Why do humans fight over religion? How is that logical when most religions talk about loving one another? Why do humans fight over religion? How...

• Greathere -- Why does religion
  incite such passions, to the point of mutual hatred? This discussion reminds me of a poem
  written in the late 19th century, listed below.  The title, Odium Theologicum,
  translates from the Latin as Theological Hatred. Enjoy!

1

They met and they talked where the crossroads
meet, 
Four men from the four winds come, 
And they talked of the horse, for
they loved the theme, 
And never a man was dumb. 
The man from the North
loved the strength of the horse, 
And the man from the East his pace, 
And
the man from the South loved the speed of the horse, 
And the man from the West his
grace.

So these four men from the four winds come, 
Each paused a
space in his course 
And smiled in the face of his fellow man 
And lovingly
talked of the horse. 
Then each man parted and went his way 
As their
different courses ran; 
And each man journeyed with peace in his heart 
And
loving his fellow man.

 

2

They
lashed each other with tongues that stung, 
That smote as with a rod; 
Each
glared in the face of his fellow man, 
And wrathfully talked of God. 
Then
each man parted and went his way, 
As their different courses ran; 
And each
man journeyed with wrath in his heart, 
And hating his fellow man.

 

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