Religion and violence
From Graham Barnes
Sir: Charles Moore should be praised for his generous critique of Richard Dawkins’s The God Delusion (Books, 7 October), including the brief passages of praise or agreement with that work. But I wonder whether Dawkins, ostensibly a supreme rationalist, can fully come to terms with more basic points.
Religion, particularly Christianity, has been one of the most successful moderators of human violence, and has provided the only justification for moderating violence that has internal coherence and staying power. Religion has been only one among many motivators of violence, and hardly the worst when compared with greed, tribal or national ambition, or sheer bloodlust. Violence is demonstrably a part of human nature. It predates recorded history and probably all complex belief systems and social forms.
And lastly, a point unlikely to be made by Christian defenders of religion, but which should be obvious to any pagan or rationalist mind — violence as such is morally neutral, its justice defined by its ends. Its mere use cannot itself be an element in judging any belief system.
Graham Barnes Ottawa, Canada
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