On the heels of the 3 volume, Encyclopedia of Wars -- which declared that out of over 1700 wars recorded in history only 7% are attributable to religious motivations, causing just 2% of deaths -- comes this scholarly Karen Armstrong article, (and book,) on the unique circumstances that created Western Secularism as a reaction to the power of the Holy Roman Empire. Throughout history and throughout the rest of the world there had been no concept of the division of religion from politics, the economy and society. Sacredness was transferred from Religion to the Nation State, which also co-opted religious mores into secular humanist ideals. But violence against ethnic or ideological minorities increased manifold.
Posted on: Sun, 28 Sep 2014 08:42:03 +0000
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