Mitchell

Ty Mitchell
Andrew Barrocas
English 1030
29 November 2014
Religion: Friend or Foe?
Religion is perhaps one of the longest lasting controversial topics in human civilization.
Countless wars, murders, genocides, and persecutions have resulted from this man-made concept
that is supposed to better society as a whole. Accordingly, this paradox warrants the question: is
religion beneficial or destructive to society? Religion is a tool of which man can appropriate his
will, whether it is to better himself and the world around him or to gain control and instill fear.
The concept is so powerful because it wields the authority of one or many irreprehensible,
omniscient beings. Conceptually, religions intentions are benevolent and philanthropic.
However, it is not a one-size-fits-all solution to mans temptations and perpetual curiosity about
his origin: for many, the concept is immensely beneficial to themselves and those around them,
but for others, the concept is a tool for destruction and control.
War is one of the most discernible destructive results of religion. Conflict between
differing ideals and beliefs festers until reasoning and acceptance are no longer options and
combative conflict erupts. Some of these include the Crusades, the Thirty Years War, Lebanese
Civil War, and the Gaza Conflict. (Addictive Lists) Of the aforementioned wars, the Gaza
Conflict is the longest lasting and bloodiest example. The conflict began shortly after World War
II when millions of misplaced Jews were granted land in Palestine, which they regarded as their
traditional and spiritual home due to the origin of their religion. (Guide: Why Are Israel and the
Palestinians Fighting over Gaza?) The native Arabic Palestinians also revered it as their home

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and did not approve of another religious group claiming it as their own. Shortly after the
allocation of land, the two sides commenced war in 1948. After the war, Arabic Egypt and Jordan
controlled Gaza and the West Bank, respectively. However, their reign was short-lived: in 1967
Israel launched an attack on these areas and gained control and hoped to end the bloodshed. After
thirty-eight years of inconsequential negotiating, Israeli forces left Gaza, which soon fell into
control of Hamas, an Arabic group that is often regarded as a violent terrorist organization.
Hamas refused to recognize Israel as their own country, which resulted in an Israeli blockade
around Gaza. Since the blockade, the two groups have launched several attacks on each other,
resulting in several thousand deaths. (Guide: Why Are Israel and the Palestinians Fighting over
Gaza?) The Gaza conflict is a prime example of two disagreeing religious populations
committing atrocities simply because their beliefs differ. In theory, each religion is meant to be
peaceful, yet minor differences have led to thousands of lives lost and enduring conflict.
A less common, yet still detrimental, consequence of religion is genocide. Genocide is the
persecution and attempted extermination of a particular group of people. The most infamous
religious genocides in history include The Holocaust, The Armenian Genocide, and The Irish
Potato Famine. (Delvin) In the case of the Holocaust, Adolf Hitler targeted the Jewish population
in Germany by use of propaganda, relocation to army-occupied ghettos, enslavement, torture,
and mass murder. His goal was to use the Jews as a scapegoat for the countrys economic turmoil
following World War I and gain the trust of the predominately-Christian German population.
(Delvin) Hitler was not exceptionally religious, however, he targeted a specific group because of
their religious affiliation and minority status. He used their religious beliefs as a tool to gain
power and persecute over six million Jews. During World War I, the Arabic Ottoman Empire,

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centered in Turkey, persecuted the minority Christian Armenian population for no reason other
than their religious affiliation. The Turks murdered the Armenian men, sent women and children
on death marches in the Syrian Desert, and injected children with typhoid fever. These heinous
crimes were committed on an entire religious group and resulted in between six hundred
thousand and 1.8 million deaths. (History.com) The Irish Potato famine was a more passive form
of genocide. The Irish had previously had troubles with their food supply and Britain helped
them maintain and survive, but this time was different: tension had built between Protestant
Britain and Catholic Ireland because of their religious discrepancies, and while hundreds of
thousands of Irish were dying, Britain stood by and did nothing. (Irish History Links) In each of
these three cases, a religious group that was in power aided in the extermination of hundreds of
thousands of a less-powerful religious group.
Aside from war and genocide, religion causes other societal problems. Differing religious
beliefs and affiliations results in dissolution of populations and consequently, segregation.
Examples of religious dissolution even exist today in America: the southeastern United States is
overwhelmingly protestant, ergo the Bible Belt, while the north and west have more diverse
religious demographics. (Summary of Key Findings) Some states in particular have a very high
concentration of a particular religion. For example, Utah is a hub for Mormonism and Maryland
was founded as a Catholic colony. (Summary of Key Findings) This religious dissolution causes a
slight disconnect between each regions respective cultures. In addition to religious dissolution,
religion often limits ones decision-making and free will. Religion often imposes restrictions to
their followers actions and consequences for transgression to deter them from mans natural
temptations. Violating these restrictions often brings judgment from society even if the violator

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does not believe in the restrictions virtue; consequently, pressure from society often prevents
people from doing what makes them happy just because they have different beliefs.
Throughout the history of religion, officials have used their holy ordinance for personal
gain. For example, the Catholic Church allowed tithing, a practice by which one could buy their
way into heaven or decrease their time in purgatory by giving the church and its officials items or
money. This is one of the Catholic Churchs most corrupt practices because it conveys the
message that one may enter heaven, even after a life of sin, if they have enough money. Tithing
led to the officials corruption; clergymen often took tithes for themselves and did not share with
the church. (Ignatius) The practice is essentially hypocritical due to its sufferance of greed and
materialism, which are both transgressions in the Catholic religion.
Despite the aforementioned faults of religion, the concept is beneficial to the majority of
religious people. Man created religion to give the masses an incentive to strive to become better
people and to explain miracles that he cannot understand. Perhaps the greatest incentive of
religion is promise of an afterlife, a concept that entertains human natures lust for immortality.
As Warren Prestidge states in his book, Life, Death and Destiny, death is one of the most
powerful threats to the human spirit: Here is the most inescapable fact of all human life: we are
headed for deathit is a powerful symbol of the frustration that threatens the human spirit. (22)
If one has no hope for a future after death, what is there to keep them from giving up on life? For
many people, the answer is religion. Some who are depressed or suicidal and have lost hope can
be cured by religion and faith in a higher power or afterlife. (Grohol) Hope for an afterlife and
an incentive to continue living is one of religions most powerful benefits and has saved
countless lives, possibly more than have been lost due to religions flaws.

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Mans curiosity is the impetus in his evolution and advancement, and religion attempts to
answer, or at least entertain, his curiosities. Throughout history man has attempted to explain
things he cannot understand by creating myths or religion. For example, the ancient Greeks did
not fully comprehend lightning, so they created Zeus, the god of thunder. In this sense, religion is
a tool of understanding phenomenon that logic or reason cannot explain, therefore, logic or
reason cannot be used to decode or explain religion. Since logic or reason cannot explain
religion, one cannot emphatically refute a certain set of religious beliefs. One of the main sources
of religious conflict stems from the fact that each person perceives everything in their own way
and provides their own interpretation of events; from different interpretations of the same event,
different beliefs result and conflict begins. However, the individuals unique perception is what
makes religion universal and relatable to all. In conclusion, mans curiosity raises questions
which religion uniquely answers for each individual.
Ultimately, religion is a tool that holds the power of individual perception that anyone
can use for whatever purpose they please, whether it is benevolent or malevolent. Religion is
neither good nor bad; the results of its use are dependent on the users intent. Within religions
essential purpose (to try and understand incomprehensible things) arises its essential downfall:
individualism. As long as there is religion in the world, conflict will exist. However, a world
without religion is a world without unique expression of individuals beliefs and perceptions.
Man created religion to conciliate his instinctual curiosities, and religion will remain, despite its
many pitfalls and exploitations, until man permanently reconciles his insatiable inquiries as to
how or why he exists.

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Works Cited
Addictive Lists. "10 Biggest Religious Wars Ever Fought - Addictive Lists." Addictive Lists.
N.p., 2 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Delvin, Mike. "10 Atrocious Genocides In Human History - Listverse." Listverse. Listverse, 3
May 2013. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
Grohol, John M., PSY.D. "Can Religion or Spirituality Help Ward Off Depression?" Psych
Central.com. World of Psychology, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
"Guide: Why Are Israel and the Palestinians Fighting over Gaza?" BBC News. BBC, 27 Aug.
2014. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.
Irish History Links. "The Irish Famine Was Genocide." The Irish Famine Was Genocide. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
Ignatius, Mary. "Catholics/Tithing." Catholics: Tithing, Catholic Encyclopedia, Newadvent. N.p.,
15 Apr. 2007. Web. 01 Dec. 2014.
Prestidge, Warren. Life, Death and Destiny. Auckland, N.Z.: Resurrection Pub, 1998. 22. Print.
"Summary of Key Findings." Statistics on Religion in America Report. Pew Forum, n.d. Web. 29
Nov. 2014.
Www.history.com. "Armenian Genocide." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 28
Nov. 2014.

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