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Status: Drafting the fourth book in the PERILOUS series!

Friday, April 8, 2011

God is not in this

I recently watched an excellent documentary about the tensions between the Jews and the Muslims in Jerusalem. It's called "Promises," and I highly recommend it for intellectual watching.

But it was also very troubling. The children interviewed in the film gave their opinions on their neighbors of the other religion. I was shocked at the hatred and blind judgment that emanated from each side. Both sides claimed the other side had wronged them, kicked them off their land and brutally murdered them. Both sides expressed an angry entitlement that they deserved to live on the land and THEY WOULD NOT SHARE.

This absolutely shocked me. Not that they felt they had the right; but that they insisted that the other side could not live there with them.

The most troubling part is that they claimed this in the name of God. Both religions said God wanted this. One boy said that God wanted the other religion destroyed, and if he saw a [...], he would throw a stone or try to kill him. He said that the more [...] that died, the fewer there would be, and the world would be better.

There was one group of children who disagreed. One group who felt that the checkpoints were invasive and that the other religious group had just as much right to live there as they did. They were interested in meeting kids of the other religion and forming friendships, friendships that might some day change the world.

They also were non-practicing [...]. They did not believe in God.

They fight in the name of God, they hate each other in the name of God, they indoctrinate their children to do the same--in the name of God. But I do not believe this is God's will. This is evil, it is destruction on God's children. God is not in this.

I dream of a world where we all live happy lives to old ages. We are all born with this potential. And it is not God who inhibits us from fulfilling it.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

I totally agree with you. Most of the fights that occurs have people fight for God, when really it's just two religions fighting because they can't take the time to understand the other one.

Unknown said...

I heard a speaker talk on public radio about God and what God said to Moses "I am that which I am" and how limited that translation is now a days. It is sad that these people from different religions can't look at each other and see God in each other.

Kate Larkindale said...

It's crazy really, when you actually look at the beliefs in different religions and see how similar the stories are. If these people could take the time to sit down and really look at what the others believe in, they'd find the principles are pretty much identical in every religion.

J E Fritz said...

I don't understand hatred. It's so blinding, but people give into it anyway. And using religion as a reason for hate! Disgusting!

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