<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p>Although only seven percent of wars in human history were caused by explicit religious motives – as it is suggested by one estimate – religious beliefs affect human attitude to the world. Especially in the context of the rash of contemporary conflicts and terror attacks which have a stated connection to religious motives, it is important to try to understand the possible religious motivations of such antisocial and dangerous behaviors. There are several different research perspectives on this topic, but none of them by itself offers a sufficient explanation. The purpose of this essay is to show that religious components themselves can be interpreted as morally neutral, and that their supposed impact on behavioral patterns can, in fact, be attributed to non-religious factors. Religion is discussed as cultural phenomenon partially interacting with cognitive and adaptive patterns.</p></abstract>

Although only seven percent of wars in human history were caused by explicit religious motives – as it is suggested by one estimate – religious beliefs affect human attitude to the world. Especially in the context of the rash of contemporary conflicts and terror attacks which have a stated connection to religious motives, it is important to try to understand the possible religious motivations of such antisocial and dangerous behaviors. There are several different research perspectives on this topic, but none of them by itself offers a sufficient explanation. The purpose of this essay is to show that religious components themselves can be interpreted as morally neutral, and that their supposed impact on behavioral patterns can, in fact, be attributed to non-religious factors. Religion is discussed as cultural phenomenon partially interacting with cognitive and adaptive patterns.

Moral Neutrality of Religion in the Light of Conflicts and Violence in Mediatized World

Department of Philosophy and Cognitive Science

University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow

Practicing attorney at law in Poland, Member of the Board of the Polish National Bar of Attorneys at Law.

Social Communication

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Although only seven percent of wars in human history were caused by explicit religious motives – as it is suggested by one estimate – religious beliefs affect...

Moral Neutrality of Religion in the Light of Conflicts and Violence in Mediatized World

Published Online: May 16, 2019

Page range: 76 - 88

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sc-2018-0026

Keywords
religion, religious beliefs, violence, conflicts, evolution of religion, cognitive science of religion, new media, mediatization

© 2018 Konrad Szocik et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Moral Neutrality of Religion in the Light of Conflicts and Violence in Mediatized World

Published Online: May 16, 2019

Page range: 76 - 88

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/sc-2018-0026

Keywordsreligion, religious beliefs, violence, conflicts, evolution of religion, cognitive science of religion, new media, mediatization

© 2018 Konrad Szocik et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Keywords
religion, religious beliefs, violence, conflicts, evolution of religion, cognitive science of religion, new media, mediatization