Myths About Religious Violence: Common Errors & Misconceptions
Given how complex religion typically is, it's not a surprise that religious violence itself can also be a very complex phenomenon. Too often, though, people trying to explain or discuss religious violence try to simplify it too much and thereby create myths, misconceptions, and misunderstandings about what's really going on. This only impedes understanding and developing solutions. Recognizing some of the most common myths spread about religious violence will help your discussions about it.
If the Holocaust Descended from Medieval Christianity, Why No Medieval Hitler?
Critics of Christianity and the history of Christian violence commonly point out the massive death toll of the Holocaust, arguing that it was largely a product of centuries of Christian anti-Semitism. Defenders of Christianity usually try to argue, incorrectly, that Hitler and the Nazis followed an atheist, anti-Christian ideology which was resisted by Christians and Christianity. This closely associated myth claims that if they were produced by Christianity, they would have appeared sooner.
Critics of Christianity and the history of Christian violence commonly point out the massive death toll of the Holocaust, arguing that it was largely a product of centuries of Christian anti-Semitism. Defenders of Christianity usually try to argue, incorrectly, that Hitler and the Nazis followed an atheist, anti-Christian ideology which was resisted by Christians and Christianity. This closely associated myth claims that if they were produced by Christianity, they would have appeared sooner.
Myth: Religious Violence is Not Really About Religion, Religious Beliefs
The large amount of religious and religion-fueled violence in the world today and throughout history creates a serious problem for religious believers: how can they claim that their religion is a source for morality and social order when so many people are killed in its name? One tactic is to claim that many examples of 'religious' violence are not in fact about religion at all. The blame lies with politics, nationalism, economics, and other factors. Religion is thus cleared of any blame.
The large amount of religious and religion-fueled violence in the world today and throughout history creates a serious problem for religious believers: how can they claim that their religion is a source for morality and social order when so many people are killed in its name? One tactic is to claim that many examples of 'religious' violence are not in fact about religion at all. The blame lies with politics, nationalism, economics, and other factors. Religion is thus cleared of any blame.
Myth: Religious Extremists Hijack True Religion, Give Religion a Bad Name
A popular way to define religion, as well as other complex concepts, is to identify an 'essential' feature and say it is the defining characteristic. There are many problems with this, not the least of which is how it overly simplifies complex issues. Even more significant flaw is how it encourages people to improperly exclude from a concept anything deemed inconvenient. In religion, for example, people will deny that something is part of "real" religion whenever they don't like it.
A popular way to define religion, as well as other complex concepts, is to identify an 'essential' feature and say it is the defining characteristic. There are many problems with this, not the least of which is how it overly simplifies complex issues. Even more significant flaw is how it encourages people to improperly exclude from a concept anything deemed inconvenient. In religion, for example, people will deny that something is part of "real" religion whenever they don't like it.