Religion is the cause of more wars than anything else?

Does it?

I think the religion on the whole breeds less tolerance, but I’m not sure it really is the cause of wars, people naturally seem to want conflict and religion is just a natural cause.

Anything that you can unconditionally believe in as an absolute truth is asking for trouble.  Especially when there are other people that unconditionally believe in their absolute truth that is contradictory to yours.

As a defiant atheist I find it hard to comprehend the concept of unconditionally belief, especially in a way that would make me violent enough to fight my neighbour.

Most religions in my limited opinion teach of tolerance and of peacefulness, but from the dawn of time those concepts seem to have been ignored when it comes to actual disagreements on the religion itself.

From the bible, “Thou shalt not kill”, from the Qur’an “And do not take any human being’s life – that God willed to be sacred”.  Unfortunately my lack of familiarity with other religions means I do not have quotes, but most religions seem to follow this premise.

So why, with these very basic concepts is the world determined to kill each other?

Is it religion or is religion just an excuse for violent people to be more violent?

This brings me to my second point.  Why do people feel that being religious, or in this area, attending church, make them immune from basic human courtesy?

I see so many people on a day to day basis that would sooner tread on a fallen person than offer them a hand up, but decide they are good people because they went to the church service on Sunday.

At least I am not the only person to notice this, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/north_east/7497411.stm

I wonder some days whether the various religious leaders should all get together and cancel religion.  Make people responsible for their own actions rather than following the teachings, but this would never work.

Some people require the moral compass.  Overall (once again from my limited knowledge) these teachings provide a good solid basis as to what is right and what is wrong, what is good and what is bad.  But is that moral compass worth all the killing?