On religious wars
Posted by: Seth Ben-Ezra in Links, Politics, Quotes and Whatnot, Theology and Spirituality, Thoughts About My LifeDoug Wilson quoting Jeremiah Burroughs:
“Men naturally are wanton in nothing more than in the things of religion; and corrupt spirits are bent upon and pleased with opposition in these things above any other” (Burroughs, Irenicum, p. 29).
I blinked when I read this, because something finally clicked into place. Religious wars are generally acknowledged to be the bloodiest and most destructive. Those pursued for political ends (even corrupt ones) tend to be fairly pragmatic. Realpolitik can be permitted to function, since the goal is equally pragmatic: increasing the power of the conqueror or stopping him. Religious wars are fought because of principle, and there can be no compromise, if some god has spoken.
I hadn’t really considered that this applies on a smaller scale, too…
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