Religion: Cure or cause of war?

[VermilionUK]

Take a look at several conflicts through our History and in current times:

The Crusades (1095-1291)
The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
Al-Qaeda vs United States of America + United Nations
The Conflict in Northern Ireland
The Reconquista
The French Wars of Religion

They all share similar traits - they are all, in one way or another provoked, or contributed to, by religion. Although I am in no way saying "religion causes all war", because that's simply not true - it does/has contributed to many wars/major conflicts in our history.
However, one could say that if everyone was *insert religion*, then we would have no disagreements, and thus, have no reason for war (except: greed, anger, hatred etc)
However, even if we were all one religion - Christianity, for example - then we would still have scope for war (Northern Ireland, French WoR, for example)

So here is my point for discussion: Does religion contribute (or cause) war, or is it the solution to war? OR If we were a world without religion, would we have no/less war? OR Is religion the solution to war?

[McCulloch]

Some of the wars on the OP are simply tribalism. There are some on both sides of the Northern Ireland conflict, for instance, who are agnostics.

In the case of the 30 Years War, recent scholarship has shown religion to be one of several factors.

That reminds me of a joke with the punch line, "But are you a Catholic atheist or a Protestant atheist? " Religion plays a factor in many places where you would not expect it.

[East of Eden]

Some of the wars on the OP are simply tribalism. There are some on both sides of the Northern Ireland conflict, for instance, who are agnostics.

In the case of the 30 Years War, recent scholarship has shown religion to be one of several factors.

That reminds me of a joke with the punch line, "But are you a Catholic atheist or a Protestant atheist? " Religion plays a factor in many places where you would not expect it.

Not in the joke you mentioned, unless you're saying atheism is a religion.

[Jayhawker Soule]

However, without religion, there would be no excuse to go to war over religious conflicts ...

... and without ethnicity there would be no excuse to go to war over ethnic conflicts.

... and without nationality there would be no excuse to go to war over national conflicts.

... and without economies there would be no excuse to go to war over economic conflicts.

... and, the fact remains that those societies that have declared themselves atheistic are far from exemplars of peaceful coexistence.

[mazzaroth]

well, if their god tells them to kill us.. then clearly, we need to kill them first... its all part of our nature.

[VermilionUK]

well, if their god tells them to kill us.. then clearly, we need to kill them first... its all part of our nature.

[SDAwesome]

So here is my point for discussion: Does religion contribute (or cause) war, or is it the solution to war? OR If we were a world without religion, would we have no/less war? OR Is religion the solution to war?

First of all, I think it'd be hard for anyone to even consider how the world would differ, either negatively or positively, without religion. I mean, whether or not it plays a large role in an individuals life, it does play a very large role in the world in which we all live, so large that, whether they are right or wrong, there are studies that suggest belief in a higher being is hardwired into the human brain, or at the very least, some of them. With that being said, I think that without religion, war would still be very much the same. People who dislike each other will still dislike each other, just for reasons other than religion.

According to Anthropological research (from sources which I can find if anyone wished to but have no access to at the moment), there are six indicators that a religion is likely to lead to violence.
1. Inscripturation - Believing the creator's words and messages are contained in only the believers holy text.
2. Absolute Truth - Believers believe in a dichotomous right/wrong morality system, and they believe everything and only things that are right, and everyone else believes only things that are wrong.
3. Religious Space - Certain places are more holy than others
4. Exclusivity - Believer has privileges that others don't
5. Salvation - Only believers have access to a pleasant afterlife
6. Monotheism - Monotheist societies tend to be more violent in general than polytheistic ones.
While this doesn't stand to say that religion is the cause of war, it does show that that the large religions of today's world are religions which have been shown to promote violence.

[Tharpa]

You are asking for a very precise definition of religion. This can be reduce to semantics whic is not the cause of war. Why define religion? It is not necessary, the war has to be defined because it can kill.

Hunger knows no religion and hunger is the cause of war.