Belief Systems- Do belief systems cause more conflict than peace?
A set of values that a person follows, subconsciously or un-subconsciously is a belief system. A belief system can be political, philosophical, religious, or it can relate to someone’s ideologies. It may also be all of these combined. They can be as small as believing that you give what you get, otherwise known as karma,or it can be as big as believing that there is one almighty and one devil. In other words, belief systems are simply a set of values and virtues that a person follows.
In addition, belief systems are mainly used to influence a certain community of people. Religion, the most common and largest type of belief there is, has several different origins from different parts of the world. This is the main reason why there are so many types and why they’re so diverse. It also explains how some were derived from others. Primarily, religion was created to instil peace and happiness. However, looking at more recent events, specifically ones caused by terrorist organisations, religion is severely misinterpreted and used like a tool to create terror, misery, and conflict throughout the world and on its citizens. So the question that falls upon us is, is this attempt at trying to create peace the actual cause of war?
It is important that we see both sides of the conflict- the positive and the negative aspects of belief systems and the effects that they can have on the minds of people. Research shows that by adolescence, most humans start to develop a sense of wrong and right, one that they will possibly follow for the rest of their life. Therefore, religion and other belief systems target young, vulnerable minds, no matter their purpose or cause. This is why it is necessary that we know the power and influence religion can have over us- however bad or good it may be. We must be educated enough to control what we believe in and not let what we believe in to control us.
Terror is created and spread, by the easy means of belief systems. It is almost weapon to threaten the very values of someone, which can provoke them and be extremely dangerous. Terrorism is blamed on certain religions, which is the first stepping stone of starting a conflict. Some believe that war is not caused by these beliefs or anything that could be easily pin-pointed, which leads the advocates to claim that the difference in beliefs started the controversy. This is because belief systems have such a strong base, that even mass-killings cannot uproot them. This makes it very advantageous to blame everything on a particular religion. In fact, a large number of the people in ISIS- an organisation that creates terror around the world, are said to be converts.
On the other hand, some may say that the values that are instiled due to religion are peaceful, and in light of this, how could religions create conflict? They, in turn help create a conscience as the fear of someone more powerful than anyone could imagine is too great to fathom. They were created for something to have hope in, when it is lost in every other place. To believe in something that kept them going, because the fear of the unknown was greater than the fear of the creator. But science has proved many myths and superstitions wrong and some general ideas of religion could somewhat be called olden.
Being taught violence, to be homophobic, and rape at the ages of when a child’s mind is most susceptible to be influenced without reason, anywhere around the world, can remain embedded in their brain forever. Assertions of belief systems may completely change what a child/young adult believes in and why they believe in it. A new set of beliefs will most likely change their social behaviour as well.
Around the world, many people vote for whom they think have similar morals (religious and political both). Sometimes, blind faith is put in those political figures/parties who supposedly follow the same set of beliefs that a certain group of people follow and advertising that fact makes more people vote for them (in democracies).
Not only religious or racial beliefs, but also beliefs that women are inferior to men or those that are not in the favour of the LGBTQ+ community cause conflict. Many women are frowned upon for standing up, in society and many assassinations of LGBTQ+ people or even those who support them have taken place in the past. These are majorly because of the wrong environment that people may have grown up in.
First hand, primary data taken from people around the world through a simple survey, states that most people believe that religion is one of the biggest causes of controversy,conflict and even war.
“Religion was formed to provide a guideline for appropriate behaviour. Fanaticism regarding anything leads to believing in being superior and right which ultimately results in trying to suppress others resulting in tussles and after a point in fights or war.”- Mahi Pandit, a student from India.
“There is a link (between religion and conflict). I believe religion taught in your early years of life form your belief systems and subconsciously defines your thinking. Wars are ultimately a culmination of decisions made by people in power whose thinking is influenced to an extent by their belief systems along with of course their education and political expertise. Example- Hitler and the jews , civil wars like the LTTE in Sri Lanka,”- Priscilla Reyna, a student from the United States of America.
“It's a tool to motivate people to behave as if their values systems are threatened (very defensively). There are mass sociology and psychology theories that explain this phenomena. When interpreted and propagated appropriately it could make people understand how war and violence is not the manner in which human beings resolve conflict.”- Corina Chamberlain, child psychologist, U.K.
Mahi Pandit (response one) has a very general perspective and approach on religion as a belief system and what link it may have to conflict and war. The feeling of a person’s beliefs being somehow better and superior than others which leads to them trying to control others has been talked about. This issue is actually very common and usual, that leads to trivial fights which may multiply due to the butterfly effect.
Priscilla Reyna (response two) has used examples and evidence to justify her point. She explains how belief systems may define a person’s perspectives altogether, and how that may ultimately cause war if the belief opposes another caste and it is believed by someone of a big enough influence on politics- which are ultimately also a set of beliefs.
Corina Chamberlain (response three) takes a very logical perspective towards this topic and explains how politicians or other influential personalities may use a person’s set of beliefs to provoke or instigate them when it could also be used to solve conflict. People need to be aware of manipulation caused by certain people due to what might just be a misinterpretation of what the original goal or value of the belief.
The examples above identify the perspectives of three different people from three very different parts of the globe. This data can be used to conclude that the final global approach toward this topic is very similar in like-minded, educated people.
When accumulating all of the similarities between the three voices, it can be concluded, indirectly, that religion does cause conflicts. We can say this, because our belief systems are deeply embedded in our brains at this point in our lives, that they can be both inspiring and detrimental, something that can be hard for us to fathom. People who have never been told or taught that violence is wrong and have also been blindly told to have faith in a belief system called God are more likely to be used as a weapon to create fear and terror.
In a developing country such as my own- India, a lot of people still believe in superstitions and myths that could be deemed impractical by anyone else. In countries like this, people tend to put their faith before their lives, and therefore, racial discrimination prevails. A considerable part of the population is undereducated and isn’t aware of how much control their belief systems have over them.
A lot of controversies are created over simple things like hymns chanted early in the morning by a sect of people and ones over the people as a whole, such as those who eat certain types of meat. These activities that seem normal to some, could be thought of as unholy to others. In this country, the religious sentiments of a person are far more valued than anything else.
Personally, I do believe that a lot of conflict and war is caused by certain belief systems. For example, the crusades between Islamic people and Christians, in the medieval era. They may have an indirect/direct link to a lot of the social controversy taking place. Believing in certain ideas or concepts is not wrong, as long as you know that they are your beliefs and not something that you are manipulated into believing or that has been wrongly imposed on you. Belief systems are trying to make an already dangerously connected world, become more connected. Against each other.