Name: Troy Saludo Section: BSIT - 104I Date: 1/14/19

“What is the role of religion in global conflict?”

Religion for the most part is arguably the reason of almost all of the major global
conflicts throughout history. Since the ancient days, people had been fighting for it, even
giving up their life for the sake of their religion. The role of religion is in global conflicts is
most notably dominance, followers of a certain religion want to spread their religion and
increase its followers, more followers, equals more power, more control and more
wealth. Crusades lasting hundred years were started, crusaders using brute force to
defeat the infidels and forcefully shoving their religion towards the conquered.

Suffice to say after all this; the role of religion and all the wars and conflicts is
pointless. Millions have suffered as collateral damage and for what, control and for
worship. It clearly is not the point of religion in our lives, to kill or to fight or inflict harm
unto others. Human philosophies and ideologies are in a constant state of war until the
present day that for me, the role of religion in global conflict is to have something to fight
for, a motivation, something to believe in, to inspire and to command. Pointless chaos to
prove which God is the best one. It seems that religion has a part in our lives that with
utter cause, we are willing to die for it. Seems like half of the reason different religions
exist is to have better reasoning as to why should a person go and die for it.

But after all this, after all the destruction, death and famine religion-based global
conflicts has done, what is the aftermath? I’ll give you one example, our very own
country, the Philippines. It was part of the Spanish expedition which aimed to increase
Christianity and claim more land for Spain, Thousands of natives fought and died until
we are forced to surrender and convert to a new religion bought to us by foreign
invaders. And to what end? The aftermath says it all, we are now mostly catholic,
inherited Spanish culture and once became one of Spain’s colony; all at the price of
millions of Filipino blood. And that concludes my essay, the role of religion in global
conflict is as a motivator, for men to go and kill other men for the sake of their religion.