Does religion spill blood (I)?

Does our story begin with the curse of Cain? It is a bloody tale of death, murder and torture if anything. So much blood has been shed throughout history that the whole universe could be painted red with it and there would still be plenty left over. When will man stop killing his fellow man? When will his thirst for blood be quenched?

Sometimes blood was shed in the name of honour, sometimes in the name of revenge for supposed wrongs.

Sometimes hungry hordes invaded peaceful lands in search of food, sometimes in search of world domination. But for the most part, the blood of man, created in the image of God, was shed in the name of his Creator. Religion was used as an excuse for mass murder. 

Contemplating this aspect of human nature, one wonders whether mankind is not one of the most despicable and cruel species on earth. One expects religion to teach man to be civilised, yet religion itself is stained with blood. This fact is reminiscent of the incident that took place at the time of the creation of Adam (as) described in both The Quran and the Bible. The Quran says:

And when your Lord said to the angels, ‘I am about to appoint a vicar on the earth,’ they said, ‘Will you place therein one who creates disorder and spills blood? And we glorify You with Your praises and exalt Your Holiness’. He replied: ‘I know what you do not know’ (2.31).

This dialogue between the angels and God is puzzling because no holy book pretends to prove that the angels were right. If so, why did God decline to accept their ‘advice’ and stand against the objection to His plan? It was, in fact, an objection to prophecy itself and, at bottom, to the prophethood of the Seal of the Prophets, who is Muhammad (lpbD).

The history of religion anywhere in the world, at any time, is the history of torture, repression, execution and crucifixion. It is disheartening to discover that religion, which is supposed to be the last refuge of peace in a world of war and conflict, is a cause of destruction and bloodshed. However, religion itself is not the real cause of mass murder, and it is a mistake to believe so. Religion was not given to man to induce him to kill.

When one discovers with a mixture of satisfaction and surprise that God did not give religion for this purpose, one receives a ray of hope. The Vicar of God, whose creation the angels questioned, was truly a great reformer. The religion he preached was called Islam, the religion of peace.  The question remains: why does history at first glance convey the impression that religion authorises bloodshed and murder in the name of peace? The Quran makes it very clear why a hasty glance at history can lead to such a conclusion. And it draws on the past to show that those who perpetuate brutality in the name of religion are either anti-religious or are people whose religion has been corrupted. There are also religious leaders who possess neither kindness, compassion, mercy nor pity. Let's be honest, they are hypocrites with an unbridled lust for power. They have made cruelty their norm. It would be a great mistake to associate religion with the misdeeds of such men. The only truth is that God, the Source of all Mercy, does not allow the followers of any religion to oppress His People. 

The Quran cites numerous historical examples which corroborate the above. The Quran describes how the life of the early prophets is an example of religious reform or preaching. If God had permitted physical force, then surely the founders of all religions would have approved of it. It is abundantly clear that the use of force is forbidden. The followers who came after the prophets and preached by the use of force either inherited a religion corrupted by time, or were corrupt. They used force in the name of religion, even though their religion opposed the use of force.

No dictator has ever been able to escape this logic. Historical facts confirm that the sword has never and will never rule the hearts of men. If the human body can be subjugated by force, the human soul cannot. Belief is of the heart. Human nature never changes. The innocent sentenced to death in the name of religion, by those who do not understand it, will continue to raise their voice against this injustice. They will always ask the same question: Do you want us to allow ourselves to be seized by beliefs that our intelligence has rejected? Whenever this question has been asked, the enemies of religion, all over the world, have accused the prophets of apostasy and condemned them to death. Inhuman tortures and punishments were invented.... The history of violence never ends.

Referring to the history of religions, The Quran shows that the prophets and their followers were victims of violence, victims who nevertheless patiently accepted brutality. Beyond belief, there is the fact that people who change their faith can be tortured in the name of religion; and God's prophets, who are sent to convert us, cannot accept this either, as it would render their own mission meaningless. The Quran also relates how a prophet's followers are punished for embracing the faith, not only during their lifetime, but hundreds of years after their death. God does not justify such oppression.

(lpbD) - God's peace and blessings be upon him.

(lpd) - peace be upon him.

(We will continue this discourse in the next installment: ‘DOES RELIGION SPILL BLOOD (II)?’