Holy Hatred: Religious Conflicts of the '90s (Hardcover)

by James A. Haught (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
Haught (Holy Horrors) shows that many gruesome acts worldwide and throughout history have been committed "in the name of God." He stresses that religion-inspired atrocities did not end with the Inquisition or the Reformation, and he recalls the Manhattan World Trade Center bombing by Muslim fundamentalists in 1993 and the religiously inspired atrocities in the former Yugoslavia. Haught, noting the "nearly universal pattern" of killing in the name of religion, reviews ongoing hot spots, including Northern Ireland, India and Israel. He also maintains that the influence of Christian fundamentalism is increasing in U.S. politics. For all of his astute observations, however, Haught concludes his exploration of the "evil side of religion" with the pedestrian suggestion that "To find living conditions that are... 'civilized,' avoid places with intense religion." Illustrations not seen by PW.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Newspaper editor and author Haught (Holy Horrors: The History of Religious Murder and Madness, Prometheus, 1990) provides a journalist's compilation of barbarities connected with various religions. The present unrelenting chronicle of atrocities, augmented by over 30 photos and a dozen maps (titles only seen), covers events in Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Sudan, Egypt, New York City, Sri Lanka, Iran, Algeria, and the Caucasus, with special focus on extremist Muslim activity and the Waco, Texas, tragedy. Events are reported through Western eyes without real exploration of the deeper historical, cultural, and indigenous factors woven through all religions and with no distinction made between levels of faith and their human religious expressions. The book concludes with the admonition to "avoid places with intense religion." Although of marginal value, the work points to a perduring irony in human history and serves as a warning for the future.
Anna M. Donnelly, St. John's Univ., New York
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 237 pages
• Publisher: Prometheus Books (November 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879759224
• ISBN-13: 978-0879759223
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #789,012 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Book that should be Required for High Schoolers, February 5, 2000

By	"ebreit42" (New Port Richey, Florida United States) - See all my reviews

Haught discusses only conflicts in the 1990's in this book, which actually stops in 1994. Although when you realize that the book is more than 230 pages long, it puts things into perspective. The reviewer before mine was reading this at the same time as "Can Man Live Without God?" by Zachrias (I hope I spelled his name right!), folks the answer is YES! The fact is that millions of people find live invigorating whether it is with or without religion. This book, while old, will make you sick (I can think of no other word to describe how I felt) with the information about religious hatred, murder, rape, genocide, the list of tortures described in this book are despicable. Unfortunately, the fact that religion can engender evil, and in fact, may engender it easier than good, does not make religious people evil. Personally, I would be much happier if people read this book, stopped bickering about whether or not something exists out there, and started obeying some damn commandments.

Again, in summary, this book should be REQUIRED for EVERYONE! It implicitly is a loud, ringing YES for Jefferson's "wall of separation." Haught goes around the world in 230 pages to uncover the evils people will do because they worship the "One True God." Or for the Hindu, "The Several True Gods." What people will do to pave their neighbors way to Happiness and Heaven is described in this book.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read alongside Ravi Zacharias' "Can Man Live Without God?", December 23, 1997

By	David Kerr (Calgary AB Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Does religion make men virtuous? Does believing in God make one moral?

This book is a punch in the face for anyone who would naively answer 'yes' to the above questions. This book is just shocking, disgusting, and really makes you want to puke at all the atrocities done in the name of 'righteous' religion.

This is definitely a must read book, but it has problems. It is not very detailed and more sources would help. There is no index, and the title is inappropriate. This only covers the years 1990-1994 in depth.

Thank you, James Haught, for having the courage to write this book. I hope another comes out for the years 1995-2000!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Eye opening if a little too easy, June 28, 2005

By	Jack D. Eller "Anthropologist, Author, and Ra... (Denver, CO United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Haught's book is one that everyone should look at. If anyone still is not aware of the dimensions of religious conflict in the modern world, they really need to be.
On the other hand, it is a little too easy to take shots at religion as the source of all the evil in the world. The simple but complex truth is that religion motivates people...to do good or to do harm, as their beliefs lead. Religion is neither all good nor all bad. It is probably all false (!), but a more serious and in-depth analysis of what violence is, what religion is, and how the two are related is necessary, rather than gleeful sticks poked in the eye of religion. God (!) knows, people have done great violence for non-religious reasons too. The point is to understand how religion can contribute to violence, not just to point an accusatory finger at religion.
I deal some with religion and violence in my new books, "Natural Atheism" and "Violence and Culture: A Cross-Cultural and Interdisciplinary Approach."