Iraq. What a mess. I usually dont get political, but I will, today.
Here's a headline from the Associated Press, for today:
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen shot dead 47 civilians and left their bodies in a ditch near Baghdad Thursday as militia battles and sectarian reprisals followed the bombing of a sacred Shiite shrine. Sunni Arabs suspended their participation in talks on a new government. At least 47 other bodies were found scattered across Iraq, many of them shot execution-style and dumped in Shiite-dominated parts of Baghdad.
Well isnt this lovely. I must say, for all the good religion does for the individual, it seems to do 5 or 10 times more damage to the group. Yes, you say its all about the religions being misconstrued. Yes, in Iraq its about sectarian differences. Shi'a vs. Sunni. But supposedly the end of the world will come one of these days, not too far off, so we hear. And its going to be more violence. And yeah, all the "bad" people will be scourged from the earth. In a bloodbath. And then it should be perfect. Well, my question is why would God, who is perfect, use violence against those he loves? Violence is okay in contexts X, Y and Z, but not in A, B and C. It doesnt make sense.
Its ugly, all of this. We look at the world today and we see it divided up. Jew vs. Muslim vs. Christian vs. Hindu vs. Buddhist. Why should it be this way. Why IS it this way? Its because we assume that "we" are the only right ones. Islam assumes Allah is supreme. The Christians preach of Jesus' return, his earth life and crucifixion- these are the only truths, according to these religions. Mormonism has, in its very young history remained a peaceful religion, (except for at the beginning....). But it too has its martyrs.... Again, we assume our way is the right way. "I know the church is true," we say every testimony meeting. There could be no other possible way. And this is not only in Mormonism, but again, any other religion. And so when the doctrines, agendas and politics conflict, so to do our bodies. We end up with millions dead, maimed, tortured, in the name of something that claims to be perfect, and right. How is it possible for people to get it so wrong?
Maybe we should open our eyes and realize that we actually do share the world with others. Maybe we are all wrong about our religions. Maybe we should realize that Jesus was called the Prince of Peace for a reason. Maybe peace is the only righteous way to go.
"I like your Chirst, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ."
-Mohandas Gandhi
I think this quote to be true for any other religion as well. For Muslims, its Muhammad or Ali... for Jews its the Prophets of old. All with good intentions, gone completely awry. It's time for the world to stand up and realize that we are destroying each other. We've been through this so many times. History repeats itself. When will we learn that violence and destruction in the name of religion is as good as burning all the meaning that these religions have? Put away your guns, knives and bombs. Jesus said to turn the other cheek.
The fundamentalist christian movement in the U.S. is not preaching peace. Fred Phelps is not peaceful. Neither are the other ministries who teach that christianity is the only way. A look in history confirms that every great (major) religion has violence in its past- skeletons in the closet, in my eyes. Catholics. Protestants. Muslims. Jews. Mormons. Hindus. When will people wake up? Stop trying to convert each other, to CHANGE people. When will people just be. Just accept others' religions. When will religion be left alone to be what it should be: peaceful, loving, merciful. Why cant the world get it right?
4 comments:
You are absolutely right. I can't believe what suffering is going on in the world. It makes me feel like I have nothing to worry about in comparison to what some of these innocent civilians are going through in places of war.
I like what you said about the world destorying each other. It is sad. I guess that is all the more reason to be a catalyst for change. I hope to be able to get to that place, where I can truly help people and aid the world in it's quest for peace.
I think most religions share some very basic and similar traits with each other. The problem is people tend to distort those ideas and make them fit into the view they want.
I hate to say it, but I think Iraq will most likely end up in a civil war. The country will end up divided into religious factions, or you will have genocide.
Why is that some people are ok with taking another persons life in the name of religion, yet have such a hard time to with two men being in love? I seriously don’t get that. I think our priorities are off.
Is it weird that a recent blog of mine had nearly the same title as yours? Merely coincedence, says I.
I think that taking another person's life in the name of religion and animosity toward those who break the presumed norm stem from the same source.
I learned once that truth means the reality of how things are. And then I learned that all truth is relative - there are no absolutes. I hate that people (gay and straight) are so intent on making their truth the only truth that they don't allow others to have their own truth.
Whether or not your truth is THE truth, you must! allow others to believe their truth until their experience teaches them contrary. It is the responsibility of nobody to force truth upon another.
Why must people be so aggressive about being right that they forsake what it means to be good?
I agree with foxx's comment that "it is the responsibility of nobody to force truth upon another." There is nothing wrong with believing that your religion is the "one true religion", as long as you respect the fact that other people also believe that their religion is true just as strongly as you believe that yours is true. The problems don't stem from people believing their religion is the only true religion; they stem from a lack of respect for other people's beliefs and a desire to force people to believe what you believe.
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