When did religion get involved in politics?

Answer 1

Please be advised that there are thousands of text books on this subject.

From ancient times religion has been a part of the political life of nations. It has, with stealth, remained so even in the 21st century. Often times no stealth is required and there are numerous nations today with laws that are religion based.

In ancient Egypt, the oldest empires there paid close attention to pagan gods. It was not unusual for a pharaoh to seek the advice of his chief priests on matters of political importance.

In the early part of ancient Rome, it is said that Roman officials travelled to Delphi, in Greece to consult with the priests there about Rome's future.

Religion caused both Romans and Greeks to build temples dedicated to various gods. These temples were part of their societies and paid for by the treasuries of both nations.

In Judea, Jewish leaders based many of their laws on the laws given to Moses from God. The main place of worship in Jerusalem was the two temples built by Jewish leaders.

As time passed, religions in Europe and Asia played a role in public policies. In Spain as example, the leaders in the Roman Catholic Church spent allot of time persecuting people they deemed to have committed heresy. As example, they expelled Jews from Spain, mostly for the reason that they were not Catholics.

The pilgrims who settled in Plymouth traveled there so that they could practice their religion with a charter granted to them by the British Crown. Their type of Christianity was part of their political lives.

One of the reasons Irish Catholics were persecuted in America in the early 1800's was due in part of their religion.

Two US Federal holidays, Christmas and Thanksgiving are based on Christian beliefs.

In today's world, there a number of Islamic Nations that have laws based on their particular type of Islam.

There are literally hundreds of political decisions that are based on religion. In various parts of the world.

The list would include the conflicts in Northern Ireland in the 20th century. One minority religion believed that the majority's religion caused them to be discriminated against.