If you look at religions in world history they are often a source of conflict.
Disclaimer: Obviously this is not true of all religions nor is it a judgement on those religions for which it was or is true.
Now, with that disclaimer in place, what is it about religion that can make it a vehicle for violence?
With a few exceptions religious dogma generally preaches peace, and in the end people are the source of violence. But far too often religious belief is used to promote violence.
What views, teachings, beliefs or rules allow this contradiction; preaching peace and promoting violent conflict? Or is it something completely unrelated to the religion at all?
For a frame of reference this is the world in which this religion will exist, as well as some of my goals for the religion itself.
- There is a pantheon of gods, sort of Greek styled, but only one is worshiped as part of this religion as she was the only one responsible for creating the world.
- The formal modern organized incarnation of the religion developed after a massive map altering conflict between two racial factions came to a climax (that being the map altering devastation).
- Framework can be related to what the Catholic church and its militant orders were in the middle ages/crusade eras. Meaning there are few other central powers and the church manages land, banking and wealth in general.
- At times it will be an expansionist religion not unlike Christianity during the crusades.