Death Note

WARNING: IF YOU ARE A FAN OF THE ANIME OR MANGA SERIES “DEATH NOTE,” THIS POST WILL CONTAIN MASSIVE SPOILERS. DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU HAVE FINISHED THE SERIES, OR YOU DON’T MIND SPOILERS. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

I have finally finished the Death Note anime. It has been, far and away, the best anime I have ever seen. The mental wars between Light Yagami and L were fascinating to watch, and I always wondered who was going to get fooled next.

The last episode moved me. Light’s sudden jump into insanity upon being exposed as Kira gave me the shivers. However, the ending was subpar and could have been so much better. What happened to Near? To the police? How did the world cope with the loss of Kira?

The manga explains these (so I’ve heard), but I don’t like manga, mainly for the reason that I don’t like paying $8-$12 a book for a 100-book series.

The best part of the anime was the characters. Here’s a rundown of characters I liked, disliked, and my opinions of them:

Characters I liked:

L

Real name: L Lawliet (yes, L is not an alias or an acronym. L is actually his real first name)
Date of birth: October 31, 1982
Date of death: November 5, 2004

L is, in short, the best anime character in the universe. I haven’t seen every anime in the universe, but I can still claim this to be fact, because it is. Why in God’s name they killed L to replace him with wannabe teenagers I will never know. His unique character is enhanced with his various idiosyncracies; he sits on his feet, he is always munching on sweets, and he holds things extremely delecately. He is a freaking genius, like Light, and has this crazy look about him. Not “lol I’ma kill everybody” crazy, like Light’s crazy, but more like a “I can see into your soul” crazy, which is a good kind of crazy. The death of L was the single biggest mistake of Death Note. After his death, the anime just took a massive turn for the negative. It is also hinted that L has some serious martial arts skills, like when he kicks the living hell out of Light during an argument (hilarious).

Light Yagami (sane)

Name: Light Yagami
Date of birth: February 28, 1989
Date of death: January 28, 2013

Yes, in most of the anime, Light is a jackass of the highest proportions. But about halfway through the first half of the anime, before L is killed, Light loses his memories of the Death Note and of Kira. During this short period, Light is actually a pretty cool guy, and is almost as awesome as L in some areas. He and L work together to find a new Kira, who is just another part of Crazy Light’s evil plan of world domination. Sadly, Light does regain his memories, and shortly afterward kills L.

Near

Real name: Nate River
Date of birth: August 24, 1991

That face look familiar? It should: you just saw it while looking at the picture of L. Near arrives on the scene after L’s death in Sleeper Cell-style “when one guy is killed, two more take his place” action. Like L, Near (sometimes called “N”) is incredibly smart. Like L, Near has some interesting idiosyncrasies: he sits in odd positions (though not on his feet), and has a thing for toys of all kinds. No junk food, though. Like L, Near grew up in an orphanage (the same one, in fact) and like L, Near is a detective, and like L. . . . . . . . .you get the picture. Near is the one who eventually corners and exposes Light, and as such gets a spot in my liked characters section.

Oh, and his voice actor is a girl. Seriously, how awesome is that?

Giovanni

Info is unknown.

You might be asking, “who the hell is that guy?” I’ll tell you: Giovanni is an absolute badass. He hardly gets any screen time, and hardly anyone ever remembers him, but look: The guy went into the locker to fiddle with the death note of an obvious psychopath at the risk of his own life, and it is thanks to this guy that Near was able to corner Light without getting killed. Giovanni’s “how I did it speech” on the final episode made me laugh in a good way. Seriously, this guy should have his own anime.

Matsuda

Info is unknown.

“Matsuda, you idiot!” Comes up every now and again in the anime. The kid gets himself into trouble. But he’s also an awesome character: The guy freakin’ jumped off a building onto a mattress in order to lead L to Kira. And this is after sneaking into an office full of known murderers who were plotting who they should kill next. He may lack common sense, but he’s cool. Here’s my favorite part: He shot Light. Oh yes. Matsuda supports Light throughout the series and believes him when he says he isn’t Kira. But when Light is exposed and tries to kill Near, Matsuda whips out a gun faster than you can blink and shoots the bastard. But that doesn’t stop Light. So Matsuda shoots him again; and again, and again, and again, and again, and then tries to kill Light but is stopped by freaking Aizawa. Matsuda should be Giovanni’s Near once G gets his show.

Characters I do not like:

Light Yagami (Kira)

I despise Light. Don’t let his good looks and his incredible IQ and his way (and disinterest) with the ladies fool you: This SOB is nuts. He kills L; he kills his blindly loyal girlfriend, Takada; he kills Mello (I don’t even like Mello!); he kills about ten thousand other people, and all without blinking. I’m am very glad this psychopath got what he deserved, but I just wish the anime didn’t freaking try to make me pity him! They did a good job! While he was dragging his limp arm and wimpering, I actually felt sorry for him! And then when he dies on the steps of the abandoned warehouse. . . . .but at least he died. I wish Matsuda was allowed to kill him; it would have been awesome, though I suppose Ryuk’s killing him gave some depth to it. The finale felt anti-climatic.

Misa Amane

Look at her. Just look at her. Two death gods killed themselves for that. Misa has an unyeilding love for Light, since he killed the murderer of her parents. She is also extremely annoying, both to the characters in the show and to the viewer. Her shrill voice combined with her immature attitude combined with her psychopathic position as the Second Kira combined with her Goth issues make her a no. She does not die in the anime, though in the finale she is shown on the top of a building, obviously contemplating something. What she does is up to the viewer to decide. I decided she went home and switched her vocal cords with Barry White.

Kiyomi Takada

Basically Misa minus the voice. She has an incredible amount of love and loyalty for Light. . . . .who ends up making her commit suicide for basically no reason. Sad thing is, I might actually like her if she wasn’t so freaking stupid.

Mello

Real name: Mihail Keehl. Seriously.

Why the hell was Mello even put in there? First off, he has very little screen time, even though he’s L’s other successor. Instead of helping Near to capture the worst psychopath the world has ever known, he instead runs off to join the mafia and kill Near’s team, along with Light’s father, Soichiro Yagami. He has a chocolate fetish and a high IQ, but barely ever gets to use it. He kidnaps Takada (who kills him by order of Light), which leads to Near’s catching Kira, but really, it feels like it was just slapped onto the plot. He has a temper that scares a shinigami (really, the thing can’t be touched but is scared by a teenager’s temper tantrum?) and spends most of his time blowing crap up and pointing guns at people. All this just to die in the cockpit of a truck in an abandoned church. Mello could have been a great character, but what we got was not good.

There were other characters, but I don’t feel like giving them a mention, as they didn’t really spur any strong emotions like the ones above did.

I truly enjoyed Death Note up until the end. I hope there will be a sequel. Not likely, but who knows?

The Philosophical Issues of Young Earth Creationism

“Men go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars, and they pass by themselves without wondering.” — Saint Augustine

If you read my About Me page, you know I’m not a Young Earth Creationist. Here I plan to explain why. This is only a philosophical commentary; I do not plan to use any science articles or Bible verses. I won’t need to. Most people simply use the broad term “Creationist” do describe Young Earth Creationists. I do not. I consider myself a Creationist. I consider all people who believe in a theistic religion to be Creationists. I consider theistic evolutionists to be Creationists. I consider any conspiracy theorist who believe aliens seeded life on Earth before returning to die on Mars to be a Creationist. So I will only use terms like “Young Earth Creationism” (or “YEC”) and “Old Earth Creationism” (Or “OEC”) to address those specific points in Creationism. Using “Creationism” to describe Young Earth Creationism is like using “Religion” to describe Christianity, and using “Christianity” to describe Protestantism.

My small proof goes like this:

God, as described in Christian mythology, cannot, under any circumstance, lie.

God created the Earth and the universe.

God inspired the writing of the Bible, which records His creating the Earth and universe.

The Earth and universe, as we see them, demonstrate sufficient evidence supporting the Theory of Evolution and great age, placing the age of the Earth at about four billion years and the universe at about thirteen billion years. They do not demonstrate evidence sufficient to prove the estimated age and processes found in Young Earth Creationist philosophy.

According to Young Earth Creationism, the Earth (and possibly the universe) was created approximately 6,000-20,000 years ago, and biological macroevolution did not occur.

Therefore, if Young Earth Creationism is correct, then God is is lying to us through His creation, which plainly shows evolutionary processes.

Therefore, under Young Earth Creationist philosophy, God in the Christian sense is incompatible with the creation we see today, as God in the Christian sense cannot lie.

This may or may not seem groundbreaking, but in reality, there is no Young Earth Creationist who is not aware of this proof, or the implications of this proof, should it be true. That is why many Young Earth Creationists have taken to attacking my fourth premise: That “the Earth and universe, as we see them, demonstrate sufficient evidence supporting the Theory of Evolution and great age, placing the age of the Earth at about four billion years and the universe at about thirteen billion years. They do not demonstrate evidence sufficient to prove the estimated age and processes found in Young Earth Creationist philosophy.”

In order to dismantle my conclusions, they must disprove this premise, as they themselves agree with all of my other premises. So they have created institutions such as Answers in Genesis that attempts to use scientific papers and methods to show that, under a naturalistic point of view, evolution is false and the Earth is young. Thus far, no paper has ever been successful in disproving evolution or the accepted age of the Earth.

Some Young Earth Creationists try to scientifically prove YEC is true. This is, by scientific standards, absurd. In order to do so, the Young Earth Creationist would have to scientifically prove the existence of God, and His properties. Science is unable to do such a thing. Science can only explain nature and the phenomena we find in nature; science may not say “yay” or “nay” on any matter that is immaterial, like God. It is possible (but not probable) to prove that evolution is false and the Earth is young, but this does not prove YEC, as we still need to determine the Creator in this creation.

 Usually, Young Earth Creationists attempt to prove YEC by disproving evolution, using the Sherlock Holmes method that states “If all other possible conclusions have been ruled out, then the final one, no matter how ridiculous, must be true.”  But this method carries the assumption that Young Earth Creationism and evolution (also called “evolutionism” by its detractors) are the only possibilities. They are not. There is also Old Earth Creationism, which states that the accepted age of the Earth is true, but evolution is not. There are also many forms of Creationism outside of the Christian religion that could also be true. In addition, proving evolution to be false would still not prove Young Earth Creationism to be true; it would simply prove evolution to be false. We would be back to where we were 200 years ago. We would still need to settle the matter of the Creator, and by scientific standards, if this creator is God, then that is impossible. Christian Young Earth Creationism, then, becomes scientifically impossible to prove.

Some Young Earth Creationists use the argument that Theistic Evolutionists (Christians who believe evolution is true) are the ones who make God out to be a liar. The logic used goes something like this:

God inspired the Creation to be written in Genesis.

God’s Word is infallible.

Therefore, the world must be as it was said in Genesis. Any contradicting view held is ultimately false, since any alternative paints God as a liar.

On the surface, this makes perfect sense. But when we look at the conclusion, we see a problem: This logic applies only if Genesis was written with the intention of being taken literally.

Contrary to popular belief, Biblical literalism didn’t emerge until the 16th century, when Protestant Reformers and Catholics were in conflict – around six thousand years after Genesis was written. Literalism was a minority position among Christians before that period. Saint Augustine of Hippo, a major church authority in his time, lived in the fourth century and did not take Genesis literally. In his book, The Literal Meaning of Genesis, he said this famous quote:

“It not infrequently happens that something about the earth, about the sky, about other elements of this world, about the motion and rotation or even the magnitude and distances of the stars, about definite eclipses of the sun and moon, about the passage of years and seasons, about the nature of animals, of fruits, of stones, and of other such things, may be known with the greatest certainty by reasoning or by experience, even by one who is not a Christian. It is too disgraceful and ruinous, though, and greatly to be avoided, that he [the non-Christian] should hear a Christian speaking so idiotically on these matters, and as if in accord with Christian writings, that he might say that he could scarcely keep from laughing when he saw how totally in error they are. In view of this and in keeping it in mind constantly while dealing with the book of Genesis, I have, insofar as I was able, explained in detail and set forth for consideration the meanings of obscure passages, taking care not to affirm rashly some one meaning to the prejudice of another and perhaps better explanation.”

 Saint Augustine framed the Original Sin doctrine; I do not know a Christian insane enough to say he wasn’t a good Christian for his beliefs on the Creation. Origen, Bishop of Alexandria and 3rd century Church father, had this to say: “What man of sense will argue with the statement that the first, second and third days, which the evening is named and the morning, were without sun, moon and stars?”

In addition to making no logical sense whatsoever, taking Genesis literally also completely misses the point. The main importance of Genesis is not to tell us exactly when and how God created life, but what happened next. The main importance of Genesis is to show us that mankind is fallen. Whether it was by some special fruit that God told Adam not to eat, or by some other means. Putting so much emphasis on the Creation of the world takes much-needed attention away from the Fall of Man, a much more important issue.

Which leads to another Young Earth Creationist objection: If Genesis is not true, then the Fall of Man didn’t happen, therefore Jesus had no reason to come and die in the first place. This objection deals with the fundamental doctrine of Original Sin.

There are several things wrong with this objection. First, theistic evolutionists (or evolutionary creationists, as I prefer to call them) do not believe Genesis “isn’t true.” Evolutionary Creationists believe every significant point in Genesis is true, but they believe that it is conveyed in a non-literal way, by means of metaphor, allegory and hyperbole.

Secondly, this objection distorts what Original Sin is. Original Sin is not the eating of a cursed apple and so all of humanity is doomed. Original Sin is the act of disobeying God–an act that is committed by every human every day, all throughout history. Original Sin was not a one-time only thing that happened and now God holds a grudge against humanity for it. Original Sin is just as accepted among evolutionary Creationists as it is among Young Earth Creationists. And just like YEC, the importance of Jesus’ sacrifice is just as stressed.

To put it all short, I do not believe God’s creation can contradict God’s Word. That’s why I believe Young Earth Creationism is false. I do not believe the Bible is wrong; I believe humans are wrong to interpret the Bible literally.

“With the scriptures it is a matter of treating about the faith. For that reason, as I have noted repeatedly, if anyone, not understanding the mode of divine eloquence, should find something about these matters [about the physical universe] in our books, or hear of the same from those books, of such a kind that it seems to be at variance with the perceptions of his own rational faculties, let him believe that these other things are in no way necessary to the admonitions or accounts or predictions of the scriptures. In short, it must be said that our authors knew the truth about the nature of the skies, but it was not the intention of the Spirit of God, who spoke through them, to teach men anything that would not be of use to them for their salvation.” – Saint Augustine

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? Objections? If there’s anything you’d like included, let me know.

Shattering the Christ Myth

You’ve undoubtedly read this at some point while perusing the World Wide Web: “Jesus didn’t exist. He was a copycat. There is no evidence.” Usually, such statements are backed with glamorous documentaries and walls of text.

But now it’s time to show how wrong this “Christ myth” myth really is. James Patrick Holding has published his third book: Shattering the Christ Myth: Did Jesus Not Exist?

Each chapter is written by experts in the historical field, and there are chapters on the authors of Christ-myth books, Christ-myth documentaries (including the infamous Zeitgeist and The God Who Wasn’t There), as well as the best evidences for the existence of Jesus Christ. Check out this book and know just why the historical community does not take the Christ-myth seriously.

Wlliam Lane Craig versus Frank Zindler

This debate is old, but it is a signature classic among debates. William Lane Craig is widely considered to be the best Christian debater in the world, and has many debates and books under his belt. Frank Zindler is considered to be one of the foremost atheists in America, commanding much respect from atheists everywhere. Here is a video:

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v7021747DpaSRThr

Over 8,000 people attended this debate. The church was completely filled within 12 seconds from opening, holding about 5,000 people. 

SPOILER!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Craig wins in a massacre. If my sources are to be believed, at least 46 atheists left that building as Christians. No Christians reported converting.

 

Blog it

Write that blog
Give the spam the slip
Post all your crap
Break your momma’s back

When a problem comes along
You must blog it
Before the memory is gone
You must blog it
When something’s going wrong
You must blog it

Now blog it
Into shape
Write it up
Get straight
Click forward
Move ahead
Try to spell check it
It’s not too late
To blog it
Blog it good

When a good time turns around
You must blog it
You will never live it down
Unless you blog it
No one clicks exit
Until they blog it

I say blog it
Blog it good
I say blog it
Blog it good

Post that blog
Give the spam the slip
Post all your crap
Break your momma’s back

When a problem comes along
You must blog it
Before the memory is gone
You must blog it
When something’s going wrong
You must blog it

Now blog it
Into shape
Write it up
Get straight
Go forward
Move ahead
Try to spell check it
It’s not too late
To blog it
Blog it good

Crazy Laws All Over America

In Bozeman, Montana, a law prohibits all sexual activity from the front yard of a home after sundown.

In Salt Lake County, Utah, it’s illegal to walk down the street carrying a violin in a paper bag.

In San Francisco, it’s illegal to pile horse manure more than six feet high on a street corner.

In Devon, Texas, it is against the law to make furniture while you are nude.

In Oklahoma, you can be arrested for making ugly faces at a dog. ( What if it’s an ugly dog…?)

In California it is illegal for a vehicle without a driver to exceed 60 miles per hour.

In Florida men seen publicly in any kind of strapless gown can be fined.

In South Carolina it is legal to beat your wife on the court house steps on Sundays.

In Tennessee, you are breaking the law if you drive while sleeping.

In New York, the penalty for jumping off a building is Death.

In Pennsylvania, all fire hydrants must be checked one hour before all fires.

In Pennsylvania, it’s against the law to tie a dollar bill on a string on the ground and pull it away when someone tries to pick it up.

In New York City, it’s illegal for a restaurant to call a sandwich a “corned beef sandwich” if it’s made with white bread and mayonnaise.

In California it is illegal to set a mouse trap without a hunting license.

In Wilbur, Washington, it is illegal to ride an ugly horse.

In Louisiana, biting someone with your natural teeth is considered “simple assault,” but biting someone with your dentures is “aggravated assault.”

In the state of Washington, it is illegal to have sex with a virgin under any circumstances. (Including the wedding night.)

In Florida, it is illegal to fart in a public place after 6 P.M. on Thursdays.

In Massachusetts, it is illegal to go to bed without first having a bath. (However, another law prohibits bathing on Sunday)

In Florida, women may be fined for falling asleep under a hair dryer.

In Alabama, bear wrestling matches are prohibited.

In Georgia, no one may carry an ice cream cone in their back pocket if it is Sunday.

In Mississippi, it is illegal to teach others what polygamy is.

In Texas, it is illegal to take more than three sips of beer at a time while standing.

Billboards are outlawed in Hawaii.

In Wyoming, any person who fails to close a fence is subject to a fine of up to seven hundred and fifty dollars.

In New Jersy, it is illegal to wear a bullet-proof vest while committing a murder.

In Rhode Island, it is considered an offense to throw pickle juice on a trolley.

In Maryland, oral sex can not be given or received anywhere.

In Alaska, it is considered an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane.

In New York, women may go topless in public, providing it is not being used as a business.

In Arizona, hunting camels is prohibited.

In Idaho, it is illegal for a man to give his sweetheart a box of candy weighing less than fifty pounds.

In Michigan, any person over the age of 12 may have a license for a handgun as long as he/she has not been convicted of a felony.

In Utah, it is illegal not to drink milk.

In Colorado, one may not mutilate a rock in a state park.

In Arkansas, a man can legally beat his wife, but not more than once a month.

The Wall

 In the year 1859 A.D., an extraordinary wall was erected. It was larger and more impressive than any similar structure built by Mankind, before or since. The dimensions of the Wall  were astounding! It circled the entire globe, and reached as high as the heavens. Also of interest, the material used to build the wall was the very finest that could be obtained at the time. Called by different names, this material had remarkable properties: It shined and was almost transparent, like glass. Even more incredible, though the material could be smudged, soiled and even cracked, it was absolutely unbreakable! 
    On either side of the wall lived many people. On the one side lived its creators, men who had worked most of their lives and many of whom died before they ever saw their accomplishment. On the other side lived their opponents, men who had lived their lives in a world without the wall, and, not knowing what to do with its presence, feared it, and sought to tear it down. As the years passed, the population on each side of the Wall had grown immensely. On the side of its creators, the people had knowledge of the Wall’s creation, and opposed the side of its would-be destroyers, who attempted every day to destroy the Wall. They never succeeded to create more than a few cracks, since the Wall was unbreakable, and the other side always managed to fill the cracks with material they were able to craft. But still they tried.
    Each side of the Wall hated the other greatly. As time went on, some people on each side began to attempt to climb the Wall, so that they may learn of life on the other side. But on each side, people opposed the Climbers. They were pulled and dragged down to their side of the Wall by their opponents, who would always warn them of the evils that awaited on the other side. But that soon changed. Eventually, some of the Climbers made it to the top of the Wall. As they reached the top, they would look down on the two sides, and they would see nothing but a great haze through which they could see, but the ones who were within it could not. Some Climbers slipped and fell to the other side of the Wall, and were engulfed in the Haze. They found that the people farthest away from the Wall, the ones deepest into the Haze, were wandering aimlessly and mumbling to themselves about the great atrocities those of the other side had committed. They very rarely managed to find their way through the Haze, and it was never without the help of someone else who had once been into the thin of it.
    The Climbers soon decided that it would be best if they tried to share their clear view of the world with the many people still wandering in the Haze. They set down many ropes and ladders, only for many of them to be destroyed by people on each side of the Wall that didn’t want people leaving their side. People climbing the Wall were brought down by others who were deeper into the Haze, and the Climbers who had reached the top of the Wall were hated by people on both sides. But the Climbers continued to make ropes and ladders that were used by more people on each side, who would then create new ropes and new ladders for the people to climb up and join them.
    By the year 2127 A.D., almost three long centuries after the Wall was erected, the only ones who had not climbed to the top of the Wall were the ones deepest into the Haze; so deep that they no longer knew the reasons for their being there, and they spent their lives in the fetal position mumbling and grumbling about the ones who had braved climbing the the Wall, and about how foolish they all were, and how they were right, even though they barely knew what “right” was anymore.
   Then one day, something strange and beautiful and terrifying happened. The Wall began to glow, and the many people on top of it were almost blinded by its light. Then it began to shake. And soon after, the Wall gave one last burst of blinding light, and it crumbled to the ground. The Wall’s destruction cleared away all of the Haze, and the poor souls who were lost to it eventually turned to dust. The ones left behind, the ones who had long-since climbed the Wall, were left scattered and confused. Some despaired that their Wall was destroyed, and feared that they would go back to the quarreling zombies they were before. But then they noticed something. The Pieces the Wall had left behind were shining. When they were examined, they were found to be made of the same material as the Wall, but they shone so much brighter than before. Their light–that beautiful, penetrating light–eliminated every tiny trace of the Haze, and the world was illuminated by that glorious light for centuries. And a new Wall was one day erected with the ruins of the Old Wall, and so history was started anew.

 

My Big Project

This has taken me a long time to write, but it is nearly finished. This is not the final post; more like an incomplete first draft.

Albigensian Crusade, (Estimated death toll: 200,000-1,000,000, source)

Almohad Conquest of Muslim Spain (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Anglo-Scottish War (1559-1560) (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Arab Conquest of Carthage (Estimated death toll is unknown, but is considered to be over 40,000, source),

Aragonese-Castilian War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Aragonese-French War (1209-1213) (Nothing on this can be found, let alone the death toll.),

First Bearnese Revolt (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Second Bearnese Revolt (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Third Bearnese Revolt (Estimated death toll is unknown, but the leaders at the time exaggerated it as 22,000. Source),

First Bishop’s War,

Second Bishop’s War (The death toll of the Bishop’s Wars is about 1,000. Source.),

Raids of the Black Hundreds (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Bohemian Civil War (1465-1471) (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Bohemian Palatine War (See: Thirty Years War),

War in Bosnia (Estimated death toll is 97,000. Source),

Byzantine-Muslim War (633-642),

Byzantine-Muslim War (645-656),

Byzantine-Muslim War (688-679),

Byzantine-Muslim War (698-718 ),

Byzantine-Muslim War (739),

Byzantine-Muslim War (741-752),

Byzantine-Muslim War (778-783),

Byzantine-Muslim War (797-798 ),

Byzantine-Muslim War (803-809),

Byzantine-Muslim War (830-841),

Byzantine-Muslim War (851-863),

Byzantine-Muslim War (871-885),

Byzantine-Muslim War (960-976),

Byzantine-Muslim War (995-999) (Estimated death toll for the Byzantine-Muslim wars cannot be found),

Camisards’ Rebellion (See: Thirty Years War),

Castilian Conquest of Toledo (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Charlemagne’s Invasion of Northern Spain (Death toll cannot be found),

Charlemagne’s War against the Saxons (Estimated death toll is 4,500. Source.),

Count’s War (also known as the Count’s Feud. Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Covenanters’ Rebellion (1666) (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Covenanters’ Rebellion (1679) (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Covenanters’ Rebellion (1685) (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Crimean War (Estimated death toll is 277,173. Source.),

First Crusade,

Second Crusade,

Third Crusade,

Fourth Crusade,

Fifth Crusade,

Sixth Crusade,

Seventh Crusade,

Eighth Crusade,

Ninth Crusade,

Crusader-Turkish Wars (1100-1146),

Crusader-Turkish Wars (1272-1291) (The combined death toll of all the Crusades is approximately 1.5 million. Source),

Danish-Estonian War (Estimated death toll cannot be found; may not have been disclosed),

German Civil War (1077-1106) (Also known as the Austro-Prussian War, the estimated death toll is 53,000. Source.),

Ghost Dance Uprising (Estimated death toll is 350. Source.),

Siege of Granada (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

First Iconoclastic War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Second Iconoclastic War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

India-Pakistan Partition War (Estimated death toll is 200-1,000,000. The most educated guess is 500,000. Source.),

Irish Tithe War (The exact estimate is unknown, but I found a figure of 242 murders. Source.),

Japanese invasion of Malacca (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Great Java War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Kappel Wars (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Lebanese Civil War (Estimated death toll is 150,000. Source.),

Wars of the Lombard League (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Luccan-Florentine War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Holy Wars of the Mad Mullah (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Maryland’s Religious War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Mecca-Medina War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Mexican Insurrections (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

War of the Monks (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Mountain Meadows Massacre (Estimated death toll is 120. Source.),

Revolt of Muqanna (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Crusade of Nicopolis (See: The Crusades),

Padri War (Estimated death toll cannot be found),

Paulician War (Estimated death toll is 100,000. Source.),

Persian Civil War (1500-1503),

Portuguese-Moroccan War (1458-1471),

Portuguese-Moroccan War (1578 ),

Portuguese-Omani Wars in East Africa,

Rajput Rebellion against Aurangzeb,

Revolt in Ravenna,

First War of Religion,

Second War of Religion,

Third War of Religion,

Fourth War of Religion (See: Third Bearnese Revolt),

Fifth War of Religion,

Sixth War of Religion,

Eighth War of Religion,

Ninth War of Religion,

Roman-Persian War (421-422),

Roman-Persian War (441),

Russo Turkish War (1877-1878 ),

First Sacred War,

Second Sacred War,

Third Sacred War,

Saladin’s Holy War,

Schmalkaldic War,

Scottish Uprising against Mary of Guise,

Serbo-Turkish War,

Shimabara Revolt,

War of the Sonderbund,

Spanish Christian-Muslim War (912-928 ),

Spanish Christian-Muslim War (977-997),

Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1001-1031),

Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1172-1212),

Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1230-1248 ),

Spanish Christian-Muslim War (1481-1492),

Spanish Conquests in North Africa,

Swedish War,

Thirty Years War (Estimated death toll is 3 million to 7 million. It is sometimes exaggerated as 11.5 million. Source),

Transylvania-Hapsburg War,

Tukulor-French War,

Turko-Persian Wars,

United States War on Terror,

Vellore Mutiny,

Vjayanagar Wars,

First Villmergen War,

Second Villmergen War,

Visigothic-Frankish War.

Now, considering the sad fact that I am only human, I’m not going to claim that I have listed every religious war in history. So please, if you find another one that isn’t on this list, please just tell me, rather than shout “bias!” and claim I’m intentionally leaving something out to make me look good.

Now, some objections:

You didn’t list the Troubles.

The Irish Troubles were caused by English Parliament interfering with Irish government affairs, not religion. This is usually associated with religion because the two conflicting sides are Catholic and Protestant. This is coincidence. The Troubles are civil wars between conflicting politics. Religion is just an unfortunate bystander.

You didn’t list the Holocaust.

I will never understand how people can think the Holocaust was a religious event. I have literally seen people go “Jews were oppressed, therefore it is religious!” as if religion caused the Holocaust; religion, if it had anything to do with it, was a victim, not a perpetrator.

But Hitler was a Christian!

1. No he wasn’t. He vehemently criticised Christianity and Christians, likening it all to “poison.”

2. So? Stalin was an atheist, and he’s considered by many to be worse than Hitler. Does that mean atheism is to blame for his crimes?

Yes he was. He killed Jews for Lord Jesus.

Lord Jesus was a Jew Himself. As were His disciples. As was most of His audiences.

You didn’t list the Inquisitions.

The Inquisitions were not wars or military conflicts.

Most of the wars listed were Islamic. That’s because you’re biased. 

Islam has an extremely violent, albeit short, history. There are more Islamic wars up there because the wars of Islam outnumber the wars of Christianity or other religions.  

None of those were religious!

It can be argued that some of the listed battles were political issues that used religion as a scapegoat, but for the purpose of this topic, I’m going to assume that every single one of them were religious as critics claim.