Most of the religious men are insecure, and want to secure their income,
place and status in the society by doing what sells; making a villain out of
God, who hates Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others. That is the real
problem.
place and status in the society by doing what sells; making a villain out of
God, who hates Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others. That is the real
problem.
Texas Faith: The endless entanglement of faith and war
By Rudolph Bush | 9:10 am on August 6, 2014 | Permalink
For so many of us in the comfort of the west, it is hard to understand the
generational conflicts in the Middle East, between Jew and Muslim or Sunni and
Shia.
The cycle of provocation and vengeance has lost its beginning. It seemingly
has no end. It is wrapped on all sides in justifications of faith.
Both violence and faith are used by evil people as a means to ascend to
power. But good people too become absorbed in the tradition of blood for
blood.
How can faith help break this cycle? How can each side use his or her belief
in a higher power, and in their sacred scripture, to see the humanity in someone
different?
MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism and speaker on interfaith
matters, Dallas
matters, Dallas
The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is a
humanitarian one, and it would be wrong to label it as Jewish and Muslim or
between Judaism and Islam. We have to guard ourselves from labeling each other
as enemies which we are not, and we shouldn’t be. Of course a few among us
(Jewish or Muslim) look to the other as if ‘they’ have wronged us. No, none
whatsoever.
humanitarian one, and it would be wrong to label it as Jewish and Muslim or
between Judaism and Islam. We have to guard ourselves from labeling each other
as enemies which we are not, and we shouldn’t be. Of course a few among us
(Jewish or Muslim) look to the other as if ‘they’ have wronged us. No, none
whatsoever.
The conflict should not deteriorate the delicate relationship between Jews,
Christians and Muslims; instead it should bring us together to build a cohesive
America, and hopefully cohesive societies across the world where no human has to
live in fear of the other.
Christians and Muslims; instead it should bring us together to build a cohesive
America, and hopefully cohesive societies across the world where no human has to
live in fear of the other.
It is easy to blame the religion, an intangible that you cannot kill,
shoot, beat, hang or bury to restore trust and justice in the society, but you
restore trust in the society by holding the individual wrong doers
accountable.
shoot, beat, hang or bury to restore trust and justice in the society, but you
restore trust in the society by holding the individual wrong doers
accountable.
It is time for Jews, Christians and Muslims to re-look at their books and
start seeing and believing in a God who is just, merciful and loving, and not a
bigot who takes sides, favors one over the other, or makes deals with one set of
people behind other’s back. Do we need a sneaky God like that? Hell No!
start seeing and believing in a God who is just, merciful and loving, and not a
bigot who takes sides, favors one over the other, or makes deals with one set of
people behind other’s back. Do we need a sneaky God like that? Hell No!
I have spent 20 years researching on pluralism and here is my take. The
holy books are right, God’s words are right, and religions are beautiful. God
loves us all, we are his creation, and his words are not the problem; it is our
understanding that is messed up.
holy books are right, God’s words are right, and religions are beautiful. God
loves us all, we are his creation, and his words are not the problem; it is our
understanding that is messed up.
Most of the religious men are insecure, and want to secure their income,
place and status in the society by doing what sells; making a villain out of
God, who hates Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others. That is the real
problem.
place and status in the society by doing what sells; making a villain out of
God, who hates Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others. That is the real
problem.
Making a villain out of God
Some of the most powerful leaders in Christianity tend to be sadistic men,
and their own tailor-made-God loves killing people, and they remorselessly
justify and cherish massacres of Palestinians, because God will come soon to the
earth if that happens. Does Jesus want blood on his hands to come back?
and their own tailor-made-God loves killing people, and they remorselessly
justify and cherish massacres of Palestinians, because God will come soon to the
earth if that happens. Does Jesus want blood on his hands to come back?
The Powerful Jews and Muslims are no better either; they have got their
scriptures completely wrong. One’s bigoted God has promised them the land
robbing from the others, and the other’s bigoted God tells them not to make
friends with Christians and Jews. The interpretations for the following verses
need to be corrected – Exodus 23:31-32, Deuteronomy 1:8, Genesis 15:18-2 and
Quran, 5:51 to prevent abusers from justifying injustices and outright hate. God
is not a bigot.
scriptures completely wrong. One’s bigoted God has promised them the land
robbing from the others, and the other’s bigoted God tells them not to make
friends with Christians and Jews. The interpretations for the following verses
need to be corrected – Exodus 23:31-32, Deuteronomy 1:8, Genesis 15:18-2 and
Quran, 5:51 to prevent abusers from justifying injustices and outright hate. God
is not a bigot.
God is just, and has created everything in harmony and balance. Our free
will messes us up with our bad choices. God wills nothing but seeing his
creation remain intact as he has created, and it is responsibility of good ones
among us to remind the others about what God wants; harmony and respect for his
creation.
will messes us up with our bad choices. God wills nothing but seeing his
creation remain intact as he has created, and it is responsibility of good ones
among us to remind the others about what God wants; harmony and respect for his
creation.
Apologies
We should demand an apology from Benjamin Netanyahu, Khaled Mashaal, Barak
Obama, our Senators and Congresspersons for the death of the Israeli and
Palestinian civilians caused from their irresponsible justifications and
actions.
Obama, our Senators and Congresspersons for the death of the Israeli and
Palestinian civilians caused from their irresponsible justifications and
actions.
God gave paws, fangs and horns to animals to settle their disputes, but
denied the same to humans, and instead gave them a tongue to dialogue. I am
afraid these men were not blessed with a tongue. They are still at the bottom of
the evolution pit and are adept in using their horns, fangs and Paws to settle
their disputes.
denied the same to humans, and instead gave them a tongue to dialogue. I am
afraid these men were not blessed with a tongue. They are still at the bottom of
the evolution pit and are adept in using their horns, fangs and Paws to settle
their disputes.
In conclusion, we need to fix the interpretation of our holy books, make
God a good God for all, get Netanyahu and Mashaal to dialogue instead of
encouraging and funding them to pound each other. Let’s look forward to building
security for Israel and justice for the Palestinians; one will not happen
without the other.
God a good God for all, get Netanyahu and Mashaal to dialogue instead of
encouraging and funding them to pound each other. Let’s look forward to building
security for Israel and justice for the Palestinians; one will not happen
without the other.
Resign
If these men really want peace, we need to put them together with 5 Israeli
and 5 Palestinian Children with their mothers, and ask them to look at the kids
and promise to them, that they the Palestinian and Israeli leaders together will
deliver peace and prosperity, jobs and security to them when they grow up, and
that they will not be their villains anymore. Furthermore, they would apologize
to them for killing other children who would have become their friends in
prosperity. If they have no intentions to deliver the results, why should people
elect them?
and 5 Palestinian Children with their mothers, and ask them to look at the kids
and promise to them, that they the Palestinian and Israeli leaders together will
deliver peace and prosperity, jobs and security to them when they grow up, and
that they will not be their villains anymore. Furthermore, they would apologize
to them for killing other children who would have become their friends in
prosperity. If they have no intentions to deliver the results, why should people
elect them?
To see other opinions, please visit
Dallas Morning news at http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/08/texas-faith-the-endless-entanglement-of-faith-and-war.html/
Thank
you
mike
Mike Ghouse
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator on
Pluralism at work place, politics, religion, society, gender, race, culture,
ethnicity, food and foreign policy. All about him is listed in several links at
www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at
www.TheGhousediary.com and 10 other
blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic
solutions on issues of the day.
you
mike
Mike Ghouse
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Mike Ghouse is a public speaker, thinker, writer and a commentator on
Pluralism at work place, politics, religion, society, gender, race, culture,
ethnicity, food and foreign policy. All about him is listed in several links at
www.MikeGhouse.net and his writings are at
www.TheGhousediary.com and 10 other
blogs. He is committed to building cohesive societies and offers pluralistic
solutions on issues of the day.