Experts debate role of religion as factor in global conflicts

Published: 2003-10-06

CAMALDOLI, Italy (CNS) -- At a secluded monastery in central Italy, international experts debated whether religion is a factor in modern global conflicts and suggested ways that major faiths can help heal the rifts in today's world. A key issue at the Oct. 3-5 conference was the extent to which fundamentalist visions, particularly among Muslims and Christians, are affecting global political events -- including terrorism and the response to it. The conference on the theme, "In His Name: God and the Meeting of Cultures," was sponsored by Il Regno, an Italian Catholic magazine published by the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, also known as the Dehonians. In general, participants said it was an oversimplification to view modern conflicts as part of a clash between Christians and Muslims or between civilizations. Indeed, they said, underlying many of the conflicts in today's world are internal differences within faiths and cultures.

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