Douglas Todd: The dangers of scapegoating religion: Karen Armstrong

Good interview with Karen Armstrong on her latest book, Fields of Blood:

Armstrong would not be content with the platitude that such and such a faith is strictly “a religion of peace.” She defends the need for countries to have responsible militaries and reveals how religious people have often been far from innocent, allowing their faith to be co-opted for destruction.

For instance, she notes that while Jesus was a near-pacifist, Mohammed was a powerful leader. When Mohammed was locked in open war with Jewish tribes, Armstrong judges his decision to slaughter 700 Jewish men and put their wives and children into slavery as “an atrocity that marked the lowest point in the Prophet’s career.”

Otherwise, she believes, Mohammed was a consensus builder and deal maker who respected Jews and Christians as “the people of the Book Bible,” adding, “Mohammed must be one of the few leaders in history to build an empire largely by negotiation.”

In discussing religion, in other words, we have to avoid stereotyping, but we also have to be realistic.

That requires acknowledging that religion around the planet, as many immigrants to North America will attest, is not all sweetness. It can be used to persecute minorities — and it frequently comes with scriptural literalism, patriarchy, intolerance of homosexuality and opposition to individual freedom.

Yet, with all the accusations flying around blaming religion for virtually all conflict and oppression, it’s more than valid to recall how religion has also long been an inspiration for peace and reconciliation.

“It is simply not true that ‘religion’ is always aggressive. Sometimes it has actually put the brakes on violence,” says Armstrong in Fields of Blood.

Douglas Todd: The dangers of scapegoating religion.