The loss of great religious monopolies in the West and the deregulation of religion does not necessarily imply a lesser role of religion in social conflicts. Rather, as the spread of pluralism and relativism eats away at the internal unity of societies, religious symbols can continue to be used in the conflicts between various social groups. As long as religious symbols continue to capture the imagination of people and as long as societies remain conflict-ridden, people will seek to draw religious symbols into their conflicts, to use them as weapons in their wars.
