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Love, Religion, and Nonviolence (Pt. 3)
Or the lack thereof…
Where we have been; where we are going…
We have spent considerable time discussing religion, love, and nonviolence.. We have demonstrated that — at least at the level of rhetoric — religion is about love and that, as people like Martin Luther King made clear, that stance is inconsistent with violence. We have demonstrated that people in general gravitate towards religion We could point out lists of martyrs over the millennia who decided they would rather be killed than to kill.
Yet there is so much violence in the world. Hate, war, violent talk from our politicians. Yet, we must ask if things are really getting worse. Some researchers respond with a resounding no.
Recent statistical investigations show that the deaths due to war declined dramatically over the past 30 years. The trend really began 1910–1950. It may not seem so watching the evening news, but it is the case. (source)
Yet, it seems that, at least in the West, interest in religion is declining. But not for some people. And most people still cling to some kind of faith. I understand the enigma. People prefer peace to violence yet, religious leaders are among MAGA’s most vocal proponents. It’s discouraging. Folks seem to get the higher idea of peace, love…
