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Even though most religions are concerned with ethics, morals, and peace, worldwide persecution often is connected with religion. How and why is this so? What might be done to reduce this connection?

Reply to classmate: The responses to classmates should be no less than three complete sentences (minimum100 words) and should contain some substantive information.

#1 classmate Tayler

Each religion has things it stands for and when that goes against what another religion or group of religious individual's things can get ugly. There are times where certain groups feel like they are under attack because other religious groups disagree with the way they live. When tension builds between groups one will strike out against the other and then that begins a long line of fighting between the two groups.

According to the Huffington Post, (Link (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.) Christianity is the most highly persecuted religion in the world. Christians across the globe are persecuted for their beliefs by groups like Muslims. Christians beliefs contradict the beliefs of muslims and always have. This has caused strife between the two religious groups.

I think one way that the persecution can lessen would be by people accepting that not everyone will agree with their viewpoints (on everything, not just religion). I don't think people find it very easy to be wrong. Whether that means having someone actually tell them they're wrong or just having opposing beliefs.

#2 classmate Matthew

Many religions are not as peaceful as they seem. For instance, in the Bible, God smites entire cities, and there is genocide perpetrated in the Bible. Similarly, the Koran has many instances of violence, and almost every religion has roots in violence and persecution. The Crusades allowed

Christianity to spread so much in a small period of time, and without this persecution, Christianity would likely not be the force it is today. Over time, tension builds and builds as people become more certain in their beliefs, which leads to persecution.

To reduce the connection between religion and persecution, people need to become less fervent in their religion. To be honest, though, I don't think there is anything that can be done to make people less staunch in their beliefs. This fighting has gone on since the beginning of time; tribes fought, countries fought, religions fought.

It is in people's blood to be tribal, to find their clan. Religion can encourage problem because of the idea of a moral right or objective god who dictates right and wrong, but people are naturally divided. Of course, taking the time to meet people of different religions/ races/ genders/ whatever can help ease tensions, but millenia of human fighting and persecution does not leave me with a good outlook.