Quotations condemning religious rejection, hatred and violence:
"...Time and again we see leaders and members of religions incite
aggression, fanaticism, hate and xenophobia - even inspire and legitimize
violent and bloody conflicts." Excerpt from the Preamble of the
"Declaration of
the Religions for a Global Ethic"1
"Once started, religious strife has a tendency to go on and on -- to
become permanent feuds. Today we see such intractable inter-religious wars
in Northern Ireland, between Jews and Muslims and Christians in Palestine,
Hindus and Muslims in South Asia and in many other places. Attempts to bring
about peace have failed again and again. Always the extremist elements
invoking past injustices, imagined or real, will succeed in torpedoing the
peace efforts and bringing about another bout of hostility." Datuk Seri
Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Prime Minister of Malaysia, addressing the World
Evangelical Fellowship on 2001-MAY-04. 2
"Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do
it from religious conviction." Blaise Pascal 3
"..sometimes religion motivates violence, and sometimes it is
used, even manipulated, to justify violence. There also is violence
unrelated to religion that gets religiously charged because the conflicting
parties happen to be of different faiths." Rev. Shanta Premawardhana, Interfaith
Relations Director for the National Council of Churches USA 5
"The idea that a country or a people could somehow be ordained by
heaven to commit unspeakable acts in God's name is insane. Unfortunately,
history is full of inhuman acts by religious leaders in the name of their
dogma or holy war." Zain Winter. 6
"All religion isn't good. That's what we need to understand,"
Retired bishop John S. Spong. 7
...And two quotations promoting
religious rejection and hatred:
"You say you're supposed to be nice to the Episcopalians and the
Presbyterians and the Methodists and this, that, and the other thing.
Nonsense. I don't have to be nice to the spirit of the Antichrist. I
can love the people who hold false opinions but I don't have to be nice to
them," Pat Robertson, Fundamentalist Christian tele-minister. 4
"No, I don't know that Atheists
should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots.
This is one nation under God." George H.W. Bush, as presidential nominee for the Republican party; 1987-AUG-27.
1
The following information sources was used to prepare and update the above
essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.
Hans Küng, "Explanatory remarks concerning a 'Declaration of the
Religions for a Global Ethic,' " The essay includes the declaration
itself. See:
http://astro.ocis.temple.edu/
Mark Juergensmeyer, "Terror in the mind of God: The global rise in
religious violence," University of California Press, (2000).
Read reviews and/or order this book
This quote is often attributed to Sam J. Ervin, Jr., in "Protecting
the Constitution" (1984).
Pat Robertson, a Fundamentalist Christian minister, on The 700 Club,
1991-JAN-14.
"July 12 'Religion-Related Violence' Workshop to Inform Sept. 11
Dialogue in NYC," National Council of Churches USA, 2004-JUL-8, at:
http://www.ncccusa.org/