I think John Dombek was right in saying that God does not start and end wars. The same with religious wars. I don't think that God started them either. They were all started by people "in the name of God."
God gets praised and thanked for many things, but who says that he did what we thank him for? Paul said that we are the temple of God and that he will dwell in us; the Quakers called true religion “the Inward Light" within individuals. We only have to connect to it.
The Buddha said in 600 B.C. that we should acquire knowledge and do good only.
If there is a God, why are all religions so different? If there are more gods, why did they and we have so many religious wars and kill a few million, instead of living side by side in peace? An example is Toledo, Spain, where Christians, Jews and Muslims lived in peace for 400 years until Isabella (nicknamed the Catholic) started the Inquisition in 1478 and over the years persecuted 300,000 people, of whom 31,912 died in the flames.
I'm convinced that all evil comes from people. No, not from God and also not from Satan, but from all of us humans for power and dominion, also over our soul. The Christian world is looking forward for Jesus' Second Coming. But, even if he comes, we will have to clean up our act before we destroy each other. There's no magic wand. Decide to do good only. It's a good New Year’s resolution.
Ria van Lent, Woods Cross