Holy Hatred: Religious Conflicts of the '90s

Haught (Holy Horrors) shows that many gruesome acts worldwide and throughout history have been committed ``in the name of God.'' He stresses that religion-inspired atrocities did not end with the Inquisition or the Reformation, and he recalls the Manhattan World Trade Center bombing by Muslim fundamentalists in 1993 and the religiously inspired atrocities in the former Yugoslavia. Haught, noting the ``nearly universal pattern'' of killing in the name of religion, reviews ongoing hot spots, including Northern Ireland, India and Israel. He also maintains that the influence of Christian fundamentalism is increasing in U.S. politics. For all of his astute observations, however, Haught concludes his exploration of the ``evil side of religion'' with the pedestrian suggestion that ``To find living conditions that are... `civilized,' avoid places with intense religion.'' Illustrations not seen by PW. (Dec.)