Should Religious Leaders Be Allowed To Start Holy Wars

Have you ever stood up for something or someone, but what if it was related to "religion"? In 1095, Pope Urban II declared a Crusade against the Muslims in Jerusalem because the Christians there were being slaughtered by them because they did not believe the same religion, Islam. Because of this, Pope Urban wanted to start a war to regain back Jerusalem and save their fellow Christians. Overall, the Crusades have a negative effect on world history.

They were a war of revenge on the Muslims, and regaining the land once owned. I agree with Kimball there can never be such a thing as a “holy” war because that is contradictory. It is a sign of state beliefs being imprinted on the religion in order to act a certain way to push along a specific message. It is plain there is no just cause for religions to go to war because that goes against what they religion is truly

People, are incensed because in Muslim beliefs one is not allowed to commit suicide, which also applies to Christianity. (Source I). Several Journalists have also stated against euthanasia because they believe that life is truthfully sanctified and that “God” created life, so one cannot choose to die. (Source A). The Hippocratic oath as well specifically reads that doctors or physicians are not sanctioned to kill patients. (Source M). Even though many people are against euthanasia the citizens still want options for the end of their own life. (Source C). If the alternatives are inadequate and regulated the agony of the patients does not go away; numerous places have already legalized euthanasia, such as the Netherlands in 2002 being the first. Similarly, Japan’s Shintoists believe that people and patients should be sanctioned to die if they request for it. (Source C). In the Netherlands, 85 percent of the doctors will and can also consider facilitating patients and people in death. (Source B). Even though the Hippocratic oath states that doctors are not to kill their patients, there are two main forms of euthanasia- passive and active. (Source C). The two central forms of euthanasia do not go against regulations because subsequently those doctors have to be in accordance with the patients and people. (Source C).

The Crusades, a series of wars, are an extremely important part of history in the 12th century, occurring during the Middle Ages. The Middle East or the Holy Land was always a place that Christians traveled to to make pilgrimages. The Seljuk Turks eventually took control of Jerusalem and all Christians were not allowed in the Holy City. As the Turks power grew, they threatened to take over the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople. The Byzantine Emperor, Alexius I, asked Pope Urban II for help and Pope agreed, hoping to strengthen his own power. He He united the Christians in Europe and In 1095, Pope Urban II waged waged war against muslims in order to “reclaim the holy land.”

Religion plays a big role in some people 's lives and can influence their opinion on capital punishment. In the U.S. the two largest religions are Christianity and Judaism, within both of those religions some people are for capital punishment and some are against capital punishment. Several christian groups in the late 1970s formalized their religious and moral reasons against the imposition of the death penalty. “Among them was, capital punishment: violated the command by Jesus to employ the ethic of love, perpetuated the evil of retaliation, ignored the guilt that the society may have had in the causation of the crime, and prevented the possibility of any kind of rehabilitation of the criminal” (Flamehorse).

Major religions, such as Christianity and Islam, condemn this practice, as they believe that life is precious and should be preserved (“Introduction”). Along the same lines, the Hippocratic Oath, an oath all physicians take, states, “I will not give a lethal drug to anyone if I am asked, nor will I advise such a plan,” (“Assisted”). There has been some speculation, however, that this line does not refer to assisted suicide. This is because, in Hippocrates’ time, assisted suicide was very common. These beliefs against this practice would sentence a terminally ill patient to a life of unbearable, agonizing pain. These patients would also be prescribed treatments to prolong their life, but that would only result in a longer period filled with pain. If not physical pain, then emotional pain as they wouldn’t be able to do the things they love. This could all be easily rectified with the legalization of assisted suicide. In the words of Michael Scott, “You’re not living, you’re surviving.” (Scott)

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

Judaism believes in the sanctity of life, therefore they are against suicide, assisted suicide and euthanasia. It is believed that the body is a divine vehicle that carries the soul and is therefore considered to be God’s property. The body is to be treated with respect during and after life. The Torah specifically directs medical specialist’s to heal those who is ill or suffering. The Talmud teaches that one must live in a community where a physician is available. This approach reject’s the thought that God is punishing the patient with illness and humans dare not intervene with that. All means for healing are available and are to be sought out and used. (Guidelines

Does such a combination of words as "a war in the name of God" make sense? The main principles, which underlie Christianity and Islam, are those of goodness, kindness, lack of aggression and respecting certain moral laws. Christianity and Islam provide human society with a code of ethics, which totally rejects war because it is something violent, inhumane and cruel. Still, over the course of human history many wars have been justified with religion and with imposing the "right faith". Because of misunderstanding of certain parts of religion or deliberate misuse of it European and Islamic states have often used violence to fulfill their goals.

the exceptions to the general rule of sanctity of human life), and they do not include mercy killing or make allowance for it. Human life per se is a value to be respected unconditionally, irrespective of other circumstances. The concept of a life not worthy of living does not exist in Islam. Justification of taking life to escape suffering is not acceptable in Islam. Prophet Mohammad taught: "There was a man in older times who had an infliction that taxed his patience, so he took a knife, cut his wrist and bled to death. Upon this God said: My subject hastened his end, I deny him paradise." During one of the military campaigns one of the Muslims was killed and the companions of the prophet kept praising his gallantry and efficiency in fighting, but, to their surprise, the Prophet commented, "His lot is hell." Upon inquiry, the companions found out that the man had been seriously injured so he supported the handle of his sword on the ground and plunged his chest onto its tip, committing suicide. The Islamic Code of Medical Ethics endorsed by the First International Conference on Islamic Medicine (Islamic) includes: "Mercy killing, like suicide, finds no support except in the atheistic way of thinking that believes that our life on this earth is followed by void. The claim of killing

They believe that assisted suicide crosses the moral border into government-condoned killing. The Christian, Jewish, and Muslim religions all seem to strictly discourage assisted suicide, as well as all types of suicide. They stress that life is God's alone to give, and God's alone to take (Van Biema 61). Traditional Christian beliefs against suicide were first affirmed by Thomas Aquinas, a writer in the early thirteenth century. He emphasized that suicide (and assisted suicide) violates one's natural desire to live, harms other people, and that life is God's gift to give and take (OCRT 2). Not all religions are against suicide, either. Hinduism promotes the taking of one's own life instead of living with dishonor (Flanders 49).

God bestowed upon humanity the sacred gift of life. As creatures of the Creator, human beings should never consider disregarding God’s holy gift through the actions of suicide or euthanasia (The National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), 2011). “God did not make death, nor does He rejoice in the destruction of the living. For He fashioned all things that they may have being” (Wisdom 1:13). Christians belief that through the death of Jesus Christ, God gave us the sacred gift of eternal life. Through this belief, life should be protected, guarded and respected in others and in oneself (Meilaender, 2013, p. 64).

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,

63% of the religions are for the death penalty, with the highest record of 73 being non-denominational and lowest at 53 being Pentecostal church. Therefore, by looking at Pentecostal records show that they are less acceptable to these moral views than all the rest of the religions (Newport, 2017).

Some physicians and religious people acknowledges that euthanasia and assisted suicide goes against the Hippocratic Oath, which is to help the patient rather than to harm (ProQuest Staff). According to the Yorubas’ human life is a gift from God; therefore, any form of suicide is detested within Yoruba culture and an insult to the maker (Merino). The Yoruba religion regards any action of suicide as the rejection of entrance to heaven. Souls of suicide victims are forced to abandon their souls to wander the Earth and incapable to reincarnate as retribution (Olasunkanmi). Another cause of disapproval of euthanasia and assisted suicide is the pressure on the patient. People who oppose euthanasia and assisted suicide fret that the legalization of physician assisted suicide would cause patients to feel obligated to end their lives to lift the encumbrance off their families (“Right to Die”). Some social conservatives, Catholics, and Orthodox Jews believe all forms of suicide devalue human life and project a view that some lives are worth less than others