The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #117438   Message #2530061
Posted By: Little Hawk
02-Jan-09 - 06:57 PM
Thread Name: BS: Atheists: No 'so help me God'
Subject: RE: BS: Atheists: No 'so help me God'
No, skipy, you are mistaken. What is responsible for most wars is hunger for land, money, and resources...domination of commercial markets...that sort of thing. It all comes down to money and power. People start wars to acquire more money and power. Religion is just a handy superficial propaganda thing that they use to motivate the fighters (if the fighters happen to be religiously inclined).

For example: The Nazis made much use of Christian religious messages to inspire their troops, reminding them frequently that the Soviets were "godless Communists". This had a good deal of effect in motivating German soldiers to kill lots of Russians and to fear them also, but religion was not the essential force behind Naziism. The essential force behind Naziism was a German hunger for physical expansion of the German state and its valuable holdings and power in the world.

I could list many more examples, but why bother? I doubt you'd be inclined to listen, as it wouldn't serve your specific agenda.