Question 12 – Aren't all wars fought in the name of God?
Yes, it is true. Many wars are indeed caused by religion. For centuries, people have sought to convince others by force that their religion is the best. Crusaders fought against Muslims, Muslims against Hindus, Hindus against Christians. All believed that they were defending the interests of their gods.
However, it is also true that many things are abused. In today's world, it is not difficult to misuse even the noblest cause or idea under the sun. A company may donate 3,000,000 crowns to charity and then spend another 5,000,000 crowns on an advertising campaign boasting about its three-million donation (inspired by reality; equivalent to a company donating $130,000 and then spending $215,000 on ads about it). A completely different example could be a kitchen knife: a very helpful tool that allows me to spread butter, slice bread, and prepare a delightful supper. But…the same knife could be grabbed to kill the first person who crosses my path. A neutral object, two different outcomes. It is therefore important to realize that the misuse of anything or any idea does not automatically mean that the thing or idea in and of itself is bad!
If we were to take this illustration to the extreme, then people rejecting faith in God due to religious wars would also have to reject atheism itself. The unpleasant reality is that perhaps over 100 million deaths in recent years were not caused by any religion (although people of various beliefs indeed took part in the killings), but rather by atheistic regimes (embracing evolutionary principles) led by the likes of Stalin, Hitler, and others [7; 8, pp. 67–68].
That path is not viable. But what of Christianity specifically, which I aim to defend here? If someone has taken up the sword in the name of Christianity (as indeed some have), how should we respond? I believe we should not focus on those who consider (or considered) themselves Christians and waged wars in the name of God. We should rather look to the source of this faith and learn what it says about warfare. If killing in the name of faith is prohibited and believers do it nonetheless, then they are not true believers! Or at least they are not following what God established. In Christianity, this source is the Bible, ultimately Jesus Christ.
Jesus Himself foretold killing in the name of God:
"Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me." (John 16:2–3)
Elsewhere, He says:
"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Matthew 5:44)
Thus, the source of Christianity prohibits the forcible imposition of faith, warfare, or even killing for His name! Jesus overcame obstacles and waged battles with love. He demands the same from His followers. It can thus be said that people kill in the name of God because they do not know Him personally. The cause of religious wars and all religious violence is often quite simply human pride, hatred, politics, and the lust for power. Religion becomes a mere excuse, suggesting that the evil deeds people commit are somehow desired by God. Yet evil remains evil, whether or not it wears a religious guise. Even if wars are likely to continue in the name of God, one day God will clearly reveal who truly belonged to Him and who merely exploited faith in God.
Jesus once told the people:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven... And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' " (Matthew 7:21, 23)
Dear reader, I have a challenge for you: Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater!
Summation
We humans can misuse almost anything we please—and if we're honest, we quite often do. Religion is just one of these victims. However, if God Himself explicitly forbids war and murder, then we cannot attribute to Him the arbitrary actions of people who do not listen to Him.