Awareness of Violence in Religion: A call to Humility

Abstract

Not only is it often heard that religion is the source of many (they generally say ‘all’) evils or the cause of violence in the world, but an active effort is made to reduce the social influence of religion or to take faith into the personal sphere of entertainment or even further, to ridicule religious belief. This article acknowledges religion’s role in violence defined as a religious qua relational reality in human hearts and in society. The thesis could be expressed proverbially: “the corruption of the best is the worst.” The implication of such a view is labor for believers geared towards optimal actualizing of the life-enhancing quality of religion while excellence is constantly sought through dialogue and peaceful mutual confrontations for the well-being of all, if indeed it is ever better life that we are all pursuing and if God is living Goodness.