Religions and Violence

In 1993 the Parliament of the World’s Religions published a “Declaration Toward a Global Ethic” in Chicago. It says that one of four irrevocable directives, found in all religious traditions, is a “Commitment to a culture of non-violence and respect for life”. Reality, however, is different. Calls to violence are expressed in the Bible and in the Quran together with calls to tolerance and peaceful living together. The same ambiguity is typical of the history of Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, but not limited to monotheistic religions as it can be seen in Hinduism and Buddhism. Consequently, the ambiguity needs to be acknowledged in order to historicize and marginalize any call to violence in the religions.