Why has the spread of religions created greater tensions and conflicts in some areas of the world? What might increase the likelihood of conflict between religions? Given an example of a religious conflict that was not mentioned in the text and briefly analyze the historical context of the religious groups in that conflict to point out factors other than religion that might have led to that conflict.

Because religion is a deeply personal issue that can easily become very emotional, and emotions can lead to conflict. Besides, religion has also been used throughout history as a tool of political control, and political struggles have often become religious struggles throughout history.

What might increase the likelihood of conflict between religions?

Simple lack of tolerance among the different religions members. Also, politization of religion. If a political authority like a monarch or a president uses a particular religion to rile up his or her supporters against another religion, the likelihood of conflict becomes very high.

Given an example of a religious conflict

An example of a recent religious conflict occurred in the Caucasus in the 1990s and early 2000s, between the Russia Federation, which is a Christian nation, more specifically, an Eastern-Orthodox nation, and Chechnya, an autonomous Russian region that is of Muslim majority, and that wanted to separate and form its own country.