Why is religion so contentious?

Like most things I have opinions on, my views are fairly mild. I am not rabidly excited about anything, and certainly not dedicated enough to any particular viewpoint so that I would go demonstrating, or attack anyone else for their beliefs. Religion, for me, is about your own beliefs, no-one else’s, and I am a true believer in freedom of thought, and to a certain extent, freedom of speech (I do draw the line at incitement to violence or hatred, or to persecution of anyone).

There is no reason why this planet of ours can support a multitude of religions, all living in harmony with each other. Just because I am not a Muslim, or a Catholic, or a Baptist, does not mean that I think no-one else should be, or that they should not have the right to be – which unfortunately appears to be the case with many religions. Similarly if I choose to change my religion, for whatever reason, it will not be because someone has appeared on my doorstep and “converted” me – Jehovah’s Witnesses take note – or because someone has made me do it at gunpoint, or brainwashed me, or in any other way coerced me, but it will be because I have studied that religion and believe that it more closely matches my own thoughts, or even my lifestyle.

Over the centuries of mankind’s existence on this earth how many wars have their bases in religious disputes? Usually these are the most fiercely contested wars, and the ones that last the longest as well – sheer force of numbers can usually win a territorial dispute, but you cannot defeat the religious will of a people. Religion does not have national boundaries in many cases – you do not have to live in a particular country to follow their religion, and people within the same countries often have different faiths, which can lead to civil war, probably the worst sort of war. Families pitted against families, brother against brother – sectarian violence, as in Northern Ireland, has gone on for centuries, and though peace supposedly was achieved there in 1996, it is an uneasy peace and sectarian differences still threaten that process.

In my simple mind almost all the world’s religions honour one supreme being, or god (I am deliberately avoiding using a capital G here), so whatever we call that deity we all basically believe in the same supreme being (OK I am oversimplifying as some religions have more than one deity, but they still seem to have one senior figurehead). So why do we have so many issues with this? A lot seems to be from interpretation of the teachings of this deity – we read the same text but see different meanings there. Some religions also appear more tolerant than others – preaching forgiveness, loving thy neighbour, whilst other religions believe that anyone who does not follow them is an infidel and does not deserve to live, and certainly deserves no respect. Some religions believe that killing non-believers in war will certainly guarantee you a place in “heaven” (or wherever the afterlife is), where others have the basic commandment “Thou shalt not kill”, and transgressors have less chance of attaining that higher plane.

And yet, all religions appear to be the blueprint for how you should lead your life, while honouring your “creator”. With so many differences of viewpoint it is no wonder that religion causes so much contention.