Violent texts are neither necessary nor sufficient for violent movements
NOT NECESSARY: Here are some examples where non-violent textual origins led to violent movements…
~ Communism / Socialism: rooted in ideals of equality and fairness, yet 20th-century regimes like Stalin’s USSR, Mao’s China, and Pol Pot’s Cambodia committed mass atrocities despite non-violent founding texts
~ Rwandan genocide: no violent founding scripture; violence driven by political propaganda, ethnic manipulation, and colonial legacies, resulting in ~800,000 deaths
~ French Revolution’s “Declaration of the Rights of Man”: celebrated liberty and equality, yet was followed by the Reign of Terror, mass executions, and political purges
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NOT SUFFICIENT: Here are some examples where violent textual origins led to non-violent movements…
~ Old Testament / Torah: contains violent prescriptions, yet modern Jewish practice is largely peaceful
~ Hindu epics (Mahabharata, Ramayana): depict divine wars, yet Hinduism today is primarily devotional and non-violent
~ Bushidō codes: glorify ritual killing and battlefield honor, yet Japan saw centuries of peace under Tokugawa rule
~ Norse sagas: celebrate raiding and conquest, yet modern Scandinavian societies are among the most peaceful globally