Why is there such strife over religion?

It is important to distinguish between Religion and Spirituality.

Religion is the organization that upholds and endorses a particular belief system. Spirituality is your personal beliefs and quest for enlightenment, or salvation, or whatever you want to call it.

So, if religion is an orgainization, it has a degree of control over it's adherents (even if it is only psychological), and therefore a degree of power.

And we know what power does, don't we?

IMHO, aggressiveness in religion (and it's adherents) is the result of doubt. You don't have to prove you're right if you KNOW you're right. Ergo, only someone who is insecure in their own beliefs would find it necessary to force their beliefs down someone elses throat, thereby validating their correctness by either a) belittling someone else or b) gaining another adherent (aka the Bandwagon Philosophy).

Your last point is excellent. If we could all just forget about the differences, we could accomplish so much. But that's a leap of faith that man is too young to take.

IMHO, it's nothing more than an instrument of man's mind. Ever since man looked into the stars, witnessed death and birth, the weather, the changing of season even, they question what caused all of this. So thus religion came into being. Before Galileo, the people of his time said the world was the center of the solar system. Before Columbus, they say the world was flat. I think it's every person's right to live for the moment but to question everything. Even the very exsistence of "God". That is why there is so much strife in the world. Too many people who say that "this" is the way to live or "that" is the way to live. And when these people clash, wars, famines, bigotry is the ruler of the day. Thus why I never will step into another religious establishment as long as I live. Until, one religion proves itself by a "miracle of God", I'll continue to live my life the way I want and not by a out-of date piece of trash called "the bible"

Let's see why is there strife over religion. Let's start with extreme bloodshed, then there is torture, rape, war, attacks on critical thinking, discrimination, bigotry, child abuse, infanticide, deceit and many more. These are the good things about religion. The bad things about religion are too graphic to list here, but a hint is in the glassy-eye stare. Oh, OK. It's called insanity, delusional paranoia.

You know what's silly. Stopping the argument. Therein lies the danger. When the crusaders stop arguing, they start killing.

People have a desperate need for a feeling, even if unfounded, of certainty. Picture someone drowning, clawing desperately for something to hold on to, even pulling under the one who is trying to save him. If that one would just relax, he'd discover that he floats in water and no effort or struggle is required. Likewise the desperately reglious might find life holds them up just fine without all the rules and rituals and myths. Jesus did say in his first sermon that he'd come to free the captives. Unfortunately the captives turned him into another religion of the same old kind, complete with all the fear of a disapproving god and the comforts provided by a professional priesthood.

It is all about mind control and power. If you can manipulate thoughts and emotions you can control the world. You are a rare breed of believer. There is no answer to your question in my opinion.

People like diversity and what you consider arguments could be a search for answers. I hope we never stop discussing and trying to convert each other. When we do you might not like the outcome, there might be one world domination.

I agree with you but have never been able to understand why everyone wants to prove themselves right,God loves all of us and is no respecter of persons,I believe in different parts of several religions but cant say that I believe in one particular one,if we follow Him and do His will is all thats important anyway,not meaning to be smart but I have never heard anyone cry help Budahh, Muhommad or any religion when a plane is falling just God

"Judge not, lest ye be judged"

I think the problem is that it is human nature to feel that your beliefs are right and others' are wrong. And so many feel it necessary to belittle others who don't believe the same (this includes athiests). I agree that the world would be a better place if we could just accept others regardless of beliefs.

The religions with all of their sects now total 1500 different ones. They can't agree on God and God never offers any help. Atheists say that's because, he doesn't exist and the believers say,...they don't say anything and pretend like the problem doesn't exist.

Each of us are accountable for our own actions and beliefs. Christians, however, have been commissioned to spread the word about Christ in accordance with our belief.

In the end, you make up your own mind and...live eternally with the consequences.

There isn't strife over every religion. Just the aggressive ones, like Christianity and Islam.