If religious leaders admit their own responsibility then they might restore some of their credibility. David Little is professor of religion, ethnicity, and international conflict, and director of the Center for the Study of Values in Public Life at Harvard Divinity School. D.C. He spoke with Beliefnet news producer Ira Rifkin about the role of religion in international conflicts. Some excerpts follow.
Religion is supposed to be about harmonious living.
The historical record of religious involvement in conflict is pretty expansive. One reason is religions do concern themselves with defending their basic beliefs and their way of life, and many religions believe the use of force is acceptable in defense of the basic elements of the particular religious tradition. So there is within the traditions a proclivity to use force, or to condone force in defense of their basic elements. Secondly, there tends to be a rather natural affinity between religion and governments. This is age-old, and it's clear in all sorts of cases.