[The Modesto Bee] 24.11.07--While an officer in the British army, John Bowker was sent to control a riot over a donkey between religious factions in a northern Nigerian marketplace.
"I did everything by the book," Bowker said. "You had to blow a trumpet, you had to have an interpreter, you had to say, 'Go home,' three times or, 'I'll fire.' "
It was no use. The crowd could not be calmed and soon pulled the donkey limb from limb. While witnessing the spectacle, Bowker had an epiphany.
"I suddenly realized I wanted to understand why religious people hated each other so much," he says. His career has included Anglican priesthood and editing The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. He also has written several books, including "Licenced Insanities: Religions and Belief in God in the Contemporary World."
"My answer is that religions are so dangerous because they matter so much," he said.
The Modesto area is not without its share of religious fights. Church woes have led to new congregations. Court cases have been filed over church property taken over by unscrupulous leaders. Charges against pastors have split churches and communities.
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