In recent history, religion has become more tolerated in the world. However, many religions continue to be persecuted for their beliefs despite their popularity throughout the world and despite the injustice of denying this basic civil right of life. People of all races have followed structured belief systems for thousands of years. Many, such as the Christians, originated from pre-existing cultures and religions and have grown into dominating powers within the spiritual world. Others such as the large majority of Pagan religions have died out with the creation and control these other, more popular religions have come to have. With each belief system that is created, there are others that will oppose it and its followers for defying what they have come to believe is the correct path or choice. Christians have not only been one of the most largely persecuted groups since the creation of the religion, but they have also developed into a group known for the persecution of not only other Christians, but other religions as well. While persecution is not a new idea and has come to be almost a given in the world, this does not mean that is a problem that can be ignored.
[...] According to an article written by Calum MacLeod in USA Today, “Each year, Chinese police arrest thousands of Christians, Muslims, Buddhists and others affiliated with unsanctioned religious groups. Last month, government officials were forced to deny reports that Bibles would be banned from the Olympic Village at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing.” Each religion has the freedom to live as they please and it is only through sanctions such as these that struggle between followers and political figures begin to flare. [...]
[...] Religions in one-way or another forces their policies and beliefs upon those around them and opposing their beliefs. Just as many religions have been persecuted throughout the ages, they will continue to be persecuted until each religion understands that their basis of ideas is an opinion of their lives. There is nothing to prove that they are above all except for their holy scriptures that all religions have and follow. In addition to religion against religion however, there are people and groups willing to puppeteer a war and destruction of homes for their own gain of wealth and power. [...]
[...] Many wars have had the driving force of religion behind them such as the Crusades, World War II, and the Iraq War which is also known as the Second Gulf War have been fought either for religion or have an underlying religious force behind it. Each war began with the same thought: That of one's religion being higher than another's. While no one religion is completely right and should be followed above all others, each religion started with one thing. [...]
[...] The growing conflict between Hanafi Sunni's and the Shia's against the Salifi Sunni's is creating a rift between many of the once unified religious culture. Each culture follows its own beliefs and laws above all others such as the Hanafi' the most liberal of the Sunni treatments of religious doctrine. Followers don't, for example, consider blasphemy a punishable offence under civil law, unlike the Salafi movement which usually demands death for anyone accused of insulting the religion. Hanafis are also more conciliatory toward Shias, whom they consider wayward Muslims rather than heretics. [...]
[...] In the 17th and 18th centuries, a mass influx of Anglo-Saxon immigrants made the journey to the New World in order to escape the religious persecution being experienced at home, and to live a life of freedom. In England mostly, it was believed that uniformity of religion was the right of the higher powers to control, forcibly if needed. During the rule of Henry VIII, England was under a reign of the Church of England, which was being fought against by the newly proclaimed Protestants. [...]
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