What causes people to fight over religion?

People seem to fight over religion for about the same reason they fight over most things: to try to prove who is "right" and who is "wrong." And since most people feel very strongly about religion for one reason or another there may be more and/or more intense fights over religion than over most other subjects.

Another thing that adds fuel to the fights over religion is that there's no real way to prove who is right or wrong without referring to religious texts or church doctrine. (For example, those who claim that the Bible "proves" that their religion is "right" generally base their claim on either the Bible itself or their church's doctrine.)

Sometimes government or churches feel so strongly about their religion that they are moved to wage "religious" war on "non-believers." Religion is nominally the cause for many wars both past and present, but that's a different phenomenon than a fight between individuals or small groups over religion.

While sometimes people do fight over religions, sometimes what we percieve as people fighting over religion is actually more complicated. Most religions (or at least most of the most common ones) divide people up into a bunch of groups that are us-versus-them. Often these groupings run along other cultural, political, or geographical lines.

When these groups have disagreeance, for example over territory, religion may not be the cause but rather the rallying cry. The people at the top want more land/resources, so they tell the people below that this is their god's will. They must fight the heathens and take possession of what is rightfully theirs. Over time, there might be such bad blood between religious groups that they actually forget the initial reasons for the dispute. The "fact" that the other group is evil or destined to Hell anyways is reason enough to kill them.

Several people have pointed out that the human need to be "right" (and make alternative views "wrong") is an important part of the problem. Others have mentioned the tendency of religions to divide the world into "us and them". Both of these points are important when trying to understand why people fight over religion.

However, these answers don't go very deeply into the question. Why do we feel that its so important to be "right"? Why do we divide the world into us-and-them?

The answer to the first question is something like this -- our minds have the ability to form concepts: little nuggets of "knowledge" which seem to be self-contained things we can hold on to. We like concepts because they are a convenient kind of "package" for knowledge, and we can write them down, exchange them, etc. The trouble is that while they're very convenient, they also aren't very "true" -- they tend to distort reality in ways that are hard to see sometimes.

Nevertheless, we "cling" to concepts because it seems to make life more stable, predictable, and survivable: we've been tuned by millions of years of evolution to survive, and anything that seems to help is deemed important to the mind. One of the most important concepts we encounter is the concept called "myself": we imagine that there is a "me" which is entirely distinct, separate, permanent, and self-defined. Further, we imagine that this "me" is somehow identical with the concepts that it holds (e.g. "I am a Christian", or "I am a Muslim", or even "I am an Atheist").

Once the mind has identified with its conceptual self-definition, the body joins the party and brings along its millions of years of evolutionary survival instincts: fight or flight, adrenaline, protect the herd and fend off threats, etc. Thus it is that those who cling to similar concepts are seen as "part of the herd", while those who have different concepts are seen as "them", or even as potential threats.

So the heart of the matter in fights over religion (or fights over any idea) is our confusion about the nature of the concepts we form, and our tendency to identify with them, thereby unwittingly enlisting the help of the body's survival instincts on behalf of mere philosophical abstractions. It sounds so technical and abstract spoken that way, but the consequences are ferocious and horrific sometimes.

The cure for this kind of thing is awareness: becoming aware of the nature of our own thinking, our own tendency to identify with and defend those thoughts, and the nature of "ego" or self-definition. When an individual reaches a certain level of clarity about these issues, they are much less vulnerable to this tendency to get into idea-wars, because they're aware of the underlying forces and the consequences involved. This is an important part of what it means to "awaken" in life.

Nobody likes being told wrong when they firmly and blindly believe otherwise.

Some people are less tolerant, and take this to the extreme. Some are lazy, and disregard any criticism.


Personal opinion:

I myself know that there will ALWAYS be somebody wrong. It's so obvious, so permanent, that I don't consider it reason enough to argue. I can still buy you a drink if you are from a different religion and hate me, though it would be a shame if you rejected me :)

We are all wrong, that's not what's important. Debate and discrepancies will always be around, we won't, so why spend our while at a road with no end?

It's a good thing people think I'm wrong. Otherwise, we would all think the same. What's the fun in that?

I'm assuming the question is over fighting and not debating on religion. Religion's are beliefs you have that transcend all others. They are part of your lifestyle, and most state what happens to you when you die, the consequences of bad actions, and which actions are bad. People are very defensive about these things; because which belief system or religion you choose is probably the most important question that you have to anwser.

Some people feel certain religions are over zealous to other groups, or they don't like that people try to spread their religion. When people speak against someone's religion it "strikes a chord"; because, it is the most inner, personal, and important part of a person with any religion. (Of course, this depends if they are acting members of their religion.)

Also, no one likes being bashed, and sometimes religous people get bashed by people who have no tolerance. Also, they are often subjected to prejudices. So if someone says something offensive to their religion they are clearly going to protect it. However, people with prejudices may continue to "bash" them.

Also, religous people can also be rude and "bash" people who go against what their religion proclaims.Then those that disagree with them get in argument; because, they are being prejudice.

Generalizations, are thus formed toward all different types of groups, making it very hard for people to recognize the difference between an individual's actions and the behavior of a group as whole. People tend to blame the group instead of the individual, causing conflict and constant fights.

People feel very strongly about their choice of belief system. Most of us operate as if our belief systems are the ultimate truth.

One of the fundamental needs for human beings is to be right, and *be seen as being right*. Being wrong is punished, discouraged from a very early age, and is closely tied to survival.

Another fundamental need is the need to belong.

Belonging to a community which shares the same belief system and feels strongly about it and needs it to be seen by everyone as the "right" belief system leads to ganging on other individuals/communities.

Pride. Moral superiority. (our god is better than yours. and we have the guns to prove it.)The need to be right at the expense of others despite logic, reason, common sense, morals, values, culture, or politics.

Closed minds, not being open. I believe Auntie-Em meant the same by saying unyielding.

It all about money and power. Or a lack of education. Or putting your trust in the hands of a religious leader. Or being scared of the other persons dogma. All of the above. Wana bet. Did you mean being religious or organised religion.????

I only fight over religion is if one they are cocky and both me and him are in a suit and tie, And I will fight them. I probobly will lose, I am 150 wins and 450 losses but Fighting turns me on.

In my opinion, this is how we are made up of. If everything goes on smooth and everyone thinks logically, world will not exist. Since politicsis the base of religious system. Politics will collapse. Countries like pakistan, and iraqs will have no base for the political system. Americans' "In God we trust" will also collapse. There would be more chaos.

Since everybody has no same opinion, people might do what they please based on what they think is right. Therefore, religion was made in the past to control people's behavior. Law was made to those people to who would do things opposing to religion. Managing the puppets is easy. So, higher ranking people frm past used religion to control people's behavior.

Now the question is why people fight over religion? Again this is to fulfill the needs of higher ranking people who use religions to control people. Since war inflicts the real emotion on people, higher ranking people made it an agenda to make people what they say.

Men (and women) are all sinful by nature. We are all easily angered, we envy, we jealous, we lust, we are selfish, we are prideful, we are self reliant. Though many would say that they are good people, but in our hearts and minds, even when we are angry with another friend / person, that is already considered as murder in God's eyes. Even when we only lust with our eyes and heart, that is already considered as adultery in God's eyes. We are hopeless to helping ourselves become "good". Bible says, only God is good. Laws were given to men to point men to their sinful nature, but laws can't not save men from sins, but merely point out our sins. Just like a speeding limit points out our wrongs in speeding. Without the speeding limit, we won't know that we broke the law of speeding. In other words, laws are perfect, and they point out our sins (wrongs), but it gives no salvation to us (saving us). We all need a Saviour to save us from our own dreadful selfs, we can all put up an external front showing others that we are good, "holy", nice, polite, etc; but deep in our hearts, we may be harboring hatred, jealousy, lust, etc. This is something only God knows, for the Bible says, God searches men's hearts. Saviour came, Saviour's Good News given to all of us. But by our own efforts and flesh, we can not accept the truths. The Holy Spirit will help you read and see the Good News come to life in your hearts.

People in general are rotten. AS a spices we are the worse. If we were not fighting about religion it would be the walkers over the runners who both hate the people how eat twinkies. So in closing while we kill over religion we may as well destroy the air we breath water we drink and soil that give us food. God bless the human soul, let us pray

Opinions, views, theories, etc.

Well its kinda hard to explain you see some people belive in God and some dont.And people who do belive in God dont like it when people say "god is great he created the world" and people who dont belive in god are like "so?so wat if he did?"so i hope my answer helps.=D.

It's mostly ignorance.

A church is meant to connect people of one religeon to their God or belief. But many religeons worship the same God, Ei: Jewdaism, Christianity, Islam.

If you were to ask someone about their religeon, they could give you a great answer, (true or not). But they will statistically know virtually nothing about any other. So, perhaps the question should be, "What causes people to hate those they do not know?"

Because some folks just "HAVE" to be right.

WHO IS THE BEST...........SIMPLE.....

The same reason people fight over politics. its called creedence (system of beliefs). people have their own perceptions and convince others to follow them.Alot of people dont like to follow and others dont want to comprimise. thats why you must walk free. believe the religion in your heart and dont allow any one else to convince you other wise. Pray to God for knowledge and he will give you wisdom.

1. By not realizing that god is almighty
2. Not realizing the correct Religions, which often they follow, is not god but only a means to know god
3. Not believing in the karma (deeds) that has led them for their life they live now
4. Finally it may also be due to ignorance

Their own personal beliefs.

I think people fight over religion because they are religious. In the Bible, the "pharisees and scribes " were religious and thats what brought about anger and tension and jealousies toward Jesus Christ. We know He had to be nailed to "The Cross," but it was religious people that did it. I am a Christian. Now some people, and even some Christians consider that a religion, but I consider it a life style. Jesus Christ didn't die so people can have a "religion." He died that we could have "Eternal Life in HIM." Therefore, I don't argue over religion. If you want to hear about Jesus, fine... I'll tell you, but He don't want me to push Him on you. If you don't want to hear what the bible says and not what I say, fine...I will shake the dust from my feet and move on. God don't want believers arguing with others or among themselves. So, to all you Muslims, Buddhist, Mormons, Baptist, Catholics, Methodist, Pentacostals and so on. If you don't have Jesus, you don't have nothing. Quit puting a denomination on Jesus. Just do what thus say the Lord. Quit asking, "what religion are you?" NONE!! My faith is in JESUS CHRIST is yours. Therefore, don't be religious. Be walking epistles and let your light shine.