Abstract

The causal relationship between religion and violence is examined. It is argued that it is currently unclear whether or not religion is a significant cause of violence. Three types of argument relating religion to violence are then considered. It is sometimes argued that a lack of religion makes people less moral than they would be otherwise, and, therefore more inclined to violence. It is sometimes argued that religion makes people tolerant, and it is sometimes argued that religion makes people intolerant. If people become more intolerant, they can reasonably be expected to become more violent and if people become more tolerant then they can reasonably be expected to become less violent. It is sometimes also argued that religion offers forms of justifications for violence that are unavailable to atheists and that this may lead the religious to cause more violence than is caused by atheists.