Poll: what causes more fights

[EmperorDude]

You should have offered 'Religion and Politics' as a choice because the two are so intertwined they very hard to seperate from one another. Really war is an extension of politics, when a governments goals and objectives cannot not be fulfilled by peaceful means war is used to acheive those objectives. Religion shares blame because in almost every war to have broken out it has always been to rally the people to the cause (and in the middle ages the chruch was the law so it is directly to blame for the murders of all those 'heretics' that died in those times rather than being one motivator among many others.)
Religion is just a way for the ruling elite to control its populace. Almost no country fights and has their dominant religion telling its flock 'we are wrong. This war is cursed by god and we must stop it now'. Which American christian group is the most powerful? The one telling its followers that all muslims are evil minions of the devil. The only cases I know of when religion wasn't in tune was when their government was atheist (Soviet Union anyone?).
Faith on its own isn't dangerous, usally, but offer it a seat at the ruling table it turns deadly pretty quickly.
Edit: Oh nevermind about religion not going along with atheist governments. I just remembered that the pope alive during the holocaust actully knew about it and never came out against it or say anything. Correct me if I am wrong though.

 

[Danny Ocean]

I would agree with religion triggering more wars with one alteration - I believe it's more people in power manipulating religion to their own purposes. It's like the "guns don't kill people, people kill people" argument on a grand scale.

EDIT: Why isn't "money" up there?

Exactly.

 

[Syphonz]

i know this was said a little far back but...

The AK47 doesn't start conflicts, it 'solves' them .

 

[DARKLARK]

where is the chioce tyranical mad men that threaten the world and cause genocide and then are thympathized by from Democrat dick sucks? Im talking to you Darth Mobius

 

[Whoolpurse]

I think money causes more fights but religion causes bigger wars.

 

[syrinx black]

Haha this thread has kind of turned into something else. Instead of saying what things cause more arguing and disagreement people have started bashing religion.

In regards to what causes the most arguing between individuals I would have to go politics and religion. Most of my friends consider themselves "militant atheists" which to be completely honest is just as annoying as them being fundamentalist Christians. If anyone shows even remote signs of religious belief or spirituality even if they are keeping it to themselves and not trying convert anybody then my friends will proceed to badger them and try to rip their beliefs into shreds.

As for politics, I am interested in it and love to talk about it however with people I don't know too well I generally try to steer clear of it. If someone who doesn't know me too well starts a conversation about politics and I must continue it, it generally ends with one big shitfest. I am a left wing libertarian that believes in getting rid of the banks and quite a few of my friends are right wing conservatives, so there are obvious issues. I try to not let my views regarding religion and politics get in the way of friendships etc, I certainly don't try and force it down peoples throats.

As for what causes the most wars and large scale conflicts- money, politics and religion. Scratch that, at the root of all of those is power and control. In the end large scale conflicts happen because people want to have more power. They either want to pull all the strings and get everything their way, or they believe something someone else has done is a threat to their power.

 

[John Galt]

I think it's money that causes most war. As much as I hates me some theists, I can't allow myself to be so naive as to believe that people generally act on ideals rather than greed.

Think about it. What is the one thing we get out of wars? We get territory, power, and resources which pretty much translate directly into money. The Romans built their empire not through religious desires, but through ambition for power and wealth. The Mongols didn't have a priest exhorting them to rape and pillage, but they just wanted something to you know, rape and pillage. Why did the Spanish exterminate the Mesoamericans? Religion was only a front for that and they knew it. They just wanted gold.

The American Revolution and Civil War were ignited due to differing opinions on how money should be made and distributed. In the former, the colonists wanted economic independence and in the latter, the South wanted cheap labor.

While political differences do incite some wars (WWI for example), those ideologies are driven by the quest for power which in modern times is quantified in money. Why did Hitler want a new Reich? Because the German economy had been raped after WWI and war seemed like a great way to get the people pumped up. Sure there were some bits about the Jews and Commies but remember why he hated them, they were a threat to the people's wealth.

The United States didn't have to get involved in either World War, but I am of the opinion that the banking establishments were directly responsible for US involvement. Face it, there are plenty of chances for profiteering in war. For instance: The United States government is forced to borrow funding from the Federal Reserve. This is done at an interest rate, thus netting the semi-private bank a profit. In wars, greater and greater resources are required to fund military campaigns, therefore producing greater profit.

Now, take a look at the current conflict in Iraq. While they may or may not have possessed WMDs at the time of the invasion, it was a pre-emptive strike. This wasn't done for the idealistic reasons of "spreading democracy", no it was at best an attempt to prevent damage to US property and at worst just another excuse for war profiteering.

Don't get me wrong, I can't stand organized religion, but it is the will to power that motivates people's worst actions. Sure, there's some bearded man with a Koran plotting my death right now, but I think that you could placate him should you just thrust a pile of money in his direction.

 

[bread golem]

I say religion, for if it wasn't for religion, what excuse would they have for the crusades, the inquisition, the holocaust, the middle east war, Vietnam, etc. "They said that their god could kill our god! lets kick their ass, who's god's better now!?! BIATCH!" thats why I'm atheist!

Are you kidding? Vietnam? Vietnam was about stomping out communism and controlling the region. Religion didn't factor in, unless communism is suddenly a religion and not an socioeconomic model now. The Vietnam war was really just a physical extension of the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union.

As for your question, they would have found another excuse to harm others. It's human nature.

Two excellent posts - obviously a man (or woman) of intelligence and learning.

Which one? Because, Me, being the first to post is a man... as for the other, I don't know...

 

[Lord Krunk]

Religion. Easily.

 

[ike_luv]

If we REALLY look into it Religion starts nothing!! It is just fuel to the fire! People can USE religion and manipulate people into believing it is religion! Are we in Iraq because of religion? No! Are we REALLY going to believe 9/11 happened because of religion? No!

It's just easy to throw the blame down because as long as something's to blame we don't care. If it was religion at war, why is it only politicans, and armies at war, not the mosques and churches!! Once again, we forget who's REALLY in charge!

 

[Church256]

Religion. More wars have been started due to this than anything else (I think).

 

[dukeh016]

Politics is the mechanism of war. Religion is often an excuse to facilitate such conflicts, but I would view it skeptically as the cause.

 

[LewsTherin]

Religion is sadly (and ironically) used as a scapegoat for countries just outright bugger all hating each other.

EDIT: So, politics

 

[Mistah Kurtz]

Why do all of you left wingers think that religion is the root of all evil? Give me a break. Almost every modern war has had nothing to do with religion whatsoever. World war 1/2? Persian Gulf war? American civil and revolutionary wars? You lefties need to stop acting as if religious people are the devil.

 

[FrankDux]

If booze was in there, which I think it should be, I would vote for that.

 

[Mr. Squirrel]

You lefties need to stop acting as if religious people are the devil.

Meh not really the devil more like his minions or something. Part about the devil is actually pretty ironic since anti-religious people don't really believe in the devil

 

[rossatdi]

Most fights ever are about resources, often disguised as political or religious.

 

[Death Magnetic]

More fights because of race, more wars because of religion.

 

[Solo508]

Its either religeon or money.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Money,
So they say,
Is the root of all evil too-day...