Everyday people turn on the television or the Internet and see all sorts of stories, murders committed, hunger strikes, boycotts, elections, company mergers, etc. All of these things make people look at the world in a different light. Even though people want to believe that this information is completely accurate, it is mostly biased or one sided, just like religion. With this being said one of the main factors in government that causes so much conflict and collision is religion. This is because religion is a worldwide phenomenon that can lead to both conflict and peace, depending on the way one looks upon it. Although in some cases religion may cause strife between countries, the reality of it is that without religion correlating with state affairs at all, the government would simply not function. Joseph Ashby seconds that statement in his article “Is Religion Necessary” when he states how important religion is in order to have freedom. Albright furthers this argument when she portrays the importance of the role religion has on diplomatic efforts in her essay “Faith and Diplomacy”. Thomas Freidman also touches upon the topic of international diplomacy when he encourages peace and cooperation between nations that may not always see eye to eye in his essay “The Dell Theory of Conflict Prevention”. All three authors show how the government of the United States is far more complicated than what meets the eye and paints a vivid picture of how there is a brighter future in store for the world if only nations would use their differences to their advantage. “They should develop the ability to recognize where and how religious beliefs contribute to conflicts and when religious principles might be invoked to ease strife.” (Alrbright 24). The role of in foreign policy has the potential to impact the world and make connections between nations stronger and more efficient if only we would let it. It is important to recognize the conflicts of human...
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