I recently read an interesting article by Robin Schumacher, a Christian apologist. His opening statement was:
One of the oldest and most often repeated lies about religion and Christianity, in particular, is that it’s responsible for the majority of historical wars and bloodshed.
I know I’ve heard that particular attack on Christianity from time to time. Even if it were true, how would that make Christianity a false religion? It wouldn’t!
But it is not true.
It is true that wars have been waged in the name of religion, and sadly, Christians have been engaged in such wars, but what of the claim that “the majority of wars and bloodshed” have been religious in nature?
Schumacher points out the obvious: that wars in which Christians have been engaged, “barely register on history’s violence Geiger counter compared to the carnage and body count produced by secular governments [Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot, etc.]”
Schumacher then points us to a massive scholarly three-volume work entitled “Encyclopedia of Wars,” by Philip and Axelrod. In that encyclopedia it is pointed out that,
“…of the 1,763 wars waged throughout human history, only 123 have been religious in nature. That amounts to a surprisingly low 6.98% of all wars resulting from religion.
“Further, when wars carried out in the name of Islam are subtracted, the percentage falls to 3.23%, meaning that all religions combined — minus Islam — have been responsible for less than 4% of all humanity’s wars and violent conflicts.”
Schumacher then cites a political science professor named R. J. Rummel who wrote, “Death by Government.” In it, Rummel wrote the following:
“Almost 170 million men, women and children have been shot, beaten, tortured, knifed, burned, starved, frozen, crushed or worked to death; buried alive, drowned, hung, bombed or killed in any other of a myriad of ways governments have inflicted death on unarmed, helpless citizens and foreigners. The dead could conceivably be nearly 360 million people. It is though our species has been devastated by a modern Black Plague. And indeed it has, but a plague of Power, not germs.”
Schumacher wrote more, and I refer you to read his article at: https://www.christianpost.com/voices/dealing-with-cosmic-tyrants.html
I’ll conclude my comments with two points:
First don’t be bullied into silence regarding our faith by the fanciful and incorrect allegations against Christ that come from those who hate him.
Second, the greatest war of all time is the war of rebellion waged against God by every sinner (until they are saved). This war is a matter of Heaven or Hell for those who either trust in Christ or not. The greatest news of all is that Jesus, the only begotten Son of God, died on the cross and rose from the dead for all who surrender to and follow Him.