From the Crusades to the rise of the Islamic State of Iraq and ISIS, religion is regularly accused of being responsible for some one of the most horrific clashes in the world. Even if some use their faith to legitimize acts of violence, religion is not the origin of such clashes. Religions have the societal impact of dividing individuals into "us" and "them", which is clearly described in topic 4 - Religion, stimulus message 1 "Religion is the most evil thing in this world because from her, wars have taken place, people have died and she continues who has the best religion, that’s what it’s about.” Generally speaking, religion has only separated humanity. There are so many religions and sub-religions that this leads to the isolation of individuals with distinct beliefs and inevitable conflict. It is the most common response from non-believers to believing individuals that religion is the main cause of wars. Without faith, many say, there would have been no 9/11 attacks, no Israeli-Palestinian conflict, no unrest in Northern Ireland and no Islamic State. However, it is not religion that exercises violence, it is individuals. And particularly a certain mentality which seeks to use a philosophy or a religious defense to control people's thinking and control the most essential freedoms. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay “Politics, not religion, is to blame for violence in today’s world” (Armstrong 2016). Violence frequently breaks out between religious groups. However, it is a mistake to blame religion for violence. Tragically, fighting is a widespread human potential that would still exist if we were all non-believers. Religion tends to reflect political and financial realities. Not only does religion educate ideals, it catalyzes ethical activity. Violence exists because man is a social entity responsible for shaping groups, tribes and countries that coalesce into a culture. Individual character is sought and created within this group culture. We develop goodwill toward those within our group and hostility toward those outside the group. This benevolence within the group and this threatening ambiance outside the group produces conflict and war as groups clash over dominant issues of control, region, scarce assets, and character itself. Religion enters the mix when individuals distinguish it from their group identity. Through these dynamic steps, politicized psychological warfare is being waged within today's society. “Religion is the primary, and most dangerous, label by which a “they,” as opposed to an “us,” can be identified” (Dawkins 2013). However, the Institute for Economics and Peace report reveals that having less religion in a country does not make it more peaceful. The number of atheists in a nation had no bearing on peace levels. Countries with the highest levels of secularism, primarily communist or former communist states like Russia and the Czech Republic, were not necessarily the most peaceful. North Korea, which has one of the lowest rates of people practicing religion, was one of the world's ten least peaceful nations last year, the report said. Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, who gassed and bombed the Kurdish people, yet pretended to pray to Allah.