In the know with Father Joe
Dear Father Joe: My friends say religion is the cause of all the world?s problems. What do I say to them?
It?s great to get an opportunity to answer this question. It pops up a lot in various forms and has often become a throw-away response, given without thought as to whether or not it?s true.
With that in mind, I want to offer a brief look at some statistics (stick with me!) on war, and then dive right into what I feel may very well be the problem. Why are we starting with war? Because, in my opinion, it?s the best example of why the statement, ?Religion is the cause of all the world?s problems? doesn?t hold up when we take a deeper look. War is the biggest scourge on our planet, and it?s often what I find people are talking about when they make the statement that religion is the world?s biggest problem.
With that in mind, let?s look to The Encyclopedia of Wars, a massive set of reference books concerning war throughout human history. According to this source, there have been 1,763 wars on record. Of them, 123 are classified as having a religious cause. This accounts for a touch less than 7 percent of all wars in our history being religious in nature. So, how does it happen that ?Religion is the cause? becomes such an acceptable lie to propagate? Because it?s simple and quick. We are too concerned with quick summaries than actual knowledge. It?s a sweeping and fast statement that most don?t know how to argue.
If you have the opportunity, go to your local church and ask what they are doing to help people and I think you?ll be shocked. You?ll probably find that your church feeds a lot of people, helps folks who stop in and need things, takes care of children in trouble, visits folks in prison or the hospital
