong when helping to get the food to the table.
Both my father and brother partake in the old tradition of the Sunday lunch drink down the local pub. Amongst their friends they debate politics, the economy and generally put the world to right whilst the alcohol slowly takes its effect.
Sometimes these weekly debates spill over to the dinner table as did happen recently. Religion was the subject of conversation and it was expressed that religion was the cause of the majority of the wars. Now I tend to jump right in with the defence of religion.
My argument is that wars are not caused by religion but by people; people who declare that they are fighting in the name of their religion. These people in my view do not grasp the basic principle of their religion, and that is one of peace.
Islam is a very peaceful religion that totally opposes violence as does Christianity.
Wars tend to be started because of somebody’s greed, lust for power or the fundamental idea that a culture or religion is the only way that nations should live their lives by and will not rest until the world falls into line. Fundamentalism, the fight for their religion or culture to reign over all others is the reason that wars are fought - in the name of religion.
Stating that religion causes war is like saying that Football Clubs cause football hooliganism. Yobs gather to fight in the name of Millwall or Birmingham City but it is not Millwall or Birmingham City Football Clubs that cause the riots; it’s the people doing so in the name of their Football Club. And in truth, are these hooligans really football supporters?
Many of them wouldn’t know the offside rule anyway.
Everybody is entitled to live and let live. Everybody is entitled to their own point of view. Forcing a way of life and beliefs onto other people is a huge reason why wars are started. Fundamentalism exists amongst all religions and yet these people refuse to see the harm they are doing to their religion, home and country.
How much motivation, inspiration and self belief is needed to create a world of peace? To be in a world where all religions, cultures and individuals can live side by side without disturbance would be an ideal dream.
How fantastic would that be?
Terry Norrington
http://www.whatisthemeaningoffaith.com
http://www.whitedovebooks.co.uk/index.htm#terryn1
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