Resolving Conflicts Between Religion and Politics

Resolving Conflicts Between Religion and Politics

The use of conflict to try and resolve political, religious or

cultural differences has existed for centuries, Violence and the State

are still two prevailing issues in our world today. It is often

assumed that violence and fighting occurs between peoples of very

different nationalities or cultures; that there differences are too

great for there to ever be peace or compromise. This, however, is not

the case; it is people with the most similar backgrounds that have the

hardest time agreeing. This is the situation in Northern Ireland. The

Anglo-Irish conflict in Northern Ireland is a complex web that

involves a struggle between classes, government power, and religion.

This conflict began before the 18th century when Ireland was ruled and

governed by the British until a heightened sense of Irish nationalism

arose. The Irish people wanted freedom from the British government and

the independence to rule themselves. Eventually the disputes were

consolidated to Northern Ireland. Factors such as class struggle and

politics became further entwined in this web. In Ireland, two distinct

groups eventually emerged. There was the lower class that supported

nationalism and the freedom of Ireland, and the upper class

(unionists) that supported the “union” of England and Ireland.

In general, the English and upper classes are Protestant, and the

lower class nationalists are Roman Catholic; however religion does not

play a direct role in the conflict. It does, however, have some effect

on the constant struggles between the two groups. For example, the

fighting is not due to a disagreement over religi...

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immeasurable. The Irish saw Catholiscm as a way to express their

identity and preserve their goals towards individual liberty, the

English could never interpret Catholiscm as anything other than the

enemy of liberty.

In conclusion, violence and religion are two terms that are

unfortunately very hard to separate. The shocking thing about the

situation in Northern Ireland is that both sides of the dispute are

Christian traditions. There is no doctrine or rule in either

denomination of Christianity that calls for such violence.

Christianity is supposed to be a religion that fosters peace and

forgiveness. For peace to exist within religion, the UK would have to

be run as a theocracy, however, this will never work as globalisation

takes hold and multiculturalism and multiethnicity look to break

barriers but fail.