So I've been on a kick recently - listening to some of the "New Atheists" on podcasts during my commutes. One of the things that they all seem to "preach" is about the effect of religion with regard to violence and war. While I believe that religion can undeniably have an impact, it seems to me that nationalism, racism, etc. play equal or often greater roles.
I assert that the tribal nature of humans breeds violent conflicts. Religion is often used as a tool of manipulation, but I think it's more of a tribal attribute than a spiritual one.
Many of the theists that I've heard will raise this point and I think it's very fair to do so. This is another example of humans abusing religion and not necessarily a problem with religion itself. The fact that religion can be made so pliable seems to be the real source of the problem in this context.
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