ABSTRACT
This chapter overviews the logic of religious violence, and then highlights six violence-conducive elements that form a part of this logic. It focuses on the violent – and not the peaceful – aspects of religion. Religious incompatibility often seems to be related to another major tenet of religious violence, namely its ultimate desire for peace. Every religion seems to show an equal propensity for violence and war. Apart from inherent violence-permissive elements in religion, the chapter highlights that religion often guarantees courage in conflict and thus ensures victory. It explores the concept of religious truth, since ultimately all religions profess truth. The chapter explores the concept of cosmic dualism, prevalent in post-Zoroastrian religions, followed by the beliefs pertaining to the existence of evil and fear. In an ironic parallel to Darwinian evolutionary theory, it also explores the concept of 'survival of the fittest' and 'Fight for survival'.
