Northern Ireland has for years been a land of conflict between its two main groups: Catholic/Republicans and Protestant/Unionists. The main factor causing this tension between the two factions is not racism, but another closely related "ism" called sectarianism. As described by Liechty and Clegg, “[s]ectarianism… is a system of attitudes, actions, beliefs, and structures at the personal, community, and institutional levels that always involves religion, and typically involves a negative mixture of religion and politics” ( 102 -103). Two examples of sectarianism seen in Northern Ireland are religious parades and documents, particularly the Orange Order Parade and the “One Bread, One Body” document. Both show explicit examples of sectarianism even if it wasn't intended. The main consequence of this "ism" is that most people fail to recognize its influence on them. Cult consequences are not just verbal and physical confrontations between one group against another group of people, but can include the effects of neglecting another. “One Bread, One Body” is a Catholic document on the Eucharist and appears to have no intention of being written from a sectarian perspective. The teaching document is “an example of neglect…overlooks the faith commitment and concerns of Protestant partners in Catholic-Protestant interfaith marriages. The message to them is that the Roman Catholic Church does not accept you for who you say you are” (Liechty and Clegg 136). Several passages from “One Bread, One Body” show that mixed marriages are not in full communion with each other due to the different faiths of the spouses. An example is presented from the document which states that “[w]hen a Christian is not in fu...... middle of paper ......r the fact that the roots of the parade date back to a historical context Protestant/Loyalist event. Most years pass without incident, but sectarianism can lay a dangerous foundation for the future. Sectarianism is the cause of conflict in Northern Ireland, but sectarianism at some levels may be necessary to maintain peace. Sectarian thinking is not positive, but it can help the emergence of some conflicts in the current moment. Mixing religion and politics has been a problem with nations for much of history; negative mixing generally leads to division among the nation's population. As demonstrated in Northern Ireland, religion forms an important part of the culture and is one of the reasons why sectarianism thrives there today. The end of Northern Ireland's problems would mean the end of conflict over the mix of religion and politics, which is unlikely as religion is part of culture.