REL101 Religion Assignment 1 NUS : Religious Conflicts and Inter-Religious Harmony, Singapore

Religion Assignment

Question (Essay)

“Religious wars are not caused by the fact that there is more than one religion, but by the spirit of intolerance … the spread of which can only be regarded as the total eclipse of human reason.”
— Montesquieu

Consider the above quote and answer the following questions.

Question 1:

Describe ONE case of religiously motivated conflict. Your discussion should provide:

• Basic details on the main actors involved
• Significant incidents
• Reasons for the conflict
• Impact of the conflict

(50 marks)

Question 2:

Sadhguru (founder of the spiritual organization, Isha Foundation) once commented:

“The religions of the world, which should have been a source of peace,
are responsible for the maximum amount of conflict.”

Explain how inter-religious harmony can be achieved in contemporary societies. You may refer to policies and tools used by countries such as Singapore, which have achieved relative inter-religious harmony.

Conclude your discussion by demonstrating, with justification, whether you agree or disagree with Sadhguru’s statement that religions are responsible for the maximum amount of conflict.

(50 marks)

Word Count: 1000 Words