Not In God's Name Analysis

Violence, it has been a main tool in the Christian arsenal since the middle ages. From the Crusades to the Inquisitions of Spain, violence is ever prevalent. Even in this day and age, intolerance and violence continue to be preached. But is this violence an instrument of God or man? Is violence an inherent part of this religion? Some would say that it is indeed built in to the very fabric of its being. The Old Testament is full of the smiting of infidels and those who defy God. The Book of Revelations tells of the violent and fiery demise of this entire planet. There are instances of mass genocide, the killing of innocent children, holy wars, you name a violent act and God has called for it. The story of

In her book, Immaculée Ilibagiza shares the power of faith in God through her moving experience of the Rwandan genocide. God saved her life for a reason. “He left me to tell my story to others and show as many people as possible the leading power of his Love and Forgiveness” (208-09). Her book proves that “with God all things are possible”. Her objective is not to give a historical account of Rwanda and/or of the genocide. She gives her own story. She attests that through God’s help, forgiveness is possible – even to those who killed her parents. Her book is meant to help people to let go of the chains of hatred and anger, and be able to truly live in God who is love. Left to Tell is a breathtaking book that proves the fact that “the love

Throughout history, instances of genocide, mass murder, and extreme acts of violence are widespread and pervade through every culture and society. As demonstrated by Panh, Lifton, and O’Brien, similar examples of excessive violence can occur in widely different situations. In order for such violence to occur, there first must exist certain systematic factors. In this paper, I will argue that conditions of instability within a country allow for changes in belief and perception, and these changed perceptions leads to dehumanization and the loss of human rights. The Holocaust, the Cambodian genocide and the Vietnam War, all follow this pattern to some extent. First, I will compare and contrast the ways in which the Holocaust and Cambodian genocide follow this pattern, as well as explore the separate factors within each and possible solutions to these factors. Next, I will discuss the dramatically different Vietnam War, compare and contrast it to the other two, and explore how the uniqueness of the Vietnam War impacts the possible solutions for the loss of human rights within this situation.

The Rwandan Genocide also is still an existing issue which killed one million people, mostly Tutis and some Hutu’s, continues to be one of the most tragic and memorable events in the contemporary society of Africa. Specifically for those who were involved. Lucie Niyigena, a 70 year old woman who managed to survive the genocide, is still forced to face her fear everyday living beside someone who could have potentially killed a member of her family. This is just one of the still existing hardships for those forced to live it. This problem has not been changed since historical times partly because modern society has chosen not to make the change.

Just as we formerly pointed out that “hatred and violence have no sanction in our religious and political traditions,” we also point out that such actions as incite to hatred and violence, however technically peaceful those actions may be, have not contributed to the resolution of our local problems.(372)

The exploration of fundamentalism began in school. As a senior student, I was tasked with inviting a speaker to our high school Model UN conference. I invited Pervez Hoodbhoy: decorated physicist and outspoken secularist. I regarded Hoodbhoy’s arrival as revelation. Who better to illuminate my path than the lone voice against extremism in the country? Alas, the director of our institution ordered the administration to instruct me to retract my invitation.

Camus published “L'Etranger” or “The Stranger” during World War II, and it became one of his most discussed works in Europe (Rhein). The popularity of Camus’ work can be attributed to the overall feelings in Europe brought by the havoc of war that had left the lands marred. Many people throughout Europe were hurt by the war and began to question the point of life amidst such destruction. This resonates with the modern audience as well because “The Stranger” continues to play on themes that can be seen in the horrifying occurrences that fill the media today (Rhein). Many atrocities allow a modern audience to relate to the events of WWII, such as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Rwandan Genocide, and the Haitian earthquake, which leave many questioning

In this article, David Bornstein talks about F.B.I report about the hate crimes against Muslims reached their highest level since 2001. In New York, hate crimes are one of the most violent crimes against Muslims since last decade. The 2016 election highlighted religious problems in United States as well as all over the world. Donald Trump’s solution to terrorism to ban Muslims from entering the country create nationwide protest. In United States, people from different ethnic backgrounds belief or faith at some point suffered or become victim of hate crime. The victims includes Jews, Christians, and Mormons, alongside Muslims. In the past, Bornstein reported on the Chicago-based interfaith youth core programme, which trains people to build relationships and respect

In the memoir Night, the narrator Elie Wiesel recounts a moment when, “How was it possible that men, women, and children were being burned and that the world kept silent?” (Wiesel, 4). He was angry that innocent people were dying and getting killed. He was mad because of everything they were doing to the poor people. He couldn’t believe what was happening. Two significant themes related to inhumanity discussed in the book Night by Elie Wiesel are Loss of Faith and Disbelief.

Many of the ancient and historical conflicts are believed to be connected to religion in a various ways and proven that religion can be used as an excuse for violence. For instance, The Crusade Wars ended in the brutality of both Christians and Muslims during the mass dispute (Burton 1984). The Jews have perpetrated massacres through nations for the solitary reason to attain their belief. During the reformation of Christians thousands of people were killed because of their religion. In Yugoslavia, the war in 1991 pitted Orthodox Christians, Muslims, and Catholics against each other in a brutal combat (Avalos 2005). Also, thousands of monks were being persecuted in Burma

shot in the last year alone. Ten of them died in car wrecks” (Bradbury 27). Clarisse speech indicates the horrifying, and savage world they live in. Likewise, the modern times has witnessed a rise in the level of violence in the last decades. It has become more and more usual to hear about incident that involve violence and death all over the world which is an alarming indication of the future yet to come.

Paradise Now is a 2-hour film released in 2005, it depicts a perspective alternative in a highly controversial topic of suicide bombers or also known as a ‘martyr’. The movie takes place in Palestine during the Israeli occupation and illustrates the mundane life and frustration felt by the main characters Said and Khaled due to the oppression experienced during the conflict. A key feature that is also portrayed is the reasoning, and almost justification of an attack on that level. However, the perpatrators can be seen showing feelings of hesitance and even inquisitiveness in relation to the afterlife that they are promised and whether violent resistance is the last option. This paper, will discuss how “Paradise Now” provoked my views and

Religion has its shares of promoting violence. Many will argue that a cause of religion wars is for economic and political reasons, but others argue that those who start wars are, by definition, not religious. In reality, separating religion out of economic and political motives can be involved in such a way finding religious motives innocent of much. Excuses for Christianity responsibilities cannot be accepted whether the person has misappropriated the message of Christ. The primarily set of doctrines is not Christianity, but by living through past background it personified the visible actions of Christians. In other words, Christianity, Islam or any other religion has no intention of excusing from survey. Given certain conditions,

According to renowned author William Scott Downey, you must “Never be angry with your neighbor because his religious views differ from your own; for all the branches of a tree to not lean the same way.” In the history of our planet and our contemporary society, there has always been conflict between individuals over their religious views. Religion influences our daily lives to a great extent, and without it, our modern society would be much different. However, religion has caused much conflict and hostility that still exists today. In our contemporary world, prejudice has been placed against people of various beliefs through popularized media, false notions and violence involving religion in many parts of the world. The novel Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe follows the story of a man in an African village, fighting for his religious beliefs and his family amidst the settling of Christian missionaries in his homeland. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie follows the story of a young girl trying to discover her true self amongst religious familial pressures. In both novels, there are illuminating incidents that outline the hatred that various religious peoples have for one another and the great lengths to which many individuals go to protect their identity and beliefs.

On December 6th of 1989, Canada saw one of the worst massacre of its history, not only in numbers, but also in circumstances. The infamous École Polytechnique Massacre, also known as the Montreal Massacre, profoundly affected the Quebec and Canadian society. However, while the attack was widely condemned for its violence, the identification of the murders as a hate crime towards women was still hotly debated and refuted by many. The goal of this paper is to understand what makes the Polytechnique attack a hate crime and what motives pushed Marc Lépine to commit these murders in 1989. Moreover, the victims of the incident, direct and indirect, will be discussed. The short and long-term impact of this case, as well as its mediatisation, will be further examined. Finally, using a feminist perspective for analysis, I will explain my personal view on this incident.