Scriptures rarely a significant motivating factor behind violence, say researchers

Many people misunderstand the relationship between religion, scripture and violence, a new book argues. Some people worry that scriptures such as the Qur'an and the Bible fan the flames of violence in the world today, while others insist that they are inherently peaceful. According to an international team of researchers, the reality may be more complicated than either set of people think. Some people think that the best strategy for preventing violence is to pretend certain scriptural passages don't exist. But that's counterproductive. Instead, find out how people within these religious traditions actually understand these scriptures Julia Snyder When acts of violence are reported in London, New York, or the Middle East, people often wonder what role religion might have played. Especially if Muslims are involved, there can also be a tendency to point fingers at the Qur'an.