Picture (above): Symbols of the World's Religion. Can you recognise some of them?
Conflicts and violence are everywhere in our world. This is evident in almost every form of news media that you see daily - from newspapers to the Internet. We read about the on going war against terrorism in the Afghanistan, acts of terror in Mumbai, fighting between rebels and government troops in Libya just to cite a few examples. From Kosovo to Kashmir, there are many reasons for these conflicts and violence. Some blamed political ideology, civil or social injustice, poverty and even religion. Yes, even religion is a source of conflict in our world today. Throughout the ages, religions have been known to be discriminatory, it breeds stereotypes and it divides. It judges people and it motivated wars and even promoted violence. There are long track records of religious violence that are too bloody and public to deny.
But we know from the study of the history of different cultures that religion has always been a very important aspect of people's lives. Religion heals; it guides, it unites, and gives people a sense of purpose or direction. It builds inner peace, and promotes compassion or charity to the poor and needy. It is easy to look into religious conflicts today and propose that if we take religion out of the picture, we would no longer have them. But people are often passionate about their beliefs. There is never an easy solution, as we cannot simply remove it out of the social fabric of their lives. So can we use a different approach, like investing in religion as a solution to conflicts instead? Such approach often takes much courage and creativity.
EXERCISE:
Is religion a necessity in our World today? Explain your answer in 3-4 sentences in the comment box below. Remember to include your Class and Register Number.
