One Wrong Turn

Religion has contributed to society in many positive ways. Unfortunately, its followers have also suffered a number of negative effects as shown in many cases of religious persecution.

Abuse of Power
Religious persecution often involves the abuse of power. For example, the Holocaust illustrates how Hitler and the Nazis abused their power in their efforts to exterminate the Jews. Power sometimes falls into the hands of benevolent individuals who use their power to contribute to societies in positive ways. Other times, as we have seen in the case of the Holocaust, power lands in the hands of individuals who use their power to benefit only themselves or to fulfill their personal ambitions. However, sometimes the exercise of power by one group can have consequences for another group.

Means to an End
The case of the Chinese invasion of Tibet shows that sometimes one group's actions can cause another group to suffer. Often when a country is taken over, the people in that country are the ones to suffer. Religious persecution of Tibetan Buddhists may be interpreted as a means for China to annex Tibet . China's destruction of Tibetan's religious culture was intended to weaken its people because religion is the source of strength for the Tibetans. This would weaken Tibet's culture and allow China to annex its land. Another interpretation would be that the destruction of Tibetan Buddhism was an unintended consequence of the Chinese invasion.

Struggle to Maintain Identity
According to the authors of Religion and Human Rights, religion often creates "in" and "out" groups in society. [1] The "in" group is often the orthodox believers and the "out" group includes the unorthodox or non-believers. Sometimes the distinction between the two groups is small and no conflict arises. However, this distinction can sometimes lead to a situation in which one group must fight in order to maintain their religious identity. In this case, individuals are persecuted by members of the other group, based on their religious beliefs.

Conclusion
We have discovered that religious persecution is often not simply the persecution of a group because of their faith. As we see in these three cases, religious persecution can be the result of the abuse of power, the means to a political end, or the struggle of a group to maintain its religious identity. This site examines the three specific examples of religious conflicts that demonstrate the complex spectrum of religious persecution and conflict.