text: First, the fighting in Ireland is not between Catholics and Protestants.  It is between people who want to remain part of Britian, and those who want independence.  The majority of those who want to remain part of England are members of the English church.  While those who want indepence are mre often cathlic (non-Church of England).  But the fightings is not religion based.  It is entirely political.\n\nAs to why fighting happens between people who claim to worship the same God, it happens for the same reason that any war does.  The people involved have difference they can not settle any other way.  Sometimes they actually are about religion.  Most often they are about land (who gets Israel) or power (who rules Ireland) or money (who get the oil).  Religion is simply a good motivator to get people into a fight that they might not do otherwise (They will kill to get rid of "insert religion" fanatics before they will kill to get oil)\n\nWhy does God permit it?  If you mean permit as in support or encourage it, he doesn't.  War between his people is a sin, and those who deliberate stir up should fights will be punished for it in the end.\n\nIf you mean permit, as in why does he not stop it...I would ask you how?  If when Hitler and Nazis had first started their march on Europe, God had come through with a death angel and struck them all down, can you imagine that uproar there would have been against him?  Many would have been calling God evil and murderous for slaughtering thousands of innocents.  Look at all the charges leveled against God for his actions against Pharoah in the days of Moses, with the ten plagues.  All intended to stop the murder, enslavement and abuse of nearly 3 million people.  But seen by many as an evil act.\n\nGod has stopped wars in the past.  He has used plagues to take down armies.  He has used natural disasters to wipe out evil nations.  He has used revolts and riots to take out unjust rulers and governments.  He has used armies to stop evil and aggression.  He can and will use whatever force is needed.\n\nBut he most often uses the power of love, help, support, giving, and good to change lives rather then destroy them.  To bring peace, not war.  That is the only way that will work.