Throughout history, religious beliefs have provoked some believers into violence. (See Religion.) Religion, a term sometimes used interchangeably with faith, is commonly defined as belief concerning the supernatural, sacred, or divine, and the moral codes, practices and institutions associated with such belief. ...
Examples:
Hinduism: murder of those suspected of killing a cow, 2002. "The dalits were reportedly sighted skinning a cow, but the local Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rumour mill, in collusion with the police, spread the word that the dalits had slaughtered the cow (The Indian Express 17-18 October 2002). Within three hours, a mob – of four to five thousand according to the police – gathered near the police station where the dalits were sheltered, pulled them out, burnt two of the them alive and lynched the other three with stones and sharp implements." (Source: Himal Magazine (http://www.himalmag.com/2002/november/perspective_2.htm))
Christianity: murder of those who provide abortions and their employees and volunteers, 1998. "A bomb has ripped through a US abortion clinic, killing an off-duty police officer and critically injuring a nurse." (January, 1998) (Source: BBC article, Policeman dies in U.S. abortion clinic bomb (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/51722.stm)
Christianity: extermination of the Cathars, 1209 - 1229. This is the origin of the quotation, "Kill them all: let God sort them out." (loosely translated), by a Catholic Bishop. See Heresy, Albigensian Heresy, Albigensian Crusade
This article is a stub. Please feel free to add commentary or other examples. Going back in time would be a good sort order. --Monado 02:13, 11 Apr 2005 (UTC) Abortion, in its most common usage, refers to the voluntary or induced termination of a pregnancy, generally through the use of surgical procedures or drugs. ... Heresy, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, is a theological or religious opinion or doctrine maintained in opposition, or held to be contrary, to the ‘catholic’ or orthodox doctrine of the Christian Church, or, by extension, to that of any church, creed, or religious system, considered as orthodox. ... The Albigensian Crusade (1209-1229) was a 20-year military effort initiated by the Roman Catholic Church to crush the heretical sect of the Cathars in southern France. ...
In most instances, serious religiousviolence is perpetrated by individuals belonging to social groups whose religious zeal and conviction exceed that of an average member of the wider society, although milder forms, such as verbal abuse or ostracism, can be habitually practiced by larger communities.
The range of religiousviolence is varied, and in its more serious forms it often involves illegal means (although in some instances, the use of religiousviolence can be sanctioned and even undertaken by the government), such as physical abuse and vandalism, and in more extreme cases, torture or murder.
Religious terrorism is one form of religiousviolence; the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center are thus an extreme example of religiousviolence.
A common convention for establishing the chaplaincy role of religion is the presence of a clergy at a funeral for a victim of violence as with Mr.
Though a religious dimension has always been present in the historic genre of vampire films, in the hands of Francis Ford Coppola, the religious motivation is heightened and even plays a central role at the beginning of the film in the story of Vlad the Impaler's conversion from Christian crusader to Dracula.
In either case, violence is compatible with religious faith and thus viewers are habituated to violence as "natural" and "right." Either American religion as a whole has failed to challenge our culture to shun violence or else popular film is unable, unwilling, or uninterested in portraying that challenge.
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