Image and Pilgrimage in Christian Culture

"In the course of this study, we have seen that pilgrimage shrines, in principle centers of peace and communitas, are often involved in social and political conflicts of great vehemence and intensity." I thought this quote really spoke to the division that religious centers envoke. When a site or place is considered sacred by some, it is destined to cause division. This division can cause an animosity and violence between people of different backgrounds and systems of belief. Therefore, it doesn't surprise me that these sites are often the setting for such violence and division. Though they were meant for peace, they tend to actually bring people apart. However, I do not think this division is always bad. If there was no division, than nobody would believe in the ultimate truth they proclaimed. Therefore, so long as division does not lead to violence, I think it can be a healthy sign that ultimately leads people to peace.

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