Religious+War

=Religious War Through Many Different Eyes=

Buddhist and Hindu Views[[image:peace-sign-clr.gif width="105" height="105" align="right"]]
Before you dive into the realm Buddhist and Hindu views of war, you must first understand some of the basics of the religions. Buddhism and Hinduism have a strong stake in peace and compassion. They believe that you should treat everyone with the same respect and compassion that you give to your own mother. With these values to rest on, it is safe to say that neither of these religions support or engage war. For this reason, their beliefs on war cannot be compared to those of Islam, Judaism, or Christianity.

[[image:file:2006_09_15t085036_450x297_us_religion_pope_islam.jpg]]Jewish and Chrisitan Views vs. Islamic Views
The Islamic view of war is described by the concept of Jihad. The origination of the word had nothing to do with physical war, instead meaning the taking extrodinary pains. It's meaning now has four different forms of performance; of the tongue, of the heart, of the hand, and of the sword. Jihad of the tongue is tied with speaking. To perform this type of Jihad, one must try their best to speak only of good, speak badly of evil, and well of Allah. Jihad of the heart has more to do with keeping right with one's own sinful actions. To perform this type, one must be honest to himself and admit by his own will when he's done wrong. Jihad of the hand is to perform faith physically. It is to represent right action. Praying 5 times a day is an example of a physical proof of faith. Jihad of the sword is actual physical fighting on behalf of Islam. It is not the most common form of Jihad used, though it is the only one seen nationally. In Islamic law, Jihad is a term used to describe warfare against polytheists. This type of physical fighting is authorized by the deity. Different Explanation of Jihad

The Jewish view of war is not set and bound. There are no specific guidelines or beliefs that concretely state the Jewish outlook on war. There was one specific instance though, where the Jews came out looking like very aggressive people. This instance was known as the "Great Revolt" otherwise known plainly as Masada. During this time, a sect of Jews called Sicarii, took Masada from the Russian soldiers stationed there. Shortly after the Roman legion attempted to win the place back unsuccessfully. The Sicarii did not react with force back towards the Roman legion, but inflicted the damage on a town while raiding it for food. 700 people were killed there. The belief of the Sicarii was that those who did not belong to the same sect, deserved to be robbed and killed. Sometimes such actions were returned by attacks on the entire Jewish population by the Romans. The Sicarii were a violent people who wanted to kill non-Sicarii people, expel the Romans from Judea, and gain control of Jerusalem's population. Different Explanation of the Jewish View

The Christian view of war stands in the term martyrdom. Martyrdom is the willingness of a person to endure extreme suffering or death for their religion. One who is a martyr does so to show devotion and sacrifice to god and to avoid having to renounce their religion due to suffering. More on Martyrdom

Bibliography "Christian Martyrs." Wikipedia. 2007. Wikipedia. 8 Jan 2008 .

Encyclopedia of religion and war. Series in Routledge encyclopedias of religion and society.New York, NY: Routledge, c2004.

"Masada." Wikipedia. 2007. Wikipedia. 8 Jan 2008 .

"Sicarii." Wikipedia. 2007. Wikipedia. 8 Jan 2008 .